| |
| author |
Ethan Bockhorn
| | title |
The Effect of Human Population Density on Water Quality of Ponds and Lakes in Morris County, NJ
| | abstract |
As the human population continues to rise, it becomes increasingly more important to
consider what effects this phenomenon could be having on the quality of our global water
sources. Because New Jersey has one of the highest population densities out of all states in the
United States, by looking at the health of lakes and ponds specifically in New Jersey we may be
able to get a better understanding of this potential relationship between human population size
and water quality. Depending on how large the population is around a particular lake or pond,
each body of water is subject to a variety of effects from different levels of human activity. My
research was based around the central question, how does the human population density
surrounding Morris County lakes and ponds impact their overall water quality? Based on my
results, I did not find that population density had a significant effect on temperature, dissolved
oxygen, total dissolved solids, phosphate, nitrite, or ammonia. However, I was able to find that
human population density was significantly correlated with both increased pH and increased
turbidity. The increase in pH is likely due to the higher amount of lime and waste products that
runoff into nearby lakes and ponds, which typically come from fertilizers, soaps, and other
cleaning products that are used more heavily in areas of higher population density. Similarly, the
increase in turbidity is likely due to deposition of sediments such as dirt and silt from higher
aggravation of land caused by human activity. Continued assessment of lakes and ponds, both
locally and globally, is necessary to see just how impactful the increasing human population is on
the quality of our water bodies and the biodiversity that lives within them.
| | school |
The College of Liberal Arts, Drew University
| | degree |
B.S. (2024)
|
| advisor |
Tammy Windfelder
|
| committee |
Hilary Kalagher
Paris Scarano
|
| full text | EBockhorn.pdf - requires Drew uLogin |
| |
