Turbidity, a measure of the relative opaqueness of water, is a very imprecise indicator of the level of dissolved oxygen. Turbidity can result from:
(1) dissolved substances and suspended particulates. This can result in warming of the water due to increased absorption of sunlight. Warmer water cannot hold as much oxygen as cooler water, so oxygen content may be lowered. On the other hand, turbidity of this type can be caused by swiftly moving or churning waters, which will tend to increase the amount of dissolved oxygen by increasing the surface area exposed to air.
(2) phytoplankton, which will increase oxygen content during daylight hours due to photosynthesis but decrease oxygen during night time due to respiration.
(3) zooplankton and microbacteria, which will generally decrease the amount of dissolved oxygen due to respiration.
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
Turbidity, a measure of the relative opaqueness of water, is a very imprecise indicator of the level of dissolved oxygen. Turbidity can result from:
(1) dissolved substances and suspended particulates. This can result in warming of the water due to increased absorption of sunlight. Warmer water cannot hold as much oxygen as cooler water, so oxygen content may be lowered. On the other hand, turbidity of this type can be caused by swiftly moving or churning waters, which will tend to increase the amount of dissolved oxygen by increasing the surface area exposed to air.
(2) phytoplankton, which will increase oxygen content during daylight hours due to photosynthesis but decrease oxygen during night time due to respiration.
(3) zooplankton and microbacteria, which will generally decrease the amount of dissolved oxygen due to respiration.
Turbidity Def