AN EXPERIMENT: DISSOLVED OXYGEN IN WATER

Ateneo de Davao University

E. Jacinto St., Davao City

A Laboratory Report in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements in

Chemistry for Engineers 1036 (LAB)

Proponents:

Llana Kirsten T. Gaurano

Paulene P. Mabitad

Jerah Althea E. Mepranum

Submitted to:

Engr. Barbara C. Tumacder

CHEM 1036 Professor

October 2022

1
Introduction

The amount of oxygen dissolved in water is known as dissolved oxygen. Water bodies
absorb oxygen from the atmosphere, as well as aquatic plants. Like a fast-flowing stream,
running water dissolves more oxygen than still water, such as a pond or lake. Animals that live
in water, like animals and humans on land, require oxygen to survive. Oxygen from the
atmosphere dissolves in river and lake water, and fish and other aquatic animals breathe this
oxygen. Oxygen can enter when the water in creeks and rivers flows over rocks. The amount of
oxygen in the water depends on whether or not it is flowing, whether or not there are rocks or
other obstacles for the water to flow over, how many plants are growing in the water, and the
temperature of the water. Cold, flowing water with many obstacles and a moderate amount of
plants has more oxygen. Plants absorb carbon dioxide and emit oxygen; however, if there are
too many plants, all of the oxygen will be consumed when bacteria decompose after they die. In
frigid water, oxygen levels are higher than in hot water.

When excess organic materials, such as large algal blooms, are decomposed by
microorganisms, low oxygen levels (hypoxia) or no oxygen levels (anoxia) can occur. Dissolved
oxygen in the water is consumed during this decomposition process. Low oxygen levels are
typically at the bottom of the water column and impact organisms that live in the sediments.
Dissolved oxygen levels in some bodies of water fluctuate on a regular, seasonal, and even
daily basis as part of the aquatic resource's natural everyday ecology. As these dissolved
oxygen levels fall, some sensitive animals may flee, deteriorating health or even death.

A lake gets its dissolved oxygen from two sources: plant and algae photosynthesis and
atmospheric diffusion. Plants use the sun's energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into
oxygen and cellular material during photosynthesis (growth). Because the atmosphere (air)
contains more oxygen than water, oxygen diffuses into the lake's surface from the atmosphere.
Two significant processes use dissolved oxygen: respiration and decomposition. Animals
breathe in oxygen and use it to produce energy, emitting carbon dioxide and water as
byproducts. Simply put, it is the act of breathing. Decomposition is the breakdown of dead
organic material by invertebrates, bacteria, and fungi. Most decomposition processes involve
the use of oxygen. Thus, in this experiment, the following objectives were expected to be
achieved:
● Determine the average molarity of thiosulfate;
● Calculate the dissolved oxygen of the water sample;
● Figure out the impact of dissolved oxygen in water

2
Methodology

The experiment was conducted in four parts: I.) Sample collection; II.) Preparation of
burette; III.) Standardization of thiosulfate solution; and IV.) Analysis of water sample.

The following materials were prepared: BOD bottles that served as collection bottles, an
ice box, a pipette bulb, a 50 mL acid burette, a 400 mL Erlenmeyer flask, a 25 mL pipette, and
an electronic balance. In this experiment, the following reagents were also used as prepared by
the stockroom assistants:
a.) Manganous sulfate solution: 40 grams of 𝑀𝑛𝑆𝑂4 was dissolved in distilled

water and diluted to 100 mL.

b.) Alkali-iodide-azide reagent: 50 grams of 𝑁𝑎𝑂𝐻 and 13.5 grams of 𝑁𝑎𝐼 were
dissolved in distilled water and were diluted to 100 mL. One gram of 𝑁𝑎𝑁3 was dissolved

in 4 mL distilled water.
c.) at least 50 mL of concentrated Sulfuric acid, 𝐻2𝑆𝑂4

d.) Starch: One gram of soluble starch and 0.1 gram of salicylic acid were
dissolved in 50 mL hot distilled water. A freshly prepared starch indicator was used since
the decomposition of starch by bacterial action might interfere with the reaction.
e.) an estimated 0.025 M of Standard sodium thiosulfate titrant: 6.205 grams of
𝑁𝑎2𝑆2𝑂3 was dissolved in distilled water. 0.4 grams of solid 𝑁𝑎𝑂𝐻 was then added and

diluted to 1000 mL. It was standardized with bi-iodate solution.

f.) a 0.004167 M of Standard potassium iodate solution: 891.8 mg of potassium
iodate, 𝐾𝐼𝑂3 was dissolved in distilled water and diluted to 1000 mL.

g.) Potassium fluoride solution: 40 grams of 𝐾𝐹 was dissolved in distilled water

and diluted to 1000 mL.
h.) Potassium iodide crystals

Before proceeding to the procedures, a precaution was taken. The chemical,

concentrated reagent-grade acid (𝐻2𝑆𝑂4), was handled carefully as it can burn hands and

clothing. If affected, rinse parts with large quantities of tap water to prevent injury and remove
contaminated clothing, as residual may still damage the skin. Also, caution was given in
handling the alkaline-iodide-sodium azide solution as this solution is poisonous. When working
with alkaline azide and sulfuric acid, keep a nearby faucet running for frequent hand rinsing.

For the sample collection, BOD bottles were washed and cleaned. The ice box filled with
ice was prepared minutes before the sample collection. The group leader was required to collect
the ice box and the BOD bottles from the Chemistry stockroom, and the remaining members
went to the Biology Garden Fish pond. The mouth of BOD bottles was gently submerged in the
fish pond, ensuring no bubbles were formed, as this would change the DO level of the water
sample. The BOD bottles were then rinsed with the water sample three times. The bottles were

3
filled to the brim and were then covered with bottle lids making sure no air bubbles were trapped
inside the bottles. The water samples were then stored in the ice box and carried to the
laboratory.

For the preparation of the burette, the instrument was washed with liquid detergent.
After, the detergent was rinsed away with tap water, and distilled water was used as the final
rinse. Next, a process called priming the burette was followed by placing about five mL of
thiosulfate solution in the burette, allowing the solution to coat the entire burette. The rinsing
solution was discarded, and the priming step was repeated twice. The burette was filled with
thiosulfate solution to a level above the "zero mark" of the burette. Trapped air bubbles on the
tip of the burette were removed by flushing them out. Then, the stopcock was turned on to allow
the liquid to flow through. After all the air bubbles were flushed out, the stopcock closed. As
shown in table 1 below, all the trials 1, 2, and 3 have an initial volume of 0.00 mL.

For the third part, approximately two grams of 𝐾𝐼 were weighed free from iodate and

poured into a 400 mL Erlenmeyer flask. 100 mL of distilled water was then added, and it was
swirled to dissolve the 𝐾𝐼 crystals. Five drops of concentrated 𝐻2𝑆𝑂4 were added and stirred to

mix the reagents. Using a 25 mL pipette, 20.00 mL of standard bi-iodate solution was pipetted
and added to the 𝐾𝐼 solution ensuring that the pipetting was done as precisely as possible to

acquire accurate results. The solution was diluted to 200 mL with distilled water. The thiosulfate
solution was then added from the burette to titrate the liberated iodine. The flask was swirled
continuously while the thiosulfate titrant was added. Once the solution turned pale yellow, the
titration was stopped. Five drops of the starch indicator were added, which turned the solution
into a dark blue-colored solution. Thiosulfate was continuously added until the dark blue solution
disappeared. After the process, the final volume of thiosulfate in each trial was tallied below in
table 1. The first trial showed a final volume of 10.50 mL; trial 2 had a final volume of 10.10 mL;
and trial 3 with 9.80 mL.

Table 1. Data sheet for initial and final volume of thiosulfate solution in each trial

Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3

Initial volume of thiosulfate (mL) 0.00 0.00 0.00

Final volume of thiosulfate (mL) 10.50 10.10 9.80

For the last part of the experiment, a water sample was obtained from the icebox to fill a
BOD bottle. Then, one mL of manganous sulfate solution was added to the surface of the liquid.
In addition, one mL of alkaline potassium iodide plus sodium azide was added. The sample was
mixed by shaking the bottle and inverted several times until the precipitate settled. Then, one
mL of concentrated sulfuric acid was added, allowing it to run down the neck of the bottle to
avoid air bubbles. The bottle was covered once more and shaken until the precipitate dissolved.

4
After that, a graduated cylinder was used to measure 201 mL of the sample in the BOD bottle,
and it was transferred into an Erlenmeyer flask. The burette was then refilled with thiosulfate
solution, and the initial volume was recorded. Table 2 below shows it had an initial volume of
0.00 mL of thiosulfate. The solution produced a reddish-brown color; thus, five drops of the
starch indicator were added. Since a blue color solution was developed, the solution was
continuously titrated with 0.0250 N sodium thiosulfate until it became colorless. The final volume
of thiosulfate was recorded to be 8.20 mL, resulting in the total volume of sodium thiosulfate
used as shown below in table 2.

Table 2. Data sheet for initial and final volume of thiosulfate in mL

Initial volume of thiosulfate (mL) 0.00

Final volume of thiosulfate (mL) 8.20

Results and Discussion

The interpretation of the results are presented in this section. The aim of this section is to
discuss gathered data from the experiment in order to investigate the answers to the objectives.

Table 3. Average molarity of thiosulfate for the three trials

Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3

Volume of thiosulfate used (mL) 10.50 10.10 9.80

Molarity of thiosulfate (M) 0.048 0.050 0.051

Average Molarity of thiosulfate (M) 0.050

In table 3 , the volume of thiosulfate used is shown for trials 1, 2, and 3 respectively. This
was obtained by subtracting the final volume of thiosulfate and the initial volume of thiosulfate
for each trial that was obtained during the standardization of the solution. Thus, trial 1 has a
value of 10.50 mL, trial 2 with 10.10 mL, and trial 3 with 9.80 mL. The molarity of each
thiosulfate that was used in each trial was then calculated by using the formula:
2−
− 6 𝑚𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝑆2𝑂3 1
𝑀 2− = 0. 004167 𝑀 𝐼𝑂3 • 20. 00 𝑚𝐿 • − • 2− . Resulting in trial 1
𝑆2𝑂3 1 𝑚𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝐼𝑂3 𝑉𝑜𝑙 𝑆2𝑂3 𝑢𝑠𝑒𝑑 (𝑚𝐿)

having a value of 0.048 M, trial 2 with 0.050 M, and trial 3 with 0.051 M. Lastly the average
molarity of thiosulfate was obtained by adding all three trials’ thiosulfate molarity which summed
up to 0.149 M then divided by 3 to obtain 0.050 M.

Table 4. Dissolved Oxygen of the water sample

5
 Volume of thiosulfate used (mL) 8.20

Dissolved Oxygen of the water sample (mg/L) 6.56

In table 4, the volume of thiosulfate used was also obtained by subtracting the final and
initial volume of thiosulfate that was done on the water sample. The value obtained is 8.20 mL.
After, the dissolved oxygen of the water sample was obtained by using the formula:
1 𝑚𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝑂2 32 𝑚𝑔 𝑂2 1
𝐷𝑂 = 𝑀 2− ×𝑉 2− (𝑖𝑛 𝑚𝑙) × 2− × 1 𝑚𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝑂2
× 0.200𝐿 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒
. Hence, results in
𝑆2𝑂3 𝑆2𝑂3 4 𝑚𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝑆2𝑂3

6.56 mg/L.

Conclusion

The total was obtained by obtaining the molarity of thiosulfate on each trial, which was
then divided by 3. After doing so, the average molarity of thiosulfate was calculated, which had
a value of 0.050 M. The first objective was to determine the average thiosulfate's average
thiosulfate. This was computed to determine how much thiosulfate needed to be used before
titrating the sample. Then finding out the volume of thiosulfate that was used for the water
sample was critical in attaining the second objective, as it is used in calculating the dissolved
oxygen present using the given formula. Accordingly, 6.56 mg/L of oxygen was dissolved. Upon
reflection, objective three was also accomplished since the data presented the positive effect of
sufficient dissolved oxygen levels on the life of organisms in an aquatic environment as it
sustains their quality of life. Also, it was discovered that the opposite happens when dissolved
oxygen levels are depleted. This results in an oxygen-deficient environment that negatively
affects the health of aquatic life.

In summary, to survive, all terrestrial and aquatic animals require oxygen. Many marine
macroinvertebrate species are oxygen-dependent. They may perish if not given enough oxygen.
Even minor changes in dissolved oxygen concentration can significantly impact the composition
of aquatic communities. Many fish require a specific range of dissolved oxygen to survive.

References

6
Dissolved oxygen. (2018, February 1). RMBEL. Retrieved October 10, 2022, from

https://www.rmbel.info/primer/dissolved-oxygen/

Indicators: Dissolved oxygen. (n.d). Environmental Protection Agency. EPA. Retrieved October
10, 2022, from
https://www.epa.gov/national-aquatic-resource-surveys/indicators-dissolved-oxygen

Water quality. Dissolved Oxygen. (n.d). Retrieved October 10, 2022, from

https://extension.usu.edu/waterquality/learnaboutsurfacewater/propertiesofwater/dissolv
edoxygen

Dissolved Oxygen and Biochemical Oxygen Demand (n.d). U.S. E.P.A. Retrieved October 10,
2022, from http://water.epa.gov/type/rsl/monitoring/vms52.cfm

Atlas Scientific. (2021, March 8). How to measure and increase dissolved oxygen in all water

applications. Retrieved October 12, 2022, from

https://atlas-scientific.com/blog/how-to-increase-dissolved-oxygen-in-water/

Appendices

Figure 1. Trial 1 Figure 2. Trial 2

Figure 3. Trial 3 Figure 4. Dissolved Oxygen of Water Sample

Post-Lab Questions:

7
Question 1: Is the dissolved oxygen level in the pond adequate for the fishes to thrive? Discuss
the impact of low DO levels of water to aquatic organisms.

Yes, the dissolved oxygen level that was attained, which is 6.56 mg/L, is adequate for
fishes to thrive in the pond because the average amount of dissolved oxygen for fish tanks is
5.7 mg/L. Thus, the value that was attained fits the criteria. If DO levels are low in water, this
causes massive stress on aquatic organisms and in worst cases, death.

Question 2: In a typical aquatic environment, when dissolved organic matter is high, dissolved
oxygen level tends to be low. Explain why this inverse relationship occurs.

The dissolved oxygen in the surface water of a nutrient-rich water body is relatively high
due to increased photosynthesis by large quantities of algae. However, dissolved oxygen tends
to be depleted in deeper waters because photosynthesis is reduced due to poor light
penetration. Dead phytoplankton (algae) fall to the bottom and decompose, consuming oxygen.
There is usually less difference in dissolved oxygen from surface to bottom in a nutrient-poor
water body. This difference between surface and bottom waters is accentuated in reservoirs,
stream pools, and embayments during the summer due to thermal layering, which prevents
mixing. The top may become supersaturated with oxygen (>100%), while the bottom may
become anoxic (virtually no oxygen). Because of wind action in the shallow reservoirs and
physical turbulence created by rocks in the stream beds, shallower reservoirs and actively
flowing shallow streams are generally kept mixed.

Question 3: What are other factors that affect the level of dissolved oxygen in water? Briefly
explain the relationship of these factors to the dissolved oxygen in water?

Other factors that can affect the level of dissolved oxygen in the water include aquatic
life, salinity, temperature, and elevation. Aquatic life can use up dissolved oxygen which is why if
a body of water contains a lot of decomposing or dead material, then dissolved oxygen levels
drop. High levels of salt also hold less oxygen. The solubility of oxygen also decreases in high
temperatures. This means that cool water has higher DO levels, and warmer waters have less
DO levels. Lastly, elevation wherein if the body of water is located in high altitudes then
dissolved oxygen is lower. If it is located in lower altitudes, then dissolved oxygen levels are
higher.

Question 4: What can be done to alleviate (increase) the dissolved oxygen level in our rivers
and lakes?

8
 Low dissolved oxygen levels can be hazardous to aquatic life, including fish. Water
absorbs oxygen through diffusion from the atmosphere, wind and wave action, and plant
photosynthesis. Dissolved oxygen levels are increased by supplementing wind and wave action,
adding plants to water, and exposing water to purified oxygen. Other ways that can alleviate the
dissolved oxygen in livers and lakes are by the using the following: aerators, agitators, aquatic
plants, and adding 𝑂2 gas.

Aerators can take many forms, the most common of which is an air stone with constant
air pumped through it. It will directly increase oxygenation while also creating turbulence to
increase surface roughness and oxygen absorption. Agitators can also be configured in various
ways, ranging from large paddle wheels in a stagnant pond to fountains and underwater fans.
Swimming through a pond technically contributes to water agitation, increasing dissolved
oxygen levels and mixing. Allow your imagination to run wild as you consider the possibilities of
making mechanical water agitators out of small electric motors. As previously discussed, aquatic
plants produce oxygen during photosynthesis and add it directly to the water. When choosing
this method for indoor applications, ample sunlight and nutrients must be considered. Lastly,
bubbling pure oxygen gas through the water increases dissolved oxygen levels significantly.
However, be wary of oversaturating the water, which can also result in the death of aquatic life.
When adding pure oxygen gas to water sources, use a dissolved oxygen probe. Continuous
monitoring is ideal for this approach and is simple to implement using an industrial dissolved
oxygen probe that screws directly into piping.