Health of the Chicago River: Investigating Two Decades of Eutrophic Trends
Location
Golden Eagles
Start Date
2-5-2025 9:00 AM
Department
Other
Abstract
An oxygen deficiency is lethal to nearly all life forms, including humans, wildlife, and aquatic ecosystems. Eutrophication is a process that occurs when a body of water becomes oversaturated with nutrients, resulting in harmful algal blooms and cyanobacterial growth. Increased eutrophication causes subsurface hypoxia, which is detrimental to aquatic life. Primary factors affecting eutrophication include nitrate and phosphate levels, industrial and human waste, and urban agriculture. Our study focused on the Chicago River, which is affected by high population density, further exacerbating these factors. We hypothesize that an increase in nutrient concentration, such as nitrates and phosphates, paired with higher temperatures and lower precipitation, leads to higher levels of Chicago River eutrophication. Using data mining techniques, we compiled twenty-one years (2002-2023) of rainfall, temperature, nitrates, phosphates, and chlorophyll-a data from MyNASA, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This data was collected from six sampling sites—Site 112, Site 36, Site 100, Site 75, Site 41, and Site 43— along the North and South branches of the Chicago River, both downstream and upstream of MWRD’s reclamation plants. The amount of eutrophication is indicated through chlorophyll-a and correlated with nutrients from the same geographical location using Excel. Our results show that increased eutrophication directly correlates to elevated nitrates, phosphates, and water temperature, and is inversely correlated with precipitation in the Chicago River. In future studies, we plan to investigate additional factors affecting the health of the Chicago River, including phenols, cyanides, and pharmaceuticals, to design interventions that could potentially restore a healthy water ecosystem through molecular dynamics.
Faculty Sponsor
Doris Espiritu
Health of the Chicago River: Investigating Two Decades of Eutrophic Trends
Golden Eagles
An oxygen deficiency is lethal to nearly all life forms, including humans, wildlife, and aquatic ecosystems. Eutrophication is a process that occurs when a body of water becomes oversaturated with nutrients, resulting in harmful algal blooms and cyanobacterial growth. Increased eutrophication causes subsurface hypoxia, which is detrimental to aquatic life. Primary factors affecting eutrophication include nitrate and phosphate levels, industrial and human waste, and urban agriculture. Our study focused on the Chicago River, which is affected by high population density, further exacerbating these factors. We hypothesize that an increase in nutrient concentration, such as nitrates and phosphates, paired with higher temperatures and lower precipitation, leads to higher levels of Chicago River eutrophication. Using data mining techniques, we compiled twenty-one years (2002-2023) of rainfall, temperature, nitrates, phosphates, and chlorophyll-a data from MyNASA, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This data was collected from six sampling sites—Site 112, Site 36, Site 100, Site 75, Site 41, and Site 43— along the North and South branches of the Chicago River, both downstream and upstream of MWRD’s reclamation plants. The amount of eutrophication is indicated through chlorophyll-a and correlated with nutrients from the same geographical location using Excel. Our results show that increased eutrophication directly correlates to elevated nitrates, phosphates, and water temperature, and is inversely correlated with precipitation in the Chicago River. In future studies, we plan to investigate additional factors affecting the health of the Chicago River, including phenols, cyanides, and pharmaceuticals, to design interventions that could potentially restore a healthy water ecosystem through molecular dynamics.