CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF RAIN AND STREAM WATER OF A CATCHMENT IN MĀNOA, HAWAIʻI

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2024

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Understanding the relationship between precipitation and stream water is essential for identifying if the freshwater bodies meet water quality standards. Identifying the source is important to understand water pathways, for example whether rainwater travels over the surface to the stream, or by leaching into groundwater first. Precipitation and stream water chemistry has been widely studied across the continental United States but little or no research exists regarding a tropical catchment system and the complex relationship that this system might have. Therefore, rainwater and stream water samples were collected weekly and analyzed using Ion Chromatography to find the concentration (mg/L) of each major ion in the sample. The analysis of precipitation and stream water in a tropical climate can add to the understanding of water quality including which processes contribute to water quality standards. The abundant ions identified were chloride, sodium, magnesium, sulfate, and calcium. Chloride and sodium were dominant in both rain and stream water samples, leading to the assumption that the rainwater was mostly sourced from marine aerosol. Scatter plots and the Pearson Correlation Coefficient were used to compare ions against each other to understand how rainwater contributes to streams chemically and where potential sources are located. Determining the relationship between the major ions can identify what activities lead to higher concentrations of the ions which can impact long-term water quality. This study has analyzed the chemical interactions in a tropical catchment system and underscores the critical role of rainfall and stream water interactions and their influence on water quality. Keywords: Major ions, rainwater, stream water, Mānoa, Hawaiʻi.

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ABSTRACT Understanding the relationship between precipitation and stream water is essential for identifying if the freshwater bodies meet water quality standards. Identifying the source is important to understand water pathways, for example whether rainwater travels over the surface to the stream, or by leaching into groundwater first. Precipitation and stream water chemistry has been widely studied across the continental United States but little or no research exists regarding a tropical catchment system and the complex relationship that this system might have. Therefore, rainwater and stream water samples were collected weekly and analyzed using Ion Chromatography to find the concentration (mg/L) of each major ion in the sample. The analysis of precipitation and stream water in a tropical climate can add to the understanding of water quality including which processes contribute to water quality standards. The abundant ions identified were chloride, sodium, magnesium, sulfate, and calcium. Chloride and sodium were dominant in both rain and stream water samples, leading to the assumption that the rainwater was mostly sourced from marine aerosol. Scatter plots and the Pearson Correlation Coefficient were used to compare ions against each other to understand how rainwater contributes to streams chemically and where potential sources are located. Determining the relationship between the major ions can identify what activities lead to higher concentrations of the ions which can impact long-term water quality. This study has analyzed the chemical interactions in a tropical catchment system and underscores the critical role of rainfall and stream water interactions and their influence on water quality.

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Makenzy Teuila Rui Tamura

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