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- Measuring Clarity
- Effects on Clarity and Turbidity
- The Big Picture: Environmental Insight
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The Big Picture: Environmental Insight
An environment is usually healthy if it shows "medium" turbidity. If there is high turbidity (making for low clarity) then there is either a lot of runoff or many microscopic organisms. Really clear water, with low turbidity, is not healthy either. This means that this environment can only support a little plant and animal life.
Turbidity shows how much sediment and organic matter are in a body of water. Although natural, these sediments can be seen as pollutants. They block sunlight, decreasing the ability for water plants and photosynthetic algae to grow. These are primary producers, and when they are not present the whole food chain does not have its base. Turbidity can also be caused by major algal blooms. They also block sunlight and lead to low dissolved oxygen in the water, causing fish to die.