Image by Getty Images via @daylifeFish behavior can monitor water quality
Everybody drinks water, and the question of whether or not there’s a contaminant or a toxic substance in the water is very real. But do you know where your water comes from? Tap water comes from many different sources. Before it gets to the faucets, water treatment plants clean up water from lakes, rivers and reservoirs, but it can still get contaminated by industrial and agricultural spill.
Now to make sure water is safe, environmental scientist are using something that lives in the water to monitor it closely- fish! Researchers are using bluegills to detect industrial and agricultural spills in water supplies. Changes in the environment cause the fishes’ behavior and breathing patterns to change. Electrodes are placed inside the tanks that contain the fish and water from a nearby water supply and they set off an alarm if conditions inside the tank change.
If pollutants are present, the fish will change their breathing patterns. Electrodes in each chamber monitor any changes. If the fishes are stressed, an alarm goes off. A researcher says that they don’t know necessarily what is the contaminant of the stressor to the fishes, but you know that it’s there. This will help to determine and prevent any toxins from getting into drinking water.
The fish system is a common sense, logical way to monitor for water quality thus, helping to keep their water- and yours- safe.
