Water Quality Study of a Pond Located Near the Main Gate on the Alcorn State University Campus

A pond is one of the freshwater bodies described as a lentic freshwater body. This study was conducted on a pond located at Alcorn State University close to the University main gate. Our previous studies on water quality or pollution have involved lotic bodies of water, namely, Rivers and Creeks. The purpose of this study is to determine the quality of the water in the pond near the Alcorn State University main gate and to find out if it meets the Mississippi Water Quality Criteria (MSWQC). Water samples were collected two times during February and March of 2016 from 3 different locations. The water samples were taken to the Biology laboratory and tested chemically according to methods described in the LaMotte water pollution detection kits supplied by Carolina Biological Supply Company. There were 10 chemical tests conducted and the results were averaged, recorded, and analyzed. Also, the water samples were cultured on nutrient agar and MacConkey agar to detect coliform bacteria. The physical characteristics checked, showed that the water was colorless, odorless and transparent (not turbid). The chemical tests showed that the pond water met the MSWQC except for alkalinity, carbon dioxide, hardness and phosphate. Although the water met most of the MSWQC, the biological tests showed that the water contained coliform bacteria and is therefore polluted.