Water Samples

The water samples we used were taken from various locations, all with differing densities and communities. The pond water was taken from Tommy's Pond in Metuchen, which is a fairly urban town. Metuchen is very close to major highways such as the Garden State Parkway, the NJ Turnpike, and route 287. This could cause a higher level of pollution due to exhaust fumes. Metuchen also intercepted by a major railroad system, which also causes pollution to the area. In addition to this Metuchen is also home to many restaurants, stores, schools, churches, health care services, and more, all of which attract people to the area. Metuchen has the 6th highest population in the state. All of these factors add to the quality of the water in the area, especially that of the pond, which is probably not treated.
The canal water was taken from the Delaware water gap near Rutgers University. Rutgers' campus is very close to major hospitals such as St. Peter's and Robert Wood Johnson. This, as well as the high population of students living on campus and commuting to Rutgers adds to the population and activity of the area. There are tens of thousands of students that attend Rutgers each year, making the surrounding town and campus very busy and urban. The water sample from this area may not be very clean, and the pollutants from all the traffic has not doubt affected the quality and cleanliness.
The ocean water was taken Sandy hook, which is a rural area. There are under 700 people living in the area, cutting back on traffic and pollutants that are part of everyday life in Metuchen and on Rutgers' campus. Much of Sandy hook is protected by Gateway National Recreation and the Clean Ocean Action organization. On Sandy Hook is also the Marine Academy Science and Technology center. Pollution in this area is at a minimum.