Importance of pH in understanding the spill: Communicating Science about the Gold King Mine Spill and Water Quality in the Animas River.
Essential Questions:
How have geological, biological and human factors created and exacerbated acid mine drainage and water quality issues in the Animas River?
What ecological and human health threats might be associated with the Gold King Mine spill: initially, currently and in the future?
What actions can be taken to improve the water quality in Cement Creek and the Animas River watershed?
What is the role of science in making policy decisions?
Reflection- Geological, biological and human factors created water quality issues in the Animas River in all different ways. Geologically, the runoff of sediment is constantly flowing through the river. Some of this sediment contains metals from rocks downstream through the river. Biologically, the animals that become affected by other factors may become ill and create a problem in the food chain if not contaminating their consumers. Human factors tend to be a matter of accidents, for example the river spill was created by human error, as well as just carelessness for the earth, for example littering. The health threats associated with the Gold King Mine spill range from ecological and human organism, and also range depending on the time frame being looked at. Initally during the spill, surprisingly, the river was considered safe, only at the plume of the spill, was there ever an health standards not met with the pH levels and concentration of metals. The pH at the plume of the spill was very similar to a can of coke, so it wasn't a pH anything that humans have not been familiar with. Currently, our river is also considered safe, the pH has raised back up to the ‘normal’ pH, which is actually still considered acidic. Ecological wise, our organims in the river, were not harmed, only on fish out of a large handful died, and the cause of death might not have even been related to the spill. Human wise, we were never at risk for health concerns during the spill. In the future, I don't believe this spill will have ecological or human health threats. If anything the ecological organism become accustomed to the quality of water over time so they can survive in their ecosystem. I believe scientist have a very high obligation to provide scientific data to the public, especially the nearby community. Whether the community can analysis and use that data correctly is up the them, but providing it is the least they can do so people can make their own decisions based on their own knowledge. It would be really helpful if it was presented in an understandable way because then those who are educated on the topic can have a simple explanation of what's happening. My understanding of scientific knowledge and process changed throughout the semester a lot. Having the availability to use proper data and talk to some scientist who were currently working on the same thing as us. Even going to that college lecture was so interesting because we heard so many interesting things from professionals that were doing the same thing but at a more advanced level. Also having their data as well as ours was helpful, but if ours had some type of error, we could always refer to the professionals because the topics we were studying were so related.