ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the properties of various water systems. Water contains dissolved gases and other chemical species which affect acidity and alkalinity. Water is a complex system of chemical species that has received considerable study. Water is essential to all living organisms. Precipitation and evaporation rates, humidity, and available soil moisture are factors governing water availability for various life forms. For the present purposes, water supply is generally considered to occur in four accessible locations: groundwater, rivers, lakes, and oceans. The study of water is divided into a number of sub categories. Limnology is the branch of the science dealing with the characteristics of fresh water, including biological properties as well as chemical and physical properties. The temperature effect on the solubility of gases in water is especially important in the case of oxygen. The biodegradation of organic matter in the aquatic and terrestrial environments is a crucial environmental process.
