Water Pollution lab report PDF

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Itai Mccarley Professor Onwuka EVR 1001L 09, February 2018

Domestic Water Use: Experiment A

Title: The different levels of tannins in various water samples (05, February 2018)

Purpose: To compare levels of tannins in treated and untreated water.

Materials: 

DI water



Tap water



Lake water



3 vials



Tannin Reagent #1



Tannin Reagent #2



Colorimeter



Kimwipes



2 droppers

Procedure: First, one should fill the three vials with the three sample liquids (DI water, Tap Water, Lake Water). After, add 4 drops of Tannin Reagent #1 to both the tap and lake water vials. Then, add 2 ml of Tannin Reagent #2 to both the tap and lake water vials. After, let it sit for 30 minutes. Once that is done we can start to measure the color. First, open the colorimeter and press START. Then, scroll down until you find ALL TESTS and press ENTER. After scroll until you see TANNIN and press ENTER. Then, insert the DI water vial into the meter and press SCAN BLANK. After that, insert the tap water vile, press SCAN SAMPLE and record results. Repeat same step using the pond water. Before that, make sure to clean the vials every time with kimwipes and insert the DI water and press SCAN BLANK.

Data and observations: In this experiment observed the levels of tannins in the water using the colorimeter. The Colorimeter showed that the tap water had a very low concentration of tannins (.21 ppm) while the pond water had a higher concentration (2.06 ppm). When our results were compared to other groups, interesting results were yielded. Our tap water had the lowest concentration of tannins while we had the highest concentration of tannins in our lake water. Tannin Concentrations Group #1 (My

Tap Water (ppm)

Pond Water (ppm)

0.21

2.06 (SIPA)

group) Group #2 Group #3 Group #4 Group #5

0.34 0.39 0.26 0.25

0.92 (Law) 0.42 (Law) 0.64 (Big) 1.94 (Small)

Analysis: The overall results were that they were a higher concentration of tannins present in the pond water than in the tap water. The reason for that is that the treated water has been filtered and clean to remove DOCs (dissolved organic carbon), while the lake water has not been treated to the same level as tap water. The reason our sample of pond water has a higher concentration of tannins could be due to the fact that The SIPA lake is larger and happens to have more wild life roaming around (turtles and ducks). With this wildlife comes biological waste which raises the levels of DOCs and eventually raise the concentration of tannins.

Conclusion: This experiment was done compare tannin levels in both treated and untreated water. The reason for such concern is due to the use of chlorine in the water treatment. The Chlorine forms with DOCs to form such carcinogenic compounds which can be very dangerous for humans. If found in high concentrations, they can prevent the absorption of minerals by humans, leading to eventual sickness. This experiment showed that they were very low levels of tannins in our tap water, which is treated with chlorine. The reason being due to removal of DOCs. This shows that our water is cleaned properly and is safe for us to drink helping sustain life on Earth.

Water Pollution: Experiment B

Title: The different levels of chlorine in various water samples (05, February 2018)

Purpose: To measure the levels of sodium in various water samples which is proportional to chlorine.

Materials: 

3 beakers



Tap water



Pond Water



DI Water



Dropper



Silver Nitrate

Procedure: Fill three beakers with three various water samples (DI water, tap water and pond water). After, add 5 drops of silver nitrate into each sample. Then, note any changes in color.

Data and Observations: When the silver nitrate was added, a chemical reaction that formed white precipitate occurred. The DI water had a very minimal amount of white color, the Pond water had a large concentration of white and the tap water was somewhere in the middle.

Left to right. 1. DI water 2. Pond Water 3. Tap Water

Analysis: The overall results showed that the highest levels of sodium were found in the pond water, then tap water and then DI water. The reason for this is due to the correlation between chloride ions and sodium ions, if there are high concentrations of one so too by the other. The way we can detect the amount of chlorine is through the use of silver nitrate. When silver nitrate

is reacted with chloride ions, a white precipitate is formed. The formula that demonstrates this chemical reaction is as following, Ag+ + NO3- + Cl- = AgCl + NO3-. In the DI water, the reason it had little to no white was due to the fact the water is deionized (no chemical reactions can take place.). In the tap water, since it has been thoroughly cleaned, very little chloride ions are found creating a slight precipitate. In the lake water, the precipitate was the strongest due to the highest levels of Cl-. The reason this is so that the water is not treated, so whatever is in the atmosphere gets absorbed by the water.

Conclusion: The purpose of this experiment was to measure levels of sodium in various levels of water. This was done through the measure of chloride ions via silver nitrate. This experiment comes to show the importance of water purification. Sodium at high concentrations can be quite dangerous for human consumption. As we saw in the untreated water, the atmosphere is filled with it and gets absorbed in the water. This is really important for us, since our aquifer is on a limestone bed and absorbs a lot of mineral runoff. If we were not to treat our water, it would not be drinkable. This comes to show us how fortunate we are to have treated water, minimizing waterborne health issues.

Water Pollution: Experiment C

Title: The different levels of Calcium and Magnesium found in tap water.

Purpose: To determine the hardness of tap water through the concentrations of magnesium and calcium.

Materials: 

EDTA



Tap Water



Conical flask



pH 10 buffer solution



Eriochrome black T indicator



Burette



Funnel

Procedure: First, fill burette with EDTA and place back in holder. Next, fill a conical flask with 40ml of tap water. After, add five drops of pH 10 buffer solution to the tap water. Then, add an absurdly small amount of the Eriochrome black T indicator and stir. After, place the flask under the burette and start adding drop by drop the EDTA. Add until pinkish water turns light blue. Then measure the amount of water used to create a visual change and record results. Repeat 2 more times. Make sure to properly dispose of the EDTA.

Observations: The overall trend was that the more EDTA added, the bluer the water became. It took approximately 7 ml of EDTA each time to create a chemical reaction. The more of the indicator that was added, the quicker a change of color was observed. In our third experiment, we accidentally added more of the indicator and it took only 5 ml to get a blueish solution. The results recorded are below:

Initial Reading

First Second Third

Final (ml)

Volume used (ml)

33ml 40ml 45ml

9ml 7ml 5ml

(ml) 24ml 33ml 40ml

Analysis: The results of this experiment showed that Florida’s water is very hard. Hardness is determined by the average volume of EDTA in water x 49.2. If water is found to have a hardness level of over 180 mg/l than it is considered very hard. In out sample, our level of hardness was found to be 344.4 mg/l (average of 7ml of EDTA x 49.2). When compared to the rest of the class, we had a much harder water. My speculation over this is that my peers place too much of the indicator. The reason for this is that in our third trial, we accidentally added too much of the indicator which created a darker pink than usual and required a lower amount of EDTA to turn blue. In addition, the waste bucket was a dark blue instead of a light blue, which signifies the overuse of the indicator.

Water Hardness (mg/l)

Classification

344.4 mg/l

Very Hard

163.84 mg/l 160.72 mg/l 147.6 mg/l 205 mg/l

Hard Hard Hard Hard

Group #1 (my group) Group #2 Group #3 Group #4 Group #5

Conclusion: This experiment was to measure the hardness in the local water here in Florida. My group concluded that our water is very hard. A large factor of the hardness is due to where our water comes from. Our ground water sits on a calcium bed and we know calcium is one of the main factors of hardness. In terms of effects of water hardness, it only makes it more difficult for suds to form. A practical solution that many people use is water softeners to help create cleaner dishes and laundry etc. Unlike the others, this is no shape or form a health hazard, rather just a minor inconvenience....