Water Quality and Contamination - Research Paper Example

? Water Quality and Contamination. Introduction. Water quality and contamination is the topic under which this experiment was conducted to test the effects of ground water contamination on the quality of water. There are various sources of ground water contaminants and they all have various levels effect on water quality. The most common ground water contaminants come from human activities that involve dumping of waste materials in the environment which eventually seeps into ground water reserves. Ground water is contaminated by constituents have the ability to either come into direct or indirect contact with this water. From this background, the experiment designed to test the effects the most common ground water contaminants. These were detergents, oil and soil particles that are the most used compounds by man in their daily lives. The experiment was conducted on the premise of proving or disapproving a predetermined hypothesis. The hypotheses stated that water would take on the appearance, color and odor of each element added and the cheese would serve as a filter for the particles. Materials and Methods. The experiment required the use of beakers which were used to hold the water that was used to test effect of various contaminants. A total of 8 beakers were used where the water to be used in the experiment was contained. Each beaker of water was exposed to a different contaminant and the changes in appearance, color, and smell were tabulated for comparison purposes. Results. Beaker Observations 1 Semi Cloudy no particles & odorless 2 Oil settled on top of water 3 No change except smell of vinegar 4 Color changed to blue, smell of laundry detergent, some bubbles developed 5 The water turned brownish in color with particles floating & no smell 6 The oil settled to the top of the water & produced large bubbles with small bubbles inside, water is cloudy & no odor 7 All the liquid filtered through the cheesecloth & vinegary odor, cloudy 8 All the liquid filtered through the cheesecloth, bluish in color & smell of detergent The vinegar added a smell that was characteristic of vinegar, detergent changed the color of the water while soil changed the color and water constituent by adding particles both suspended and precipitated. On addition of oil, it changed the appearance of the water by making it become cloudy and the water slightly took to the density of oil. Each contaminant had its own characteristic effect on the quality of the water sample used. Soil and detergent had the most potent effect on the quality of water because they changed the color and constitution of water and the overall appearance of water. Experiment 3: Drinking Water Quality Table 2: Ammonia Test Results Water Sample Test Results Tap Water 0 mg/L of Ammonia Dasani® Bottled Water 0 mg/L of Ammonia Fiji® Bottled Water 0 mg/L of Ammonia Table 3: Chloride Test Results Water Sample Test Results Tap Water 0 Chloride mg/L Dasani® Bottled Water 0 Chloride mg/L Fiji® Bottled Water 0 Chloride mg/L Table 4: 4 in 1 Test Results Water Sample pH Total Alkalinity Total Chlorine Total Hardness Tap Water 6 7 6 5 Dasani® Bottled Water 2 6 6 5 Fiji® Bottled Water 8 6 9 4 Table 5: Phosphate Test Results Water Sample Test Results Tap Water 0 ppm Dasani® Bottled Water 0 ppm Fiji® Bottled Water 100 ppm Table 6: Iron Test Results Water Sample Test Results Tap Water 0 ppm Dasani® Bottled Water 0 ppm Fiji® Bottled Water 0 ppm The results garnered from the bottled water experiment illustrated no significant differences between tap water and bottled water. There were observable differences in the pH levels between the two brands of bottled water. The results showed that Dasani® Bottled water was more acidic despite the fact that it had the same levels of chlorine with tap water. Fiji® Bottled water had more chlorine explaining its high pH. Discussion. The results from experiment 2 were able to support the hypothesis formulated for this test because the contaminants were able to completely contaminate the water as stated. On a large scale, these particular contaminants would have a harmful effect on the quality of a town’s water supply. Soil and detergents would make the water unpalatable because the water would have an unpleasant appearance and taste because of the detergent and the soil particles. This would necessitate the water to be treated for it to be suitable for human consumption (Howden & Marther, 2012). There are various sources of water contaminants from people’s daily activities like improper disposal of oil and hazardous chemicals. Proper disposal of house hold wastes and sewerage can go a long way in mitigating the harmful effects of ground water contamination. Agricultural practices that are carried out around homes on kitchen gardens and flower beds with the use of herbicides and pesticides contribute to the leaching of harmful chemical compounds into underground waters (Xu & Usher, 2006). Contamination of ground water through human activities is the major cause of ground water contamination and the accompanying harmful effects of this water on human and animal life (Miller & Spoolman, 2011). The contribution of human activities to ground water contamination surpasses that of any other species on the planet. This calls for an increased awareness drive to sensitize people on the impact of their activities on the environment especially on water resources. The hypothesis posted for the second experiment was disapproved because they were no significant differences to warrant the eligibility of the hypothesis. The results showed that tap water contained lesser amounts of minerals than the sample bottled water brands used. Fiji® Bottled water had higher levels of both Chlorine and Phosphate than the other two water samples. This is an indication of either a fault in its purification process or the source of this water is compromised and needs further analysis. Conclusion. The experiment was able to confirm the hypotheses upon which the study was founded on, and it was able to demonstrate the various effects of different contaminants on ground water. The experiment was also able to shed light on how chemicals and other contaminants are able to reach ground water through a process called leaching. Leaching has been identified as the main method of contaminants reaching ground waters (Brentwood & Robar, 2004). The methods used to garner results from the experiment can also be used as ways of confirming the suitability of water for consumption from questionable sources. The experiment also demonstrated how water that is contaminated by soil can be purified and the soil particles removed using a cheese cloth as the means of removing these particles. References. Miller, G. T. & Spoolman, S. E. (2011). Living in the environment. 17Th Illustrated Edition. Cengage Learning. Xu, Y. & Usher, B. (2006). Groundwater pollution in Africa: Balkema-proceedings and monographs in engineering, water and earth sciences. Illustrated Editon. UNEP/Earthprint. Brentwood, M. & Robar, S. F. (2004). Managing common pool groundwater resources: an international perspective. Illustrated Edition. Greenwood Publishing Group. Howden, N. & Mather, J. (2012). History of Hydrogeology. Illustrated Edition. CRC Press. Read More