Volatile organic Compounds - Lab Report Example

Volatile Organic Compounds al Affiliation Dear Client In addressing the concerns you raised about your drinking water, I carriedout a laboratory analysis of the water. I used the gas chromatography electron capture detector method so that I could determine the levels of chlorinated compounds in the water. From the test carried out, it was determined that the water contained both chloroform and TCE. The levels were determined to be 0.25ppm making the water to be potentially harmful to the health to the person who drinks or consumes it.

Chloroform gets into the drinking water from the chlorination process of the naturally occurring organic compounds and materials in raw water (Scott & Cogliano, 2000). The major effects of the compound on human health are in the central nervous system. When it accumulates in the body, it affects the nervous system and the result can be very detrimental. The other effects of chloroform include dizziness, tiredness, nausea, vomiting, and headache. On the other hand, the main source of the TCE in the drinking water is from the discharge from metal degreasing procedures and other factor processes.

In other cases, the ground water may also be contaminated with TCE especially in areas that are near the industrial sources and the old dumpsites. The consumption of water containing TCE may result in increased chances of experiencing liver problems and developing cancer (Scott & Cogliano, 2000). In order to define the presence other harmful compounds in the water, it will be imperative that more tests and laboratory analyses on other Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) are done. These are compounds with chemical and physical properties which allow them to move between air and water.

With these further tests, it will be possible to draw conclusions about the state of your drinking water.ReferenceScott, C., & Cogliano, V. (2000). Trichloroethylene health risks--state of the science. Environmental Health Perspectives 108. 2, 159–60.