Water Quality and Contamination

Experiment 1: Effects of Groundwater Contamination
Table 1: Water Observations (Smell, Color, Etc.)
Beaker Observations
1 This beaker contains water and the water appears to be very clear and it has no smell.
2 After I stirred the oil in with the water, the oil started to make bubbles on top of the water. The bubbles subsided leaving a thick film of oil on top of the water. The oil settled on top of the water. This happened because oil is not soluble.
3 After mixing the vinegar and water together, I noticed a slight change in the color of the water, but a very slight change. The color appeared just a little darker, almost a cloudy look. The solution is uniform in appearance and texture. The vinegar smell is quite strong.
4 When I mixed the laundry detergent with the water, the water became cloudy and had a soapy look to it. Tiny bubbles settled on top of the water. The water has no smell.
5 Most of the soil is sitting at the bottom of the beaker, leaving very few small particles of the soil on top of the water. The water is not clear anymore. It now has a brown dirty look to it. I can smell the potting soil a little.
6 This beaker’s water has turned light brown, but there is still a thin shiny oil film on top of the water.
7 The water is very light brown in color and the vinegar smell is still there.
8 This beaker’s water still has a light brown color, a foggy cloudy look, and it seems to have no smell.
POST LAB QUESTIONS
1. Develop hypotheses on the ability of oil, vinegar, and laundry detergent to contaminate groundwater.
2. Based on the results of your experiment, would you reject or accept each hypothesis that you produced in question 1? Explain how you determined this.

3. What affects did each of the contaminants have on the water in the experiment? Which contaminant seemed to have the most potent effect on the water?
4. Using at least 1 scholarly source, discuss what type of affects these contaminants (oil, vinegar, detergent) might have on a town’s water source and the people who drank the water?
5. Describe what type of human activity would cause contaminants like oil, acid and detergents to flow into the water supply? Additionally, what other items within your house do you believe could contaminate the water supply if you were to dump them onto the ground?

Experiment 2: Water Treatment

POST LAB QUESTIONS
1. Develop a hypothesis on the ability of your filtration technique to remove contaminants.

2. Based on the results of your experiment, would you reject or accept the hypothesis that you produced in question 1? Explain how you determined this.

Accept/Reject = Yes, I would accept my hypothesis because I assumed the water would become clearer after treatment. I treated the water, it became clearer, which means that the water became cleaner.

3. What are the differences in color, smell, visibility, etc. between the “contaminated” water and the “treated” water?

Answer = The treated water is clear. It still is a little cloudy, but it isn’t brown at all, unlike the contaminated water, which is very brown and dirty.
4. From the introduction to this lab, you know that there are typically five steps involved in the water treatment process. Identify the processes (e.g., coagulation) that were used in this lab and describe how they were performed.
Experiment 3: Drinking Water Quality
Table 2: Ammonia Test Results
Water Sample Test Results
Tap Water 0
Dasani® Bottled Water 0
Fiji® Bottled Water 0

Table 3: Chloride Test Results
Water Sample Test Results
Tap Water 0
Dasani® Bottled Water 500
Fiji® Bottled Water 500

Table 4: 4 in 1 Test Results
Water Sample pH Total Alkalinity Total Chlorine Total Hardness
Tap Water 4 80 0.2 0-soft
Dasani® Bottled Water 3 120 0 50
Fiji® Bottled Water 7 80 0.2 50

Table 5: Phosphate Test Results
Water Sample Test Results
Tap Water 25
Dasani® Bottled Water 10
Fiji® Bottled Water 100

Table 6: Iron Test Results
Water Sample Test Results
Tap Water 0.3
Dasani® Bottled Water 0
Fiji® Bottled Water 0.15

POST LAB QUESTIONS

1. Develop a hypothesis on which water source you believe will contain the most and least contaminants.

2. Based on the results of your experiment, would you reject or accept the hypothesis that you produced in question 1? Explain how you determined this.Accept/reject

3. Based on the results of your experiment, what major differences, if any, do you notice between the Dasani, Fiji, and tap water?
4. Based on your results, do you believe that bottled water is worth the price? Why or why not?

Any sources utilized should be listed here. Turk, J., & Bensel, T. (2011). Contemporary environmental issues. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/books/AUSCI207.11.1/sections/sec1.8