RASHAD CARTWRIGHT

T00522552
NOVEMBER 18, 2015

NVIROMENTAL ENGINEERING LAB REPORT

Table of Contents
Introduction

Summary of Tests

2-5

Summary of Results

6-7

Discussion & Background

8-10

Recommendations

11

References

12

Introduction
For the past few weeks in the semester several in-class experiments was conducted by students.
The first experiment involved testing of turbidity of water samples within the lab. During this
experiment a certain level of understanding was needed in regards to using the instruments, to
the latter of understanding why error would have been present in the final results. Aspects such
as water clarity and use of the turbidimeter played a major role in this experiment or at least in
the tutorial description made by the professor before the start of the experiment. The second
experiment was comprised of pH level testing of several samples, where testing was done see if
these samples were more acidic, neutral, or displayed levels of alkalinity.
The third experiment involved measuring the amount of pollution within a certain area, based on
oxygen within a solution. The fourth and final experiment involved testing for iron content from
a few samples of water taken from the tap within the lab. Everything that was tested was in some
way related to how water is treatment, which was overall related to health factors within drinking
water and the flow of water within environmental engineering. These experiments only go
further to shows the necessity of quality analysis of water.

Summary of Tests
Experiment 1: Turbidity
In the first lab, an experiment was conducted on various water samples, to achieve turbidity
levels close enough to match the labeled values. These measurements were found using the
turbidimeter instrument that gave NTU outputs. Unfortunately the readings found were not
pleasing and inaccurate, the error which contributed to these conclusions were because the water
samples had expired.
At the start of the experiment, the four samples were used each having different turbidity levels.
The class recorded each turbidity level labeled on the samples, before we actually measured
using the instrument. Running through each sample A through D, the values were recorded and
what was noticed was how off these were. As mentioned before the samples were found to be
expired.

Figure 1: Turbidimeter

Experiment 2: PH Value
In this experiment pH testing was done on several water sample checking for pH levels ranging
from acidic, neutral and basic. In preparation for this experiment make two separate columns one
being sample and the other being pH value/level. Following this is to begin the experiment which
is the testing of the pH levels in each sample. After taking the reading from the pH meter record
each value under the table that was initially setup. Repeat this test method for each sample to
obtain results.

Figure 2

Experiment 3: Dissolve Oxygen

Disconnect sensor from meter.

Then turn on the thermometer
Slide the O2 / D.O. selector to O
Press the o key to wall the meter.
Connect the senor to the meter.
Allow the meter to stand for 5 minutes until stable reading.
Press the O2 / Cal key to display 20.

Figure 3

Experiment 4: Test for Iron Content

Each sample, we mix in a powder solution called iron phenanthroline which is provided
in the testing kit in a pre-measured packet.

Mix the sample around and allow to oxidize.

This brings the iron in the sample out of solution.
This test uses a color scale to determine the concentration of iron.

Figure 4

Summary of Results
Experiment 1: Turbidity
In the experiment of Turbidity testing in the various water sample the following tabled results
were concluded:

Table 1
Experiment 2: PH Value
Regarding the experiment of PH Level testing of the samples within the lab the following tabled
results were concluded:

Table 2

Experiment 3: Dissolve Oxygen

In this experiment of using the DO meter the following results are as follows in a table based on
the samples of tap water and drinking water.

Table 3
Experiment 4: Test for Iron Content
In this experiment, the content of iron within 3 samples was tested and yielded the following
results concluded in a table as follows:

Table 4

Discussion and Background Information

Turbidity
Turbidity, is an optical property of water based on the amount of light reflected by suspended
particles. Measuring turbidity will give an idea of the volume of matter present in a body of
water at a particular time which is an important factor in assessing water quality.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), sediment is one of the first things
filtered out of source water at a drinking water treatment plant and is one of the few water quality
contaminants that must be monitored daily. Suspended solids can harbor harmful bacteria and
can also decrease the effectiveness of chlorination used to help remove those harmful bacteria.
Turbidity is caused by particles and colored material in water. It can be measured relative to
water clarity, or directly with a turbidity instrument such as a turbidimeter or turbidity sensor.
The turbidity measurement is denoted as NTU, which stands for Nephelometric Turbidity Unit, a
measure of the cloudiness of a liquid.

Figure 5

PH Values
Acidic and basic are two extremes that describe a chemical property chemicals. Mixing acids and
bases can cancel out or neutralize their extreme effects. A substance that is neither acidic nor
basic is neutral. The pH scale measures how acidic or basic a substance is. The pH scale ranges
from 0 to 14. A pH of 7 is neutral. A pH less than 7 is acidic. A pH greater than 7 is basic.

Figure 6
Dissolve Oxygen
Dissolved oxygen (DO) is the amount of oxygen that is present in the water. It is measured in
milligrams per liter (mg/L), or the number of milligrams of oxygen dissolved in a liter of water.
01:32. The stream system both produces and consumes oxygen. It gains oxygen from the
atmosphere and from plants as a result of photosynthesis. Running water, because of its
churning, dissolves more oxygen than still water, such as that in a reservoir behind a dam.
Respiration by aquatic animals, decomposition, and various chemical reactions consume oxygen.
Wastewater from sewage treatment plants often contains organic materials that are decomposed
by microorganisms, which use oxygen in the process. (The amount of oxygen consumed by these
organisms in breaking down the waste is known as the biochemical oxygen demand or BOD. A
discussion of BOD and how to monitor it is included at the end of this section.) Other sources of

oxygen-consuming waste include stormwater runoff from farmland or urban streets, feedlots, and
failing septic systems. Oxygen is measured in its dissolved form as dissolved oxygen (DO). If
more oxygen is consumed than is produced, dissolved oxygen levels decline and some sensitive
animals may move away, weaken, or die.
Test for Iron Content
Iron is one of the most common elements in the Earth's crust and dissolves in underground water.
This carries the iron into the water supply as ground water seeps into aquifers. Iron can be found
in drinking water as ferrous iron which is soluble and ferric iron which is insoluble. This can
determine if it is needed to have the iron concentration in your water measured by observing its
color and other properties.

Recommendations
In regards to each experiment conducted in this course there has been a lot of noticeable factors
that contribute to error, lacking in experiment and low quality data. The first recommendation is
to get up to date equipment and resources. As mentioned in Experiment 1 the water samples were
expired and had been so from 2011. The equipment in other experiments were also limited that is
why most data in the reports would seem to be shared, this was due to one large group of
experiments being carried out.

References
Chesapeake Bay Program. (2012). Water Clarity. In The Bay Ecosystem. Retrieved from
https://www.chesapeakebay.net/discover/bayecosystem/waterclarity

Kemker, Christine. Measuring Turbidity, TSS, and Water Clarity. Fundamentals of

Environmental EPA. (2014, February). Sediments. In Water: Pollution Prevention &
Control. Retrieved from http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/sediments/
Measurements. Fondriest Environmental, Inc. 5 Sep. 2014. Web.
<http://www.fondriest.com/environmental-measurements/equipment/measuring-waterquality/turbidity-sensors-meters-and-methods/>.