KONARK PATEL

Professor Darlene DeFabio

EHS 140

Date Submitted- 07/25/2019

Lab Report- 5: Water treatments.

INTRODUCTION

Water pollution is contamination of water bodies with pollutants, usually caused due to human activity.
Polluted water is dangerous for the marine organisms and human. Hence, it is important to have clean
drinking water for humans. And in this lab, we identified various pollutants associated with different
water bodies.

MATERIALS

For this lab, we needed a computer, access to internet and Microsoft word.

DATA

Water Acidit Metal Colifor Pesticides Nitrate Type Of Treatment

Sample y pH s m Herbicides(mg/L s Contaminatio
(mg/L) Bacteria ) (mg/L) n
(ml)

City 4 0.000 13/100 0.00001 0.8 Coliform Chlorinate,

6 Bacteria, Sodium
Acidity Hydroxide

Lake 7 0.6 33/100 .0008 0.6 Coliform Chlorinate

Bacteria

Mountai 6.8 0.006 0/100 0.0001 12.4 Nitrate Level Add activated
n carbon

Rural 7 0.002 0/100 0.08 6.7 Pesticides/ Add activated

7 herbicides carbon

Well 8.2 1.44 0/100 0.0004 0.6 Metals Add chlorine

and zinc
orthophosphat
e
 1. What contaminants were found in the surface water samples? What contaminants were found
in the groundwater samples?

 Surface water had coliform bacteria, metals and pesticides and herbicides and ground water had
metal contamination.

1. Why might groundwater and surface water have different contaminants?

 The surface water directly interacts with pollutants in high levels but ground water is isolated
form pollution most of the time.

1. Generally, farmers do not farm and industries do not build factories on the sides of mountains in
remote wilderness areas. These areas are usually not highly populated by people. What might
explain the high nitrate level in the mountain water in this activity?

 The high nitrate level may be cause be the nitrogen fixing bacteria.

1. What is pH level, what are its characteristics, and how does it contribute to pollution? What
chemicals are used in treating low pH levels?

 pH level indicates if the liquid is basic, natural or acidic. Low ph levels may not be suitable for
some aquatic organisms which may led to their death and consequently it disrupts the
ecosystem.

1. Water in an old building, tested recently, showed high copper and iron content, and low pH
levels. A water reading taken 20 years before showed low pH levels, but only minimal traces of
copper and iron. If none of the new buildings on the same street showed signs of metallic
contaminants, but all reported lower than normal pH readings, how might these readings be
explained?

 The pipe may degrade over time which would lead to pollutants infecting to drinking water.

CONCLUSION

In this lab we learned that there are different pollutants present in different water bodies, and there are
different solutions for each specific pollutant. We live in the city, so according to the table above our
water is contaminated with coliform bacteria and has acidic pH, so I think I would be advisable for
homes to have a filter system that specifically deal with these contaminants.