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Lab 2 – Water Quality and Contamination

Experiment 1: Drinking Water Quality

Bottled water is a billion dollar industry in the United States. Still, few people know the health

benefits, if any, that come from drinking bottled water as opposed to tap water. This experiment

will look at the levels of a variety of different chemical compounds in both tap and bottled water

to determine if there are health benefits in drinking bottled water.

POST-LAB QUESTIONS

1. Develop a hypothesis regarding which water sources you believe will contain the most and least contaminants, and state why you believe this. Be sure to clearly rank all three sources from most to least contaminants.

Hypothesis = The tap water will contain the most contaminants because it is not filtered nor purified. whereas, the bottle water is from a controlled environment. Dasani will have the least contaminates because it is purified and enhanced with minerals from a treated facility.

Table 1: Ammonia Test Results Water Sample Test Results (mg/L)

Tap Water 0 Dasani® Bottled Water 0

- 1 -

1. this needs to be an

"if....then" statement, just like

in the week 1 laboratory

[Catrina Frey]

Fiji® Bottled Water 0

Table 2: Chloride Test Results Water Sample Test Results (mg/L)

Tap Water 0 Dasani® Bottled Water 0

Fiji® Bottled Water 0

Table 3: 4 in 1 Test Results

Water Sample Total Alkalinity

(mg/L) Total Chlorine

(mg/L) Total Hardness

(mg/L) Tap Water 0 4.0 50

Dasani® Bottled Water 0 0.2 0 Fiji® Bottled Water 0 4.0 50

Table 4: Phosphate Test Results Water Sample Test Results (ppm)

Tap Water 10 Dasani® Bottled Water 10

Fiji® Bottled Water 50

Table 5: Iron Test Results Water Sample Test Results (ppm)

Tap Water 0 Dasani® Bottled Water 0

Fiji® Bottled Water 0

Table 6: pH Results

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Water Sample Test Results Tap Water 6

Dasani® Bottled Water 3 Fiji® Bottled Water 6

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

Accept/reject = Reject. The tap water and Fiji was the most contaminant and tested about the same on all the tests. Dasani was the purest of the three.

3. Based on the results of your experiment, what specific differences do you notice among the Dasani®, Fiji®, and Tap Water?

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1. the purest

what does this mean,

exactly? [Catrina Frey]

Answer = Based on the results of my experiment the major difference between the three waters is that Dasani is the purest water. Dasani was the lowest in pH, alkalinity, chlorine and hardness. Fiji water is quite high in phosphate when it’s supposed to come from natural waters so that was rather surprising. Fiji and tap water tested the same for the most part so the only real notable differences were with the Dasani water which tested cleaner and lower for the most part.

4. Based upon the fact sheets provided (links at the end of this document), do any of these samples pose a health concern? Use evidence from the lab to support your answer.

Answer = The ammonia levels do not pose a health risk all three tested at 0, chloride also poses no health risks and the levels within the water samples are within the daily intake suggestions, Phosphate poses a health concern to humans in high levels and the Fiji water tested at 50 while the others only tested at 10 so Fiji water consumed frequently could pose a concern, iron does not pose a health threat and all three tested at 0, Ph does not pose a health risk it just affects taste tap and Fiji tested at 6 while Dasani tested at a 3 in this so no health risk.

- 4 -

1 1. tested cleaner and lower

for the most part.

this is too vague. You should

be citing numbers. [Catrina

Frey]

5. Based on your results, do you believe that bottled water is worth the price? Use evidence from the lab to support your opinion.

Answer = I believe Dasani to be worth the price more so than Fiji. Dasani tested at 0 for chloride, ammonia, hardness and alkalinity. It tested at 0.2 for chlorine, 10 for phosphate, 0 for iron, and 3 for ph making it the cleanest water of all three to drink. For me that is worth the price.

**NOTE: Be sure to complete steps 1 - 32 of Lab 3, Experiment 1 (the next lab) before completing your work for this week. Lab 3 involves growing plants, and if the work is not started this week, your seeds will not have time to grow and the lab will not be finished on time. **

FACT SHEETS

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Ammonia https://www.wqa.org/Portals/0/Technical/Technical%20Fact %20Sheets/2014_Ammonia.pdf

Chloride

http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/chloride.pdf

Phosphate

http://osse.ssec.wisc.edu/curriculum/earth/Minifact2_Phosphorus.pdf

Iron

http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/chemicals/iron.pdf

pH https://www.watersystemscouncil.org/download/wellcare_information_sheets/potential_groundw ater_contaminant_information_sheets/9709284pH_Update_September_2007.pdf

Alkalinity

https://www.safewater.org/PDFS/communitywatertestkit/Water_Quality_Tests.pdf

Chlorine

http://www.watertechonline.com/testing-for-chlorine-in-drinking-water/

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Hardness

http://des.nh.gov/organization/commissioner/pip/factsheets/dwgb/documents/dwgb-3-6.pdf

References

America's sewage system and the price of optimism (1969, August 1). Time. Vol. 94, No. 5.

http://dnr.wi.gov/wnrmag/html/supps/1999/aug99/drink.htm

Turk, J., & Bensel, T. (2014). Contemporary environmental issues (2nd ed.). San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

http://www.epa.gov/region1/students/pdfs/gwc1.pdf

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1. what about the sources

above? You used them didn't

you? [Catrina Frey]