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Quiz: Nano-Solutions to Water Pollution
Use your knowledge to answer the following questions.
1. What does the distribution of water have to do with the Global Water Gap?
Because water is not evenly distributed across the planet, many countries are
faced with very scarce water resources.
2. How has the world population affected the amount of freshwater that is
available for consumption?
With our exponentially expanding population, there is more need for
freshwater withdrawal. The fact is that in many areas, humans are consuming
water faster than nature can recharge it. There are also issues with
population growth in urban areas. The more impervious surfaces that are put
down, the less water that can reach aquifers to recharge it.
3. Polyacrylamide pellets absorbed water at a faster rate because it has more
exposed surface area when compared to the powder form? TRUE or FALSE
4. Describe properties that change at the nanoscale? At the nanometer scale,
properties become size-dependent. Surface area also increases when you
get to the nanoscale. When the number of pieces of mass change, the
surface area increases exposing more reactivity sites.
5. List some of the common pollutants found in our drinking water? Bacteria,
Viruses, Dissolved Solids, Volatile Organic Compounds, Heavy metals,
nitrates, phosphates, etc.
6. Why is it important to detect contaminants quickly and efficiently? How is
nanotechnology helping? So that scientists can work collaboratively to
quantify and formulate removal methods before too much environmental
destruction occurs or poses a risk to human health. Nanotechnology is
helping through the development of new sensors of rapid and precise sensors
that are capable of detecting pollutants at the molecular level.
Nano-Solutions to Water Pollution
http://MathInScience.info
©MathScience Innovation Center, 2011
7. Describe membrane filtration? This is the type of filtration commonly used at
water treatment facilities to remove pollutants in our drinking water. A
membrane is a thin material that has pores of a specific size. The smaller the
pore size, the smaller the contaminant that can be blocked from passing
through.
8. What was the issue with Black Fall’s water? How can you solve the issue?
Their main source of drinking water comes from the ground water table
located near an abandoned iron mine. Overtime, the mine has contaminated
the ground water. To help solve the issue, you could suggest an Ultrafilter
and nanofilter to be added to the current water treatment process.
9. Did the nanofilter efficiently remove the contaminants from the river water?
The nanofilter effectively removed the copper sulfate and lowered the pH to
appropriate levels.
Nano-Solutions to Water Pollution
http://MathInScience.info
©MathScience Innovation Center, 2011