Running Head: Water Quality and Contamination
Water Quality and Contamination
Melonie Lindsey
SCI 207: Dependence of man on the environment
Michelle Kozlowski
May 19, 2014
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Water Quality and Contamination
Water Quality and Contamination
Introduction
Body Paragraph #1 - Background: The outline of the introduction should describe the
background of water quality and related issues using cited examples. You should include
scholarly sources in this section to help explain why water quality research is important to
society. When outlining this section, make sure to at least list relevant resources in APA format
that will be used in the final paper to develop the background for your experiment.
Body Paragraph # 2 - Objective: As we know our planet is made up of 70% water and only a
small amount of this water is usable freshwater which is only 1%, so 99% of water is saltwater.
We survive off the 1% of freshwater because it cost so much for us to transform salt water into
freshwater. There is only a few ways to get freshwater which is either surface water or ground
water. We have to have some type of water treatment in place in order for us not to consume
contaminated water. Now that we know a little bit about the water that we drink, this experiment
is basically to understand the effects of pollutants on groundwater and how soil can remove the
pollutants before it reached groundwater.
Body Paragraph # 3 - Hypotheses: Experiment 1: If oil is dumped on the ground, then the
groundwater below will contain traces of oil. Oil can leak past the soil and contaminate the
water that we drink. If vinegar were to be dumped on the ground for whatever reason, then the
groundwater below will not have traces of the vinegar in it. If laundry detergent were to be
dumped on the ground then the groundwater below would not have traces of the detergent in it.
Experiment 2, if water mixed with soil is passed through the filtration system, then it will emerge
free of soil. Experiment 3: If the three water sources are tested for chemical contaminants, then
tap water will have the highest concentration and Dasani water the lowest concentration of
contaminants.
Materials and Methods
Body Paragraph # 1: For experiment 1 what you will need are (8) 250 mL beakers, permanent
marker, 3 wooden stir sticks, 100 mL graduated cylinder, 10 mL vegetable oil, 10 mL vinegar,
10 mL liquid laundry detergent, 100 mL beaker, 240 mL soil, funnel, cheesecloth, scissors, and
water. First thing you will need to do is form a hypothesis based on it water was mixed with
items such as oil, vinegar and laundry detergent will soil be able to stop them from reaching
groundwater. Next take all 8 beakers and write one number on each beaker 1 to 8. After that is
complete set beakers 5-8 to the side and take beakers 1-4 with 100 mL of water using the 100
ML graduated cylinder. In the table record your observations of the water in beaker 1 in table 1.
Add 10 mL oil to beaker 2, mix with wooden stir stick and record observations for beaker 2 in
table 1. Add 10 mL vinegar to beaker 3, mix with wooden stir stick, and record observations of
the water in beaker 4 table 1. Cut your cheesecloth into 5 different pieces make sure to set aside
1 piece for the next experiment. Fold all 4 pieces into 4 layers thick and big enough to line the
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funnel, place the cloth in the funnel. Measure 60 mL of soil using the 100 mL beaker and place
it into the cheesecloth-lined funnel, place the funnel inside beaker 5, pour the water from beaker
1 into beaker 5 through the funnel so it filters into beaker 5 for 1 minute, record observations for
beaker 5 in table 1. Discard the cheesecloth and soil from funnel. Repeat the steps 9-13 for
beakers 2, 3, and 4 report observations on table 1. Experiment 2: Water treatment, you will ned
100 mL potting soil, (2) 250 mL beakers (2) 100 mL beakers, 100 mL graduated cylinder, 40 mL
sand, 20 mL activated charcoal, 60 mL gravel,1 wooden stir stick, alum, funnel, cheesecloth,
bleach , stopwatch and water. There are many pollutants, this experiment focuses on if a
filtering method works to purify contaminated water. First record your hypothesis, then add 100
mL of soil to the 250 mL beaker, fill to the 200 mL mark with water. Pour the solution between
the two 250 mL beakers 15 times. After the solution is done our 10mL of the contaminated
water into a clean 100 mL beaker. Add 10 grams of alum to the 250 mL beaker containing the
contaminated water, stir with wooden stick slowly for 1-2 minutes, and let the solution sit for 15
minutes. While waiting rinse the empty 250 mL beaker, place the funnel into the clean 250 mL
beaker, fold a piece of cheesecloth so that its 4 layers thick and big enough to line the funnel.
Place in funnel. Begin layering the funnel, pouring 40 mL of sand into the cheesecloth lined
funnel, then 20 mL activated charcoal, then 40 mL gravel. Use a 100 mL beaker to measure the
amounts. I poured clean tap water through the filter and repeated 4 more times. Filled the funnel
back up and let sit for 5 minutes. I poured about ¾ of the contaminated water into the funnel. I
removed the filter and added some bleach to the filtered water then stirred.
Results
Tables: The outline of the results section should include all tables used in your experiment. All
values within the tables should be in numerical form and contain units. For instance, if
measuring the amount of chloride in water you should report as 2 mg/L or 0 mg/L not as two or
none.
Table 1: Water Observations (Smell, Color, Etc.)
Beaker
Observations
1
Water is a little cloudy white color, no smell
2
Lots of bubbles, the oil seems to stay
together, not really much of a smell, yellow
tint
3
Bubbly, has a strong smell, the bubbles are
separated unlike the oil.
4
Green in color, smells good, a few bubbles,
the bubbles seem to stick to the walls of the
beaker
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5
Water is brown, doesn’t have a smell
6
The oil went through the soil not all of it but
a lot of it, it is not as brown as the plain
water, the bubbles are separated
7
The vinegar came through, the bubbles are
much smaller, the bubbles seem to be on the
top more than anything
8
The color is a dirty green and there are a lot
more bubbles then just with water, the
bubbles are just on top
Table 2: Ammonia Test Results
Water Sample
Test Results
Tap Water
0 mg/L
Dasani® Bottled Water
0 mg/L
Fiji® Bottled Water
0 mg/L
Table 3: Chloride Test Results
Water Sample
Test Results
Tap Water
0 mg/L
Dasani® Bottled Water
0 mg/L
Fiji® Bottled Water
0 mg/L
Table 4: 4 in 1 Test Results
Water Sample
pH
Total Alkalinity
Total Chlorine
Total Hardness
Water Quality and Contamination
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Tap Water
7 mg/L
1.0 mg/L
80 mg/L
120 mg/L
Dasani® Bottled Water
5 mg/L
0.2 mg/L
40 mg/L
50 mg/L
Fiji® Bottled Water
7 mg/L
1.0 mg/L
40 mg/L
120 mg/L
Table 5: Phosphate Test Results
Water Sample
Test Results
Tap Water
50 ppm
Dasani® Bottled Water
0 ppm
Fiji® Bottled Water
10 ppm
Table 6: Iron Test Results
Water Sample
Test Results
Tap Water
0.15 ppm
Dasani® Bottled Water
0 ppm
Fiji® Bottled Water
0 ppm
Body Paragraph # 1: Tables 2 and 3 shows the 3 different waters have 0mg/L of ammonia and
chloride .Tap water and Fiji showed 7 mg/L in table 4.4. 0 ppm of iron was found in both the
Fiji and Dasani water as shown on table 6.
Discussion
Body Paragraph #1 - Hypotheses: The outline of the discussion section should interpret your
data and provide conclusions. Start by discussing if each hypothesis was confirmed or denied
and how you know this.
Body Paragraph # 2 - Context: The outline of your discussion should also relate your results to
the bigger water concerns and challenges. For example, based on your experiments you might
discuss how various bottled water companies use different filtrations systems. Or, you could
discuss the billion dollar bottled water industry. For example, do you think it is worth it to buy
Water Quality and Contamination
bottled water? Why or why not? Your outline should at least list some of the resources that you
plan to utilize in your final paper to put your results into context.
Body Paragraph #3 – Variables and Future Experiments: Finally, the outline of your results
section should also address any possible factors that affected your results, such as possible
contamination in the experiments or any outside factors (i.e., temperature, contaminants, time of
day) that affected your results? If so, how could you control for these in the future? You should
also propose some new questions that have arisen from your results and what kind of experiment
might be proposed to answer these questions.
Conclusions
Body Paragraph #1: This section of your outline should briefly summarize the key points of
your experiments. What main message would you like people to have from this report?
References
Include at least 4 scholarly sources and your lab manual here in APA format.
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