Water Issues, Research Paper Example

Abstract

For a long period of time, environmentalists have been concerned about how they can reduce the pollution present in water sources. For this to be possible, it is first necessary to determine which water sources need to be treated. In addition, on a local level, it is valuable for people to know whether their water supplies are healthy enough to consume or use. To quickly determine the level of minerals dissolved in water, it is possible to use pool test strips. Relevant tests include gaining an understanding of the pH of the water, the presence of copper, the free alkalinity, the total hardness, and the presence of overall chlorine. The chemical profile of tap water, bottled water, lake water, and puddle water were used. After samples were collected, 250 mL of each sample was placed in a beaker. Pool test strips were inserted into each beaker for approximately 15 minutes before they were removed for examination. It was found that the tap water and bottled water had a similar chemical profile and appeared safe to drink, while the lake water and puddle water had a similar chemical profile and were not safe to drink. This research determined that it is valuable to use pool strips to test the quality of drinking water. Future studies will include similar water sources from different locations to determine if the proximity of the water to a polluting source has an impact on its pool test strip profile.

Introduction

Protecting drinking water is a major concern, but it is necessary to determine both the cause of water contamination in addition to which water supplies are most significantly contaminated. By determining which sources of drinking water are the most contaminated, environmentalists can direct their efforts to form a plan that will help them rectify the state of the water supply. Both chemical actions and legislative force can be used to achieve this purpose. In all cases, removing the amount of pollutants from the water supply will require collaboration with the government. Waste treatment agencies have many of the chemicals needed to clean the water supply. However, it would be necessary to enact this on a large scale to improve the quality of not just drinking water, but the contamination that currently exists in oceans and lakes as well.

At the local level, one of the greatest concerns with aging water systems is that the pipes through which water travels to us are contributing to the presences of minerals and contamination within the water system. Many pipes are made out of copper or other materials that tend to corrode over time and enter the water supply. Many people believe that it is necessary to use water filters or drink water bottles to avoid this contamination. However, it is important to consider that there are many minerals that humans need to survive. These minerals are called trace minerals, and copper is included in this category. Therefore, the existence of minerals in the water supply is not damaging provided that they are present in small amounts.

In order to keep the public safe, it is valuable to establish a water testing system that each individual can use readily. While a full understanding of the molecular contents of water can be performed by laboratory scientists, it is also necessary for people to be able to test the quality of their drinking water within their own home. It would therefore be helpful to determine whether basic pool test strips have the potential to predict the quality of drinking water or the extent of contamination. Since these easy to acquire tools measure the level of a variety of minerals in water, they could potentially be repurposed to determine whether water is drinkable. It is hypothesized that higher level of mineral presence will indicate a higher level of contamination, therefore indicating that the water is less drinkable. Specifically, it is expected that these forms of contamination will be found in tap water, lake water, and puddle water. Since the bottled water is purified and expected to act as a control, no sources of contamination should be found in this water and it should be at a pH close to 7.

Results

Table 1: Description of the quality of water sources

Table 1 demonstrates that bottled water and tap water are similar in terms of pH; 7 and 7.1, respectively. These pH levels are close to neutral, indicating that they are safe to drink. The presence of copper not found in the bottled water, but trace amounts were detected in tap water, lake water, and puddle water. The presence of harmful chemicals, such as alkalines, were not present in the bottled water, tap water, or puddle water, but were present in the lake water. Last, the water hardness of the bottled water and tap water were shown to be less than 1.0, while the hardness of the lake water and puddle water fell within the 1.0 to 3.5 range.

Discussion

Based on the results received, it appears that all water is safe for drinking. However, bottled water is the safest and tap water is a close second. Lake water and puddle water are considered to be less safe (Fawell, 2003). Since this test did not account for biological contamination, it would still be reasonable to avoid drinking puddle water or lake water because it is possible that doing so would make someone sick. It appears that all water that was meant for drinking. Tap water and bottled water are similar in mineral quality, indicating that there is not a significant difference between the water that we purchase and can easily acquire from our sinks. It is therefore recommended that to save money and contribute to environmental preservation, people utilize tap water instead of bottled water, which contribute to environmental contamination due to the plastics involved in the manufacturing process.

The presence of copper only in the tap water and lake water indicates that the pipe system used to transport water can play a role in the presence of trace minerals. It was expected that copper would be found in tap water, but not lake water (Wagemann & Barica, 1979). It is possible that runoff from tap water used in industrial processes could contribute to the copper that is presence in the lake water. It would be beneficial for large companies to take more care in the use of their water as a result.

This study is relevant to KSA and the region because it allows us understand the drinkability of various water sources in terms of their chemical value. Research that builds upon this study could help scientists formulate plans to reverse some of the chemical contamination that is seen within our local water supply. Furthermore, it is necessary to repeat this study in the future to gain an understanding of how the use of similar water sources in different locations can impact the extent to which we are able to predict contamination using pool test strips. This project was done on a narrow scale because it is preliminary research, but the topic could be studied more in-depth. For example, an additional chemical profile could be created using more extensive testing to determine the totality of the chemicals present in the local water supply.

Conclusion

It is reasonable to use pool test strips as an easy and cost-effective way to test our local water supply. While the objective of the project has been achieved, it is necessary to repeat the experiment to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the information presented. To gain a better understanding of these results, it would be beneficial for scientists to conduct a more in-depth study of the chemical profile of local water. Doing so would contribute to local conservation efforts in a meaningful way.

References

Fawell, J. (2003). Contaminants in drinking water. Br Med Bull, 68(1): 199-208.

Wagemann, R., Barica, J. (1979). Speciation and rate of loss of copper from lakewater with implications to toxicity. Water Research, 13(6): 515-523.