Lab - Water Quality and Contamination
Experiment 1: Effects of Groundwater Contamination
POST LAB QUESTIONS
1. Develop hypotheses on the ability of oil, vinegar, and laundry detergent to contaminate groundwater.
2. Based on the results of your experiment, would you reject or accept each hypothesis that you produced in question 1? Explain how you determined this.
3. What effect did each of the contaminants have on the water in the experiment? Which contaminant seemed to have the most potent effect on the water?
4. Using at least one scholarly source; discuss the potential effect of each contaminant (oil, vinegar, and detergent) on the town's water source and the people who drank the water.
5. Describe what type of human activity would cause contaminants like oil, acid, and detergents to flow into the water supply. Additionally, what other items within your house do you believe could contaminate the water supply if you were to dump them onto the ground?
Experiment 2: Water Treatment
POST LAB QUESTIONS
1. Develop a hypothesis on the ability of your filtration technique to remove contaminants.
2. Based on the results of your experiment, would you reject or accept the hypothesis that you produced in question 1? Explain how you determined this.
3. What are the differences in color, smell, visibility, and so forth between the "contaminated" water and the "treated" water?
4. From the introduction to this lab, you know that there are typically five steps involved in the water treatment process. Identify the processes (e.g., coagulation) that were used in this lab. Additionally describe how each of the processes were performed in this lab.
Experiment 3: Drinking Water Quality
POST LAB QUESTIONS
1. Develop a hypothesis on which water source you believe will contain the most and least chemical components.
2. Based on the results of your experiment, would you reject or accept the hypothesis that you produced in question 1? Explain how you determined this.
3. Based on the results of your experiment, what major differences, if any, do you notice between the Dasani, Fiji, and tap water?
4. Based on your results, do you believe that bottled water is worth the price? Why or why not?
References- Turk, J. & Bensel, T. (2011). Contemporary Environmental Issues, Bridgepoint Education, San Diego, CA