Lab Report: Water Quality (Research Paper Sample)

Lab Report: Water Quality
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Lab report
Abstract
This report will bring out the major arguments surrounding water quality. Various samples will be collected and some major solutions and substances used almost daily used to determine if they can cause any contamination. The results will then be tabulated and conclusion made which will target measures to be taken for safer water use.
Introduction
The background information
The major focus of this report is water quality, that is, all the essential characteristics of water with respect to the needs as well as requirements of human beings. Under this, the reasons why this very essential requirement could be extremely harmful to its consumers will be substantiated. To start with, in many places where water is utilized in the daily activities, especially for drinking, water quality is very crucial, in fact a number one priority. Unfortunately, most of such sides experience tremendous pollution of the very same essential commodity. The best example of a place where pollution of water is heavily done is China. Most of its regions are in desperate need of water and the available sources are acutely polluted. Worldwide, water is inadequate due to worsening and drying up of rivers sources. As a result, the lakes that are fed by such rivers and streams end up being salty due to lack of inlets CITATION Dic02 \l 1033 (Dickens & Graham, 2002).
Therefore, research on water quality is a very vital undertaking. First of all, individuals worldwide will be observant and hence be aware of the true inside out of their essential commodity. Also, the outcomes of the research will be utilized by law enforcing bodies to make appropriate decisions on how to preserve all sources of water, and come up with some relevant means of purifying the already available but impure water. Finally, implementation of this report’s findings will help to greatly minimize instances of water related diseases and deaths. As an illustration, a sample of water taken by given members that live together in a home will be taken, scientific analysis carried out on that sample over a given period of time. A keen comparison will be made; relate the sample received to that which would be if things would have changed. As Stiefel and Oliver (2013) argue, such kind of research alone is able to greatly regulate containers and thus minimize to a significant extent indicators that are usually found in most sources of drinking water.
Experimental Objectives
* To be able to realize how the water quality around the world has been compromised and thus not fit for human consumption, unless well purified, and
* To investigate the major pollutants of water which human beings frequently use.
Experimental hypotheses
As far as the first experiment (Effects of Groundwater Contamination) is concerned, the following hypotheses for oil, vinegar and laundry detergent had been outlined:
* Oil hypothesis- if oil was added to water, then water will not be contaminated at all
* Vinegar hypothesis- if vinegar is added to water, then water would change just a little bit
* Laundry detergent hypothesis- water would automatically get contaminated if a laundry detergent was.
For experiment 2 (water treatment), the hypothesis was that the technique was not going to effectively work
For experiment 3 (Drinking Water Quality), the hypothesis about the source with the least and most quantity of contaminant was that the source containing the least is the ammonia and the most would be the 4 N 1.
Materials and methods
Materials (requirements)
* Beakers (8 of them)
* Measuring cylinders
* Water
* Vegetable oil
* Vinegar
* Laundry/liquid detergent
* Cheese cloths
* Stickers
Procedure (methodology)
The 8 beakers were first marked with the aid of stickers labelled from 1- 8. Thereafter, in the first four beakers, 100ml of water was added. Then to the first one, 10ml of oil was added, same amount of vinegar and liquid detergent was added to the second and third beakers respectively. The cheesecloth was then cut into 5 pieces and the long beaker put inside the beaker labelled #5 and water was poured through it. Finally, the cloth was taken out and the procedure repeated for three more times using the empty beakers.
Results
Experiment one: Consequences of Groundwater Pollution
Table 1: Water Observations (Smell, Color, etc.)

BEAKER

OBSERVATION

1

CLEAR

2

A Little darker then clear water

3

Clear but strong smell of vinegar

4

Green and smells like detergent

5

Turning very dark then turning grey

6

Clearing out as the stuff rises up

7

Once it came full it turned grey

8

Turned really black

Ta3ble 1: Water Observations (Smell, Color, Etc.)
Beaker Observations
Experiment 3: Drinking Water Quality
Table 2: Ammonia Test Results

Water sample

Test results

Tap water

10

Dasani bottled water

10

Fiji bottled water

10

Table 3:Chloride Test Results

Water sample

Test results

Tap water

0

Dasani bottled water

0

Fiji bottled water

0

Table 2: Ammonia Test Results
Table 4: 4 in 1 Test Results

Water sample

pH

Total alkalinity

Total chlorine

Total hardness

Tap water

4

0.2

80

120

Dasani bottled water

3

0

80

120

Fiji bottled water

2

0

80

120

Water Sample Test Results
Table 5: Phosphate Test Results

Water sample

Test results

Tap water

0

Dasani bottled water

10

Fiji bottled water

50

Table 6:Iron Test Results

Water sample

Test results

Tap water

0

Dasani bottled water

1.5

Fiji bottled water

0

Text statement of the results
For the Ammonia Test, the results realized with tap water was 10 mg/l, 10 mg/l for the Dasani Bottled water and finally 10mg/l for Fuji Bottled water as well.as for the Chloride Test, the results realized with tap water was 0 mg/l, 0 mg/l for the Dasani bottled water and 0mg/l for the Fuji Bottled water. For the Phosphate Test, the results were; 0 mg/l of tap water, Dasani Bottled water indicated 10 mg/l while Fuji Bottled water indicated 50 mg/l. also, during the Iron Test, the quantity of the various water measured was 0 mg/l, 1.5 mg/l and 0 mg/l for the tap water, Dasani bottled water and Fiji Bottled water respectively. Finally, for the 4 in 1Test, the pH was 4 mg/l, 3 mg/l, 2mg/l for the tap water, Dasani Bottled water and Fuji Bottled water respectively, with total alkalinity of 0.2, 0, 0 respectively. The amount of chlorine recorded in all the three samples was 80 mg/l and quantity of total hardness was 120 mg/l in all the three water sample.
Discussion
To start with, the fa...