Abstract
The purpose of this lab experiment was to examine different water samples so as to determine the one with the highest concentration of contaminants. Three samples were used in this experiment; these were tap water, Dasani, and Fiji bottled water. The bigger picture was to establish whether bottled water was worth the price and if it was more superior than tap water. Different chemical elements and minerals were, therefore, tested throughout the experiments. A hypothesis was also developed based on the water sources that were believed to contain the most and least contaminants. Hypothesis = If Fiji water is bottled at the source in the Fiji Islands, then it will contain the least contaminants, if Dasani water is bottled, then it will contain an intermediate number of contaminants, and if tap water comes directly from the water faucet, then it will contain the most number of contaminants. Ammonia, phosphate, iron, 4 in 1, chloride and pH tests were used to achieve the objectives of the study. The results, therefore, pointed to the fact that bottled water is not worth the cost.
Introduction
Water is one of the most treasured natural resources in the entire universe because, without it, the survival of the human race would hang on the balance. It has a variety of uses, from basic consumption to agricultural purposes, and construction among others. It is imperative to note that more than 70% of the earth is covered by water ( Fewtrell & Bartram, 2001 ). The quality of this resource is also a very important aspect to consider. Chemical and mineral composition in water samples determine its hardness and pH level. In bottling companies, different treatment methods and filtration procedures are used to purify water for drinking purposes. These processes, however, impact its quality through chemical addition and increased acidic levels. This experiment seeks to explore the composition of different water samples so that contaminant concentrations can be identified for each sample. The information gathered from the experiment will help to deduce whether the hypothesis will be accepted or rejected.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Materials and Methods
A variety of tests were used to test the proposed hypothesis. Consequently, this required the use of different methods which needed different materials. The materials used included Dasani bottled water, Fiji bottled water, Tap water, Jiffy Juice, Ammonia test strips, Chloride test strips, 4 in 1 test strips, Phosphate test strips, Iron test strips, (3) 250 mL Beakers, (3) 100 mL Beakers, (1) 100 mL Graduated Cylinder, Permanent marker, Stopwatch, Parafilm, Pipettes, and (3) Foil packets of reducing powder (Lab manual, n.p.). This section will outline the experimental procedures and how the materials above were used for different tests.
Ammonia test
Before beginning the procedure, 100ml of all the three water samples were poured into 250ml labeled beakers. Ammonia test strips were then placed in each sample (the experiments were done individually for the samples) and moved thoroughly in an up and down motion for a period of 30 seconds while ensuring that the pads were always submerged. The test strip was then removed from the water and excess water was shaken off. After 30 seconds of holding the test strip with the pad side up, results were recorded and compared to the respective color on the chart.
Chloride Test
In this procedure, the pads of a chloride strip were immersed in the tap water sample for a second. Excess water was then shaken off from the test strip and after a minute, the color of the strip was recorded and compared to its coinciding color on the chart. The process was repeated for Dasani and Fiji bottled water.
4 in 1 Test
A test strip was dipped into the tap water sample for 5 seconds in a gentle back and forth motion. It was then removed and briskly shaken once to remove excess water from the surface. After 20 seconds, the resulting colors were compared to the ones in the color chart to identify the levels of Total Alkalinity, Total hardness, and Total Chlorine (Lab manual, n.p.). The readings were recorded seconds from each other to increase the accuracy levels. The procedure was then repeated for Dasani and Fiji bottled water.
Phosphate Test
A Phosphate test strip was dipped in a sample of tap water for 5 seconds after which, it was removed and held horizontally with the pad side up. This was done for a duration of 45 seconds. It is imperative to note that this procedure was different from the other ones because it does not advocate for one to shake off excess water from the test strip. The results of the pad were then recorded in table 4 after being compared to the color chart. The procedure was also repeated for Dasani and Fiji bottled water.
Iron Test
Here, three 100mL beakers were labeled as Tap water, Dasani, and Fiji bottled water respectively. They were then used to measure 30mL of each sample from the 250mL beaker. The first sample to be tested was tap water. One foil packet of reducing powder was opened and added to the sample in the 100mL beaker. The beaker was then covered with a piece of parafilm after which, the content was shaken vigorously for 15 seconds. The parafilm was then removed and the test pad of an iron strip dipped into the solution and rapidly moved in a back and forth motion for a period of 5 seconds (Lab manual, n.p.) . The strip was removed and shaken to remove excess water and after 10 seconds, the test pad color was compared to that of the color chart. The steps were repeated for Dasani and Fiji bottled water. For samples that exhibited two colors, an estimation was provided as the result.
pH Test
In this procedure, the 100ml graduated cylinder was used to measure 45mL of tap water from the 250 mL beaker. The water was discarded after which the beaker was left with 25mL of tap water. The process was repeated for the other two water sampled being tested. A pipette was then used to add 5mL of jiffy juice to the tap water sample and gently mixed with the pipette (Lab manual, n.p.) . The color of the resulting solution was compared to the pH chart after which the result was recorded in Table 6. Similarly, the procedure was repeated for Dasani and Fiji bottled water.
Results
The results from the experiments were used to determine whether one would accept or reject the proposed hypothesis in this lab experiment. Based on the findings, the null hypothesis would be rejected. The results in table one indicated that the PH of tap water and Fiji bottled water had the same pH.
|
Table 1: Ammonia Test Results |
|
| Water Sample | Test Results (mg/L) |
| Tap Water | 0 mg/L |
| Dasani Bottled Water | 0 mg/L |
| Fiji Bottled Water | 0 mg/L |
|
Table 2: Chloride Test Results |
|
|
Water Sample |
Test Results (mg/L) |
| Tap Water | 0 mg/L |
| Dasani Bottled Water | 500 mg/L |
| Fiji Bottled Water | 1000 mg/L |
|
Table 3: 4 in 1 Test Results |
|||
| Water Sample | Total Alkalinity (mg/L) | Total Chlorine (mg/L) | Total Hardness (mg/L) |
| Tap Water | 1.0 | 80 | 20 |
| Dasani Bottled Water | 0 | 40 | 0 |
| Fiji Bottled Water | 80 | 40 | 0 |
|
Table 4: Phosphate Test Results |
|
| Water Sample | Test Results (ppm) |
| Tap Water | 25 |
| Dasani Bottled Water | 25 |
| Fiji Bottled Water | 50 |
|
Table 5: Iron Test Results |
|
| Water Sample | Test Results (ppm) |
| Tap Water | 0.15 |
| Dasani Bottled Water | 0 |
| Fiji Bottled Water | 0 |
|
Table 6: PH Results |
|
| Water Sample | Test Results |
| Tap Water | 7 |
| Dasani Bottled Water | 5 |
| Fiji Bottled Water | 7 |
As seen from table 1, all water samples had 0mg/L of ammonia. Fiji bottled water had the highest concentration of chloride with a reading of 1000mg/L followed by Dasani bottled water at 500mg/L and Tap water which tested negative 0mg/L for this element. Dasani and Fiji bottled water had the same chlorine content of 40mg/L. Similarly, both samples tested negative for the total hardness with readings of 0mg/L. Fiji bottled water had the highest alkalinity reading of 80mg/L, followed by Tap water at 1.0mg/L and Dasani bottled water at 0mg/L (Lab manual, n.p.) . Tap water, on the other hand, had the highest figures for total chlorine and total hardness with readings of 80mg/L and 20mg/L respectively. The concentration of phosphate for both Tap and Dasani bottled water was the same with a reading of 25ppm whereas Fiji bottled water portrayed the highest concentration at 50ppm.The iron test results in Table 5 indicated that Dasani and Fiji bottled water had 0mg/L concentration of iron whereas Tap water had 0.15mg/L. The pH results for tap and Fiji bottled water were at the same level with readings of 7.0. Dasani bottled water had the lowest pH reading of 5 indicating that it was more acidic than the other two water samples.
Discussion
The aim of this lab experiment was to examine whether there are any health benefits of drinking bottled water. There was also need to identify the water sample with the least concentration of contaminants. The results from the experiments indicated that the hypothesis should be rejected. Contrary to the assumptions, tap water turned out to have the same properties as Fiji bottled water. Dasani water had the highest pH level with a reading of 5. This indicates that it may be unsafe for consumption as a result of high acidic levels. In the contemporary world, there have been numerous debates regarding water quality and the effect of filtration systems on the standards of drinking water. The use of extensive filtration methods as well as ozonation techniques in bottled water companies has significantly contributed to the disparities that exist between different water samples ( Hinds, 2011 ). Based on the results of the experiments, one is able to see that Fiji and Dasani bottled water had 0ppm of iron indicating that they go through extreme filtration processes. Contrary to the assumptions of the hypothesis, tap and Fiji bottled water were found to exhibit similar properties. For instance, they both had a pH of 7, which falls in the healthy water drinking range.
Lack of filtration procedures for tap water probably accounted for its iron test results of 0.15ppm. Chloride levels in Dasani (500mg/L) and Fiji (1000mg/L) bottled water are extremely high considering the fact that tap water tested negative for this element. This shows that the treatment processes that are utilized at the bottling plants have contributed to these results. Moreover, the phosphate levels for both tap and Dasani bottled water were also the same at 25ppm. The high concentration of chlorine in tap water probably comes as a result of the treatment procedures involved ( Stephenson, 2009 ). Fiji and Dasani bottled water had the same results for total chlorine (40ppm) and hardness (0ppm). Bottled water samples like Dasani tested negative for total hardness because they undergo extreme filtration processes to remove minerals.
Conclusion
Based on the findings from this experiment, my opinion is that that bottled water is not worth its price in the market. There is a need for health agencies to review the filtration processes that are used by bottling companies so that the quality of drinking water can be monitored and controlled ( Hinds, 2011 ). It is very surprising that tap water would exhibit almost similar characteristics to Fiji water. The fact that they both have some contaminants leaves one to question whether bottled water should be as expensive as it is. I believe that labels are misleading because they deceive people to believe that bottled water is better than tap water because it goes through filtration processes to eliminate contaminants and improve the taste but this is not the case. The results of the experiment indicate that there is no actual difference between tap and Fiji water. As a matter of fact. Dasani water falls short of is name based on its unhealthy pH level. This leaves us to ask some questions. Do the filtration processes in bottling plants contribute to the acidity of water? If they do, can we conclude that they are not effective as far as contaminant-elimination is concerned?
References
Bottcher, A., & Rex, A. (2012). Environmental science student manual. Sheridan, CO: eScience Labs.
Fewtrell, L., & Bartram, J. (Eds.). (2001). Water Quality: Guidelines, Standards & Health . IWA publishing.
Hinds, J. (2011). What's in your water? The shocking truth about bottled water and tap water and how you can protect yourself . Newark, NJ: J.A.H Enterprises, LCC.
Stephenson, J. B. (2009). Bottled water: FDA safety and consumer protections are often less stringent than comparable EPA protections for tap water . DIANE Publishing.
Lab 2. Water Quality and Contamination.
