Water Quality and Contamination

Abstract

The business of bottled water is currently booking in the United States. However, not many people understand the health benefits, if any, that result from drinking bottled water instead of tap water. This experiment aims at analyzing the levels of a number of different chemical compounds present in both bottled and tap with the goal of determining whether there are any health benefits of drinking bottled water. Chemical strips were used to test the different types of water with the goal of evaluating the levels of contamination between them. The results suggested that the quality of bottled water was not any better than that of tap water, which makes an investment in the same meaningless (Doelman, 2014).

Introduction 

Over the past years, there has been extensive contamination of water reserves by radiologic, chemical, and biological agents, which has affected the health of several people across the globe. It is very important to understand water quality and the impact that pollution of water resources had on the overall public health. It has been proven that the access to modernized sanitization and portable water is one of the most effective ways to improve the health of the globe compared to any advancement made in the field of medicine. The health effects of water contamination are heavily felt in the global public health factor due to a number of reasons (EPA, 2002). First, safe drinking water is very essential for human survival because it prevents dehydration. Second, clean water is vital for basic hygiene and sanitation, including the treatment of wastewater. Third, water is an essential component in the production of almost all goods and services, making it the key driver towards industrialization. Finally, a steady supply of uncontaminated is vital for livestock health and food production. About ten percent of the overall disease burden globally can be attributed to a lack of proper sanitation and unsafe drinking water. Contamination of water can result in distressing public health, economic, and medical consequences. Several companies in the United States have taken up the business of bottled water, and this has been a subject of key interest (Meinhardt, 2018) .

Bottled water is a billion dollar industry in the United States. Still, few people know the health benefits, if any, that come from drinking bottled water as opposed to tap water. This experiment will look at the levels of a variety of different chemical compounds in both tap and bottled water to determine if there are health benefits in drinking bottled water. We will also analyze the key differences between the chemical and physical components of bottled water (in this case Dasani), Fiji water, and tap water. From this analysis, we also hope to come up with a conclusion as to whether or not the presence of chemical compounds I these water samples pose any health concern. Finally, we will let the reader know whether bottled water is really worth buying or not, based on the lab results.

My hypothesis for this experiment is ‘If the three types of water are tested, I believe tap water would have the most contaminants followed by Fiji water then Dasani water. This ranks the water types from generally available to spring water to filtered water’.

Materials and Methods

For this experiment, my goal was to test the quality of drinking water. I used Dasani bottled water, Fiji bottled water, and tap water. I made use of the following materials in this experiment: Ammonia test strips, jiffy juice, chlorine test strips, phosphate test strips, 4 in 1 test strips, three 100ml beakers, three 250ml beakers, one 100ml graduated cylinder, stopwatch, permanent marker, three foil packets, pipettes, and a parafilm. I started by labeling the three 250ml beakers with Dasani water, Fiji water, and tap water, and I poured 10ml of each corresponding water type to the beakers.

Each water type was tested by inserting an ammonia test strip inside the water for 30 minutes. The strip was then removed, excess water is shaken off, and it was left to stand for about 30 seconds. It was then compared against the ammonia test chart and the results were recorded in table 1.

The chloride test strips were used next, and all the small pads or reaction zones were submerged into each water type for one second. The strip was then removed, excess water is shaken off, and it was left to stand for about 30 seconds. It was then compared against the ammonia test chart and the results were recorded in table 2.

The 4 in 1 test strips were used next. The strip was first dipped in the tap water for five minutes and with a quick shake, all the remaining water was shaken off. The strip was then left to sit for 20 seconds and it was then matched against the color chart to test for total hardness, total alkalinity, and total chlorine. It was very important to ensure that these readings were taken within seconds to ensure accuracy, and the results were recorded in table 3. The same instructions were then repeated for the Fiji bottled water and Dasani water and the results were also recorded in table 3.

When testing for phosphate, the phosphate test strips were dipped into the tap water for around five seconds. The strip was then left to sit for about 45 seconds without shaking or removing any excess water from the strip. The color of the test strip was then compared against the color chart and the results were recorded in table 4. The same instructions were then repeated for the Fiji bottled water and Dasani water and the results were also recorded in table 4.

When testing the iron levels in the three water types, the three 100ml beakers were labeled tap water, Dasani water, and Fiji water. Using the100ml graduated cylinder, 30ml of each water type were measured and added to the corresponding beaker. Starting with the tap water, one foil packet of the reducing powder was opened and added to the 100ml corresponding beaker. It was covered with a piece of the parafilm, and the beaker was then shaken very fast and with force for 15 seconds. The parafilm was removed and one the iron test strips were then added to the water, taking it back and forth in a quick motion while maintaining the test end within the water for about five seconds. The strip was then removed and all the excess water was shaken off. After 10 seconds, the test pad on the testing strip was compared against the color chart and the estimated results were recorded in table 5. The same procedure was repeated for the Fiji bottled water and the Dasani bottled water and the results were also recorded in table 5.

The final test conducted was to measure the pH balance in the water. 100ml of each water sample was placed in three separate and appropriately labeled beakers. A few drops of jiffy juice were added and the mixture was left to settle. The color was then compared to that on the color chart and the results were recorded in table 6. 

Results

Table 1: Ammonia Test Results
Water Sample	Test Results (mg/L)
Tap Water	0mg
Dasani® Bottled Water	0mg
Fiji® Bottled Water	0mg

Table 2: Chloride Test Results
Water Sample	Test Results (mg/L)
Tap Water	0mg
Dasani® Bottled Water	0mg
Fiji® Bottled Water	0mg

Table 3: 4 in 1 Test Results
Water Sample	Total Alkalinity (mg/L)	Total Chlorine (mg/L)	Total Hardness (mg/L)
Tap Water	40mg	1.0mg	50mg
Dasani® Bottled Water	0mg	0mg	0mg
Fiji® Bottled Water	0mg	1.0mg	0mg

Table 4: Phosphate Test Results
Water Sample	Test Results (ppm)
Tap Water	0ppm
Dasani® Bottled Water	0ppm
Fiji® Bottled Water	0ppm

Table 5: Iron Test Results
Water Sample	Test Results (ppm)
Tap Water	0ppm
Dasani® Bottled Water	0ppm
Fiji® Bottled Water	0ppm

Table 6: pH Results
Water Sample	Test Results
Tap Water	8
Dasani® Bottled Water	5
Fiji® Bottled Water	10

Discussion

In the final experiment to test the drinking water quality, the hypothesis for the three water samples (tap water, Dasani water, and Fiji water) was rejected. The three water samples were tested using chemical strips to check for the presence of total Alkalinity, total hardness, Ammonia, pH balance, Chloride, Total Chlorine, and Phosphate, in the water examples. According to the results, tap water had the least amounts of contaminants, the content in Dasani water was mid-range, while Fiji water had the highest content of contaminants.

Based on my lab results I think some bottled waters are worth the price. Outside of subjective taste alone, the lack of contaminants such as chlorine makes for a much more healthy choice than tap water alone. Bottled water value then comes down to the purity of the bottled water as not all bottled waters are the same ( Szabo, Hall, & Meiners, 2008 ). The presence of some of these chemical compounds in these samples can pose a health concern. One example of this is chlorination in water. Ingestion of chlorinated water can increase the chances of bladder cancer and even asthmatic conditions over time. Chlorine was present in both Fiji and tap water samples. 

When performing the water quality experiment, it is very important to look into the manner in which tap water travels through pipes before reaching the consumer. Although tap water is run through a successful filtration system, it could get contaminated during the delivery process. Oxidized pipes could result in the presence of pathogens in the water. High-speed jets can be used for cleaning to remove any of these contaminants from contaminating the filtered water (Doelman, 2014). Most water filtration systems make use of the Reverse Osmosis technique, which gets rid of salts and a large percentage of inanimate materials except viruses. While reverse osmosis might be slower than normal water filtration systems, it is much more effective in purification compared to most distillers.

To summarize the experiment on water quality and contamination, it very important to inform the consumers about the difference in the quality of tap and bottled water, and the presence of contaminants in both. These experiments made it possible for the student to have a clearer view of how the process of filtration works, and the effects of contamination of groundwater and soil. It is evident that tap water contains lesser contaminants than bottled Dasani water and Fiji water. For this reason, there is no value for money when a customer purchases bottled water. However, there is a need for further research to prove the accuracy of the results and theories.

References

Doelman, J. D. (2014). Reducing fouling & corrosion in pipelines. Pollution Engineering, 33-35.

EPA. (2012, March 6). Why are water quality standards important? U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved from  http://water.epa.gov/scetech/swguidance/standards/imp.cfm

Fong, B. L., & Wang, M. (2015). Required data management training for graduate students in an Earth and environmental sciences department.  Journal of eScience Librarianship ,  4 (1), 3.

Kent, F. C., & Farahbakhsh, K. (2010). Addressing Reverse Osmosis Fouling Within Water Reclamation—A Side-By-Side Comparison of Low-Pressure Membrane Pretreatments.  Proceedings of the Water Environment Federation ,  2010 (5), 593-609.

Meinhardt, P. (2018). Water Quality and Water-Related Disease - Public Health - Oxford Bibliographies - obo. Retrieved from http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199756797/obo-9780199756797-0052.xml

Szabo, J. G., Hall, J. S., & Meiners, G. (2008). Sensor response to contamination in chlorinated drinking water.  Journal‐American Water Works Association ,  100 (4), 33-40.