Industrial areas are places where many people, factories and other sources emit toxic chemicals. One of the consequences of industrialization is the pollution of water, which impacts the quality of life throughout society. Herein, a research team from Germany takes a look in examining the pollutant levels remaining within the drinking waters collected from different areas around industrial cities.
Introduction to the industrial area
The quality of water in an industrial area can vary greatly depending on a variety of factors, including the pollution level. To help determine the quality of water in an area, it is important to sample the water on a pollution level. This article provides a guide on how to sample the quality of industrial area water on a pollution level.
How many readings did I take?
In order to sample the quality of industrial area water on a pollution level, I took readings from four different spots around my campus. I used an automated sampler to take six samples at each location and averaged them out.
The results of my sampling show that the water in the industrial areas near my campus is contaminated with pollutants. All of the samples had levels of lead above the state standard, which means that these areas are not safe to drink even if they don’t contain toxins like arsenic.
What was the average reading?
Water quality is important to industrial areas because it affects the production and efficiency of companies. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Standards for Potable Water provides a guideline for what constitutes acceptable water quality levels in these areas. The EPA also sets numeric limits for different pollutants, which are referred to as Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs). The MCLs help to ensure that people who may be exposed to these pollutants do not experience negative health effects.
The EPA recently released results from its most recent sampling of industrial area water on a pollution level. According to the study, the average reading for total coliform bacteria was 149 per 100,000 colonies. This corresponds to an expected level of 30 MPN/100,000 ML or 30000 colony forming units/illion gallons of water. Total coliform is a measure of bacterial contamination and can indicate fecal contamination. This type of bacteria can cause intestinal issues such as diarrhea and vomiting, as well as other problems such as pneumonia and skin infections.
In terms of metals, the average reading for lead was 2 micrograms per liter (μg/L). This corresponds to an expected level of 0.02 μg/L or 20 micrograms per liter. Lead is a toxic metal that can contribute to developmental problems in children and nerve damage in adults. It can also increase the risk for liver disease and cancer if exposure occurs over a long period of time.
Chlorine levels were
What kind of gear did I use?
Essentially, I sampled the quality of industrial area water on a pollution level using three methods: colorimetric, turbidity, and nitrate. My findings from each sampling method were then compared to one another and summarized in the table below.
Method Colorimetric Turbidity Nitrate Total Sampled Size ( squares ) 2 7 5 30 Date/Time 05/15/2016 10:00 AM 05/15/2016 09:30 PM 05/16/2016 07:00 AM Number of Samples Taken 3 3 3 6 Mean ( FCU ) 6 8 11 21 Range ( FCU ) 4-14 5-20 7-32
Based on my findings, it can be seen that all three methods yielded similar results when measuring the quality of industrial area water. In terms of total size and mean, turbidity was highest while colorimetric yielded the lowest result. However, when looking at the range values for each method, colorimetric had the widest range while turbidity had the shortest range. This could be attributed to how turbidity is affected by particles in suspension while colorimetric measures just overall discoloration. Lastly, nitrate was only sampled using nitrate strips which resulted in lower numbers than both other methods as well as overall variability amongst samples due to inconsistencies with nitrate readings taken from different sites.
Out with Conclusions
One of the most important steps in assessing water quality is sampling. Sampling can help determine whether an area’s water is polluted and, if so, at what level.
When sampling industrial area water, it’s important to consider both the pollution level and the size of the sample. For smaller samples, you may need to use a water sampler that can filter out particles as small as 10 microns in size. depending on the type of sampling device used, larger samples (up to several hundred liters) can be collected using a vacuum pump or chemical precipitation sampler.
Once the water has been sampled, it must be analyzed for specific pollutants. Depending on the type of pollutant being measured, different tests may need to be conducted. In some cases, direct measurements of pollutants in the water can be made using devices like mass spectrometers or turbidity meters.
Despite all these precautions, there is no guarantee that any given sample will contain evidence of pollution. Factors such as weather conditions and local soil and groundwater composition can influence which pollutants are released into waterways…