Water Quality
By Taylor Vigil, Zachary
Borrego, & Kenneth
Trujillo
What is pH?
The pH level of your drinking water reflects how
acidic it is. pH stands for “potential
hydrogen,” referring to the amount of hydrogen
mixed with the water. pH is measured
on a scale that runs from 0-14. Seven is neutral,
indicating there is no acid or alkalinity
present. A measurement below 7 indicates acid is
present and a measurement above 7
indicates alkalinity.
What is nitrate?
Nitrate is a compound that is
formed naturally when nitrogen
combines with oxygen or
ozone. Nitrogen is essential for
all living things, but high levels
of nitrate-nitrogen in drinking
water can be dangerous to
health, especially for infants
and pregnant women. Nitrates
are also made in large amounts
by plants and animals, and are
released in smoke and
industrial or automotive
exhaust.
Silver Nitrate
Chlorine and Your Drinking
Water
The drinking of
chlorinated water has
finally been officially
linked to an increased
incidence of colon
cancer. Long-term
drinking of chlorinated
water appears to
increase a person's
risk of developing
bladder cancer as
much as 80%,
What is Phosphorus
A highly reactive, poisonous,
nonmetallic element occurring
naturally in phosphates,
especially apatite, and existing
in three allotropic forms, white
(or sometimes yellow), red, and
black. An essential constituent of
protoplasm, it is used in safety
matches, pyrotechnics,
incendiary shells, and fertilizers
and to protect metal surfaces
from corrosion. Atomic number
15; atomic weight 30.9738;
melting point (white) 44.1°C;
boiling point 280°C; specific
gravity (white) 1.82; valence 3,
5.
Test Results (PPM)
ZB Kitchen Sink/Morning
TV School/Morning
KT Ditch/Evening
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Ph
Nitrate
Chlorine
Phosphorus
Test Results PPM (continued)
250
200
ZB Kitchen
Sink/Morning
KT Ditch/Evening
150
100
TV School/Morning
50
0
Copper
Iron
Hardness Alkilinity
What do the results mean?
The pH value determines whether water is hard or soft. The pH of pure
water is 7. In general, water with a pH lower than 7 is considered
acidic, and with a pH greater than 7, basic.
Alkalinity is a measure of the capacity of the water to resist a change in
pH that would tend to make the water more acidic. The measurement
of alkalinity and pH is needed to determine the corrosiveness of the
water.
Excessive nitrate (NO3) in drinking water can cause human and animal health
problems, particularly for small babies. The United States Public Health Service
has established a specific standard of 10 milligrams of nitrate nitrogen per liter
as the maximum concentration safe for human consumption.
Are there any health issues
associated with our findings?
In general, water with a low pH (< 6.5) could be acidic, soft, and corrosive.
Therefore, the water could contain metal ions such as iron,
manganese, copper, lead, and zinc...or, on other words, elevated levels
of toxic metals.
In concentrations as low as 10 to 20 mg/1 nitrate nitrogen has caused
illness and even death among infants under six months of age. If such
water is used for supplemental or for complete bottle feeding, it may
affect the ability of the blood to carry oxygen. This oxygen starvation is
called methemoglobinemia, or more commonly, the "blue baby"
condition. This serious illness in infants is caused because nitrate is
converted to nitrite in the higher pH conditions existing in the
stomachs and intestinal tracts of infants under six months of age.
Nitrite interferes with the oxygen carrying capacity of a child's or baby
animal's blood.
Are there any health issues
associated with our findings?
(continued)
People who are adding chlorine to water for disinfection must be
careful for two reasons: 1) Chlorine gas even at low
concentrations can irritate eyes, nasal passages and lungs; it
can even kill in a few breaths; and 2) The formation of THM
compounds must be minimized because of the long-term health
effects
The drinking of chlorinated water has finally been officially linked
to an increased incidence of colon cancer. Long-term drinking
of chlorinated water appears to increase a person's risk of
developing bladder cancer as much as 80%
References
http://www.holistichealthtools.com/chlori
ne.html
http://www.watersystemscouncil.org
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/healthyw
ater/factsheets/nitrate.html
http://www.webelements.com/