a farmer suspects that his well water is being contaminated by phosphates and nitrates from fertilizer...

a farmer suspects that his well water is being contaminated by phosphates and nitrates from fertilizer in his fields. What tests could be done to support his supposition? If the contamination did not come from fertilizer, what else might cause the coamination?

Expert Solution

PO₄^3-

Add dilute nitric acid, 6 M HNO3 to 2 mL of the PO4 3- solution until it tests acid with blue litmus paper. Add 1 mL of ammonium molybdate, 0.2 M (NH4)2MoO4 solution. Gentle warming over a Bunsen burner may be necessary to produce a yellow precipitate. Repeat the procedure with your unknown solution.

NO3-

A common nitrate test, known as the brown ring test^[1] can be performed by adding iron(II) sulfate to a solution of a nitrate, then slowly adding concentrated sulfuric acid such that the acid forms a layer below the aqueous solution. A brown ring will form at the junction of the two layers, indicating the presence of the nitrate ion.^[2] Note that the presence of nitrite ions will interfere with this test.^[3]

The overall reaction is the reduction of the nitrate ion by iron(II) which is oxidised to iron(III) and formation of a nitrosonium complex where nitric oxide is oxidised to NO⁺.

NO₃⁻ + 3Fe²⁺ + 4H⁺ → 3Fe³⁺ + NO + 2H₂O

[Fe(H₂O)₆]²⁺ + NO → [Fe(H₂O)₅(NO)]²⁺ + H₂O

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queen_honey_blossom answered 2 years ago

A farmer suspects that his well water is being contaminated by phosphates and nitrates from fertilizer in his fields.

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