Question

provide me with the three contaminants (in order of priority) you would recommend testing for in each of the following situations. Defend your answers.

a. Water from a rural well with a depth of 200 feet

b. Water from a rural hand-dug well, 12 feet deep

c. Water from the tap in a community of 500,000 people

Answer 1

The contaminant in order to priority is given below according to three types of water sources:-

(a) Water from a rural well with a depth of 200 feet

1. Heavy metal contaminant analysis:- As the well is so deep and has the supply from groundwater that's why it can contain heavy metals very much and according to the present time it is more important to test for heavy metal.
2. Hardness analysis:-hardness is the measure of calcium and magnesium salts in water as the groundwater can have these minerals and if the water is much harder it means it is less suitable for health.
3. Leached chemical analysis:- It is testing of chemicals(mostly sodium and potassium salt) which are leached from earth surface to deep along the time.

(b) Water from a rural hand-dug well, 12 feet deep

1. Leached chemical analysis:- It is testing of chemicals(mostly sodium and potassium salt) which are leached from earth surface to deep along the time.As the well is not so deep and may have a higher amount of leached chemical that's why it is necessary to the analysis of these chemicals.
2. Hardness analysis:-hardness is the measure of calcium and magnesium salts in water as the groundwater can have these minerals and if the water is much harder it means it is less suitable for health.
3. Heavy metal contaminant analysis:- As the well is not so deep and has the supply from groundwater that's why it can contain heavy metals very much and according to the present time it is more important to test for heavy metal.

(c) Water from the tap in a community of 500,000:-

1. Organic Pollutant analysis:- The organic pollutants is very important to analyze as the range of organic pollutant is much higher than the other pollutants. In tap water, there is a large possibility of containing pathogens as pollutants as they are counted in organic pollution.
2. Heavy metal contaminant analysis:- can contain heavy metals very much and according to the present time, it is more important to test for heavy metal. The tap water supply may contain high ferric(iron) impurity as heavy metal contaminants.
3. Sodium and potassium salts:- As the organic waste is high enough there will be chances of high sodium and potassium-containing entities.