Water Flashcards
Hard Water
A water that will not easily form a lather with soap
due to the presence of Ca²⁺ or Mg²⁺ ions in solution
Temporary Hardness
Can be removed by boiling the water
due to Ca(HCO₃)₂ , becomes CaCO₃ on heating, leads to blocked pipes
Permanent Hardness
not removed by boiling the water, caused by CaSO₄ or MgSO₄
Methods of removing water hardness
- distillation
- washing soda
- ion exchange
- boiling (only works for temp. hardness)
Water treatment
- screening
- flocculation
- sedimentation
- filtration
- chlorination
- fluoridation
- pH adjustment
Biochemical Oxygen Demand (B.O.D)
the amount of dissolved oygen consumed by biological action when a sample of water is kept at 20°C in the dark for 5 days
Hardness in water
Calcium + Magnesium ions mix with soap and form a scum. Modern detergents do not contain soap so will form a lather even with hard water
Advantages of hard water
- provides calcium for teeth and bones
- nicer taste
- good for brewing, and for tanning
Disadvantages of hard water
- blocks pipes, leaves scale on kettles
- wastes soap
- produces scum
Removing water hardness
- distillation
- using washing soda
- ion exchange resin
Distillation
evaporating off the water (leaves the dissolves salts behind). The condensed water will no longer contain the salts and be ‘soft.’
Using washing soda
Hydrated sodium carbonate Na₂ CO₃. IOH₂O (washing soda) removes hardness from water and allows it to lather more easily with soap
Using washing soda equation
Ca + Na₂ CO₃ -> CaCO₃ + 2Na+
CaCO₃ is soluble in water
Ion exchange resin
-Pass water through ion exchange resin
-Cation exchange swaps ions that cause hardness
(Ca²⁺ + 2RNa -> R₂Ca + 2Na⁺) (R represents the resin)
-mixed-bed ion-exchange resin removes all ions from water (Water in deionised and cannot be hard)
-Contains 1) Cation exchange (to remove + ions) and
RH⁺ Na⁺ -> RNa + H⁺ 2)Anion exchange (to remove -ions)
ROH + Cl⁻ -> RCl + OH⁻
Calculating Water Hardness
in hardback
Water Pollution - dissolved oxygen
- Dissolved oxygen in rivers, lakes, sea -> vital for survival of fish + other forms of life
- Solubility of oxygen in water -> low, depends on temp of water
- When organic waste discharged into water, bacteria + organisms present in water provided w/ nutrients -> cause organisms to multiply
- Organisms break down waste -> carbon dioxide + water -> use up oxygen dissolved in water
organic matter + oxygen -> carbon dioxide + water
- Dissolved oxygen used up by bacteria may not be replaced fast enough by more oxygen from air dissolving in water
Pollution
release of substances into environment that damage the environment
- screening
- wire mesh
- removes large solids + floating debris (twigs, plastics, etc)
- flocculation
- flocculating agent (flocculant), usually, aluminium sulphate, added
- makes smaller suspended solids coagulate/stick together in large clumps
- makes them sink faster in the sedimentation tank
- settlement
- large tanks
- water gases is at bottom, rises slowly to top at <2m/hr
- particles settle to bottom
- 90%+ of suspended solids removed at this stage
- filtration
- large beds of sand
- removes remaining suspended solids
- sand supported on layer of gravel
- sand cleaned regularly
- water now clear, but may contain harmful bacteria
- chlorination
- Cl₂ gas added
- sterilises water
- v. small quantities (0.2-0.5 ppm)
- controlled carefully
- monitored by bacteriological exam of water
- fluoridation
- NaF pr H₂SiF added (hexafluorosilicic acid)
- Added by law -> helps reduce dental decay by strengthening enamel
- small quantities -> ~1ppm
- pH adjustment
- optimum level between 7-9
- too acidic -> damage to pipes
- corrected by addition of Ca(OH)₂ (lime) to raise pH
- If v. hard water, softened by addition of Na₂CO₃ which is a base
- Too basic corrected by addition of dilute H₂SO₄ to lower pH
Excess - flocculation
excess aluminium sulfate affects taste + causes corrosion of pipes
Excess - chlorination
too much chlorine, unpleasant taste + smell
Excess - fluroidation
excess fluoride, gives rise to condition which causes staining of teeth (fluorosis)
Excess - pH adjustment
- calcium hydroxide added must be controlled, too much affects taste
- excess sulfuric acid, corrosion in pipes
chemicals
- Aluminium sulfate
- Chlorine
- Fluorine compound eg. sodium fluoride
- Calcium hydroxide
- Sodium carbonate
- Sulfuric acid
Purpose - Aluminium sulfate
Coagulation of small suspended particles
Purpose - Chlorine
Sterilise water (kill microorganisms)
Purpose - Fluorine compound eg. sodium fluroide
Prevents teeth decay
Purpose - Calcium hydroxide
Raise pH
Purpose - Sodium carbonate
Soften water
Purpose - Sulfuric acid
Lower pH
Excess - Aluminium sulfate
taste affected
corrosion of pipes
Excess - Chlorine
taste + smell affected
Excess - Fluorine compound
staining of teeth
Excess - Calcium hydroxide
hardness of water
Excess - Sodium carbonate
taste affected
Excess - Sulfuric acid
corrosion of pipes
B.O.D test
- Carried out by completely filling 2 bottles w/ water to be tested
- Measurement of dissolved oxygen carried out immediately in one bottle so oxygen content does not increase (photosynthesis of plant material)
oxygen in water
- Dissolved from air into water
- Low solubility in water
- Temp inversely affects solubility
3 main types of water pollution
eutrophication
organic waste
heavy metals
eutrophication
1- Enrichment with nutrients (fertilisers/nitrates/phosphates)
2- Due to runoff from land/pollution/dispersion in water/absorption by plants
3- Rapid growth of plants (algae) on surface/algal blooms formed
4-Light blocked from plants below surface
5- Decay by bacteria of algae, algal blooms/inc in bacteria
6- DIssolved oxygen depleted (lowered, used up), oxygen level falls
7– Fish levels reduced or killed off
discharge of organic waste
1- Domestic sewage, slurry, silage effluent, effluent from food processing factories, milk, industrial waste, etc
2- Micro-organisms feed
3- Waste is broken down, O₂ used up (organic matter + O₂ ->CO₂ + H₂O)
4- O₂ used up, reducing levels of fish + possibly killing off fish life
5- O₂ gone, anaerobic bacteria take over, river will smell due to presence of by-product, Hydrogen Sulphide H₂S
heavy metals
1-Some heavy metal ions known to be cumulative poisons
2- metal ions
3- The concentration of heavy metal ions can be measured using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS)
4-Heavy metals removed from water by precipitation reactions, eg. lead reacts w/ HCl to form an insoluble precipitate that fall out of solution
Pb²⁺ + 2HCl -> PbCl₂ + 2H⁺
5- The Eu sets limits on the conc of certain species in water
Metal Ions
Lead (Pb²⁺)
Mercury (Hg²⁺)
Cadmium (Cd²⁺)
Lead (Pb²⁺) - source, harmful effects
Old plumbing + paints
Damage to nervous system
Mercury (Hg²⁺) - source, harmful effects
Industrial effluent
Birth defects