Benchmark- Quantitative/QualitativeAnalysis of Environmental Factors
Mike RajChemicalPollutionandItsEnvironmentalImpact
Introduction
Chemicalpollutionhasbecomeabigproblemfortheentiremankind.Thisisbecausethis kindofcorruptionofnatureanditsdestructionaffectstheentireplant,inonewayortheother. Tounderstandhowtodealwiththeproblemsofpollutionandhowtoanalyzesuchincidentswill thispaperfocuson.Wewillstartwiththedefinitionofchemicalpollution.Pollutioninitsbasest andthesimplestmeaningisthedegradation,andcontainmentoftheenvironment.[1][2]
Pollutionhappenswhenaccidents,industries,people,trade,andthelikedirectlyorindirectly, andknowinglyorunknowinglytaintthesurroundingnature,andthuscausegreathurttothe ecologicalandenvironmentalbalance.[1][2][3]
Wewillbefocusingonacid-watercontamination.Mostacidwaterisproducedbymining andheavyindustries.Acid,cyanide,andmercuryisusedtoleachoutthegold,silver,andthe likepreciousandsemipreciousmetals.[1][2]Oncethesemetalshavebeenleachedout,the contaminatedwaterissetasideforlaterdecommissionordecontamination.Thelargepooled waterthenleechesoutintothesurroundingnature,thuscausinggreatharm.[2]Thisisthe biggestsourceofwaterpollutionfromacid.Thiscontaminationalsocausesacidraintoform.[2]
QualitativeandquantitativeAnalyticalApproach
Thequalitativeapproachwillbetotestthefishpopulationforthewaterinquestion. Also,willbeincludedinthetastetest.Thequalitativeapproachmainlydealswiththequalityor thevalueofthedata,ratherthanthequantitativeornumericalvalue.Theriverwaterneedsto haveacertainoxygenleveltoallowfishpopulationstothrive,andmultiply.[1]Thiscanonlybe possibleifthewaterlevelistowardsthemedianpHof7.[1]Otherwise,thelowpHwillkillor maimthefish.
Forthequantitativeapproach,wewillneedtousethepHofthewaterinquestion.The pHwillanswermanyquestionsregardingthewaterquality.Thepossiblegaseousdissociation, solubilityofions,mineralassociationwithsoilformations,oxygenlevel,andturbidity(how coloredthewateris).[1]Thequantitativeapproachhelpsregulators,institutionsoflearning,and governmentstoquicklyascertainifthewaterispolluted,andhowmuch.Thepollutionscale,in thiscase,pHreading,willbethemostusefulandhelpfulidentifieringaugingpollutionlevelin theriverwater.[1]ElectronicpHreadingmeterscanbeeasilyplacedalongthelengthofthe river,andthusgethourly,daily,weekly,andmonthlydata.Thesedatathencanbestored, analyzedwiththelateststatisticalmethods,andpredictivetoolstounderstandwhatcanpossibly happentotheregionifthecurrentconditioncontinues,orifitgetsworse.Theformulasand principlesthatcanbemostusefulforthiskindofanalysisarethefollowing:FreeEnergy, ChemicalEquilibrium(strongandweakacids),LeChatelier’sPrinciple,CommonionEffect, IonicComplexFormations.[1]
Example
OneprimeexampleofacidificationofriverwateristheleachingofH2SO4(Sulfuric Acid)frommines.Whentheacid,identifiedasHA,reactswithwater,H2O,itdissociatesor splitsintoitsprimarycomponentsH+(acid),andA-(base).Thisdissociatesinvariablyincreases thefreeH+ionspresentinthewater.Ifthedissociationandtheiondepositoryislow,thenthe pHwillnotchangeduetotheinherentbufferingabilityofwater.ButiftheconcentrationofH+ islarge,thentheacidiclevelismanifest.TheoverallpHofthewaterwilllower,andifitexceeds acertainthreshold,thenthemarinelifewillbehardhit,andcanpossiblydieoff.The interventionistwillbedisappointedifthescenarioinquestionhappensquickly.Thoughinreal lifethisdepositoryofpHlevelwaterinwatermayhappenoverthecourseofanaturalyear (springtospring).Thisthenbegsthequestion,whyallowsuchdrainoff.
Manyofthedrainsareeitheraccidentalorunawares.Thisisbecauseofthestrict regulations,statutes,andlawsinplacetokeepcriminalitydown,andtohelppreservethelivesof people,andagoodenvironment.AdditionofcalciumcarbonatecanleveloffthepHto7,butis
impracticalforafree-flowingriver.Theothermostobviousthingistopreventfutureleakingor leechingofacidicwater.By followingstrictdisciplinarymethodology,andalittlecommon sense,theindustriesinquestioncanfunctionwithoutimpairmentandimpediment.
Conclusion
Inconclusion,theessenceofanypollutioncontrolanddecontaminationstrategyistofirst knowtowhatextentthepollutionharmsthesurroundings,andthencontinuewithmitigation methods.[3][1][2]Second,earlyconsistentdetectiontomonitortheproblem.[2][1]Third,a solutiontocombattheproblem.[1] Fourth,awarenessamongpeopleandgovernmentofficials.
[1]Fifthtoeducatethepracticalstepsamongindustries,peoples,institutionsonhowtotackle theproblemofpollution,hereitisacidrain.[1][2]Onlywhenallthese5measuresareemployed cananysuccessfulpollutioncontrolandeliminationbepossible.Ifnot,thepollutioncan continueandultimatelycauselarge-scaledevastation,justliketheFlintwatercrisis.Forewarn, forwarddeploy,andconsistency,thethreekeystovictoryoverpollution.
Reference
1.Harris,D.C.(2016). Quantitative chemical analysis (9thed.).NewYork,NY:W.H.Freeman.
ISBN-13:9781464135385
2. Mining and Water Pollution [Factsheet].(n.d.).Safewater.org.https://www.safewater.org/ fact-sheets-1/2017/1/23/miningandwaterpollution
3.Moghania,M.,Mirzakhalilibili,A.,&Archera,C.L.(2017).Theimportanceoftransportto ozone
pollutionintheU.S.Mid-Atlantic. Atmospheric Environment, 191,420-431.