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Recovery of RiverFrom Chemical SpillCould Take YearsPart I: Determination of Basic Water Quality ParametersA: Measurement of pH and Temperature Using The Glass Membrane ElectrodeProcedureMeasurement: Set up and calibrate the AR60 as described in Appendix A (Parts IA and IB). Place 60 mL of the unknown water sample in each of two 100-mL beakers. Follow the directions in Part IC of the Appendix to measure the total dissolved solids and Part ID to measure the salinity of the samples in the two beakers.A: Analysis of Copper(II) Ion Using an Ion-Selective ElectrodeB: Spectrophotometric Determination of Copper(II) IonCopper(II) shows a characteristic sky-blue color in water solution. However, at very low concentrations (closer to the concentration level which might be present in a natural body of water, even a polluted one), the intensity of this color is too pale to be measured accurately or precisely. When other materials are added, however, a more intense color can be formed, which allows the measurement of the light intensity. In this section (Part B), you will use the compound 1-2-(pyridylazo)-2-naphthol (merci­fully symbolized by the acronym PAN) as the color-forming reagent in the spectropho­tometric determination of copper(II) in your water sample. The solvent used will be a mixture of the organic solvent isopropanol and water.C. Determination of the Piscicide RotenonePurpose: To determine the presence or absence of rotenone in an unknown estuary water sample, and, if present, its concentration.Special Equipment: SPE extraction apparatus, Cary 50 Spectrophotometer, plastic cuvetsMaterials: Isopropanol, standard rotenone solutions (2, 5, and 10 mg/L), estuary blank solu­tion, unknown estuary water sampleD1: Determination of Fluoride Ion Using an Ion-Selective ElectrodeChemistry 104 Fall, 2003Purpose: To use chemical and instrumental methods of analysis to ascertain the probable causeof a massive fish kill in an estuary of the Chesapeake Bay.Introduction: The New York Times printed the following story on July 5, 2001:Recovery of River From Chemical Spill Could Take Years HOOSICK, N.Y., July 4 (AP) – Itwill be years before the HoosickRiver recovers from a spill of high-ly toxic chemicals from a factorylast week, a state environmental of-ficial says. In the meantime, RensselaerCounty has lifted bans on swim-ming and wading in the river,according to the county executive,Kathy Jimino. She warned thatthere could still be hot spots whereconcentrations of copper sulfateremain. “Potential fishers, swimmers andboaters should keep in mind thatsporadic areas of pooling may stillexist where higher concentrationlevels remain,” Ms. Jimino said.“Always be cautious, particularlynear stagnant areas.” Jennifer Meicht, a spokeswomanfor the State Department of En-vironmental Conservation, said thatthousands more fish could die asthey swim into the dead eight-milestretch of river and starve. Already, hundreds of thousandsof fish have died since nearly 2,000gallons of an acidic copper sulfatesolution spilled into the river fromthe Oak-Mitsui plant in HoosickFalls last Thursday morning. The river glowed with the toxicblue chemicals, and dead fish float-ed along the stretch from HoosickFalls to the Schaghticoke Dam inRensselaer County, just northeastof Albany. The chemicals drained out of thebuilding while being transferredfrom one tank to another. The state will hold the companyresponsible for the spill and itsclean-up costs. It immediately or-dered the company to hire workersto recover and count the dead fish.The spill remains under investiga-tion. Workers placed floating boomsacross the river to catch dead fishwhile siphons pumped up the con-taminated water.This story reports just one of thousands of events that disrupt aquatic systems each year.Some, such as the one reported in the newspaper article, have their origin directly traceableto human activity. Others represent natural disruption of ecosystems, caused by disease orprolonged periods of high temperature. Regardless of the cause, we need to investigate eachevent to ensure that permanent damage to our environment may be avoided and that we canlearn to manage our increasingly complex world more efficiently.This experiment is a simulation of a potential real-world situation designed to allow you toassume the role of an environmental chemist-detective. You will make a series of measure-ments designed to assess water quality, assemble the data, and use the literature (largely ac-cessible via the web) to establish, if possible, the probable cause(s) of a hypothetical fish kill.The Observation: More than ten thousand fish, representing at least five different species, werefound dead or dying early Wednesday morning, July 2, 2003, along a stretch of IwannapassRiver near Periodi City (a map will be distributed separately). Over one mile of the river wasaffected. The fish kill was reported to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) by a localcitizen, Keanu Ketchum, who found large-mouthed bass, sunfish, channel catfish, rockfish, andwhite perch floating in large quantities between Nomanisan Island and Two Mile Island. He wastaking his grandson fishing at 6:00 am. He mentioned that on the previous day, he had beenfishing at the same site and had not observed any dead fish in the water. By 8:00 am on the dayof the fish kill, the DNR was on the scene. Water samples were taken just south of NomanisanIsland. At the time of sampling, the temperature of the water was 72 F. The Site: The fish kill site (see map) is an estuary located in Maryland between Bel Air andHavre De Grace. Its salinity (concentration of dissolved electrolytes) is less than ocean water butmuch greater than fresh water. There is a significant amount of industrial activity along theseveral mile stretch upstream of the location where the fish kill was discovered. There are sev-eral farms, including a fish farm and a turkey farm, and an industrial zone containing a manu-facturer of treated wood products, an electroplating company, and a company that producesspecialized stained and etched glass products.The Reaction: The next morning, DNR holds a press conference briefing at the Periodi Citytown council to discuss the fish kill and outline steps


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TOWSON CHEM 104 - Lecture Notes

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