MEASURING CONCENTRATIONS EXTENSION Name Phosphates & Algae Growth Date You are a
ID: 1064569 • Letter: M
Question
MEASURING CONCENTRATIONS EXTENSION Name Phosphates & Algae Growth Date You are a technician at the local water analysis company Aquate, LLC and your group is asked to develop a method for analysis of phosphate in water samples. When phosphates enter the water from the runoff offertilizers from other sources such as detergents in the level may increase enough to cause significant algae growth. In the inland bays of Delaware, fertilizer runoff and septic overflow are thought to be responsible for several algae blooms in recent years that have resulted in turbid oxygen depleted water, fish kills, and large accumulations of rotting foul smelling algae. You need to develop a reliable way to measure the amount of phosphates in water samples; if we know where high concentrations of phosphate are, we can start addressing significant points of release. You will adapt your skills of determining solution concentration from lab to address the phosphate concentration measurement. 1. Look up the SDS for sodium phosphate tribasic. Does the Ecological Information support the claim that soluble phosphate can harm fish? Does it disprove the claim? 2. In lab, you used the precipitation of calcium carbonate to measure the concentration of sodium carbonate in a solution. To measure the amount of phosphate in the water, we will form a different precipitate. Choose a compound that you can add to a solution of phosphate to cause a precipitate to form. Why will this compound work? Hint: Appendix E might help.Explanation / Answer
1. sodium phosphate tribasic is a toxic chemical which is soluble in water. The SDS information suggests this behaviour of chemical. The ecological survey dtudy prooves this claim of sodium phosphate tribasic being toxic to fish.
2. Barium chloride can be added to the water containing the phosphate. The precipitation reaction between barium ion and phosphate ion yields barium phosphate solid.
3. Other anions such as sulfate can also precipitate If present in the solution containing phosphate with BaCl2.
4. limit of detection
a. concentration of solution = 1 mM x 12.5 ml/250 ml = 0.05 mM
b. concentration of final solution = 0.05 mM x 20 ml/100 ml = 0.01 mM
phosphate concentration to detect precipitation = 2.34 x 10^-6 M is the minimum phosphate concentration required.
5. Yes, the method would be able to detect the given concentration of phosphate in solution.
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