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Water Sample | pH | Total Alkalinity | Hardness | Total Chlorine | Copper | Lead | Iron |
Bottled water | | | | | | | |
Tap water | | | | | | | |
Outdoor water (pond, puddle, etc) | | | | | | | |
How does my environment affect me?
L3 COLLECTING AIR & WATER DATA
Collect samples of water from 3 different sources: bottled water, tap water, and water from a pond or puddle. Use Drinking Water test trips to test each water sample. Record your findings in the table below.
| pH | Alkalinity | Hardness | Chlorine | Copper | Lead | Iron |
Health Impacts | | | | | | | |
Which sample was the safest to drink?
Are there any areas of concern in the outdoor water?
Why is it important to test for each of these chemicals or qualities in our drinking water? Research the health impacts of each category and record your findings below.
These materials were developed through an Intergovernmental Agreement awarded to the Office for Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education in the College of Education at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign from the Illinois Envi-ronmental Protection Agency under agreement number MUL24308. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.
Research water data around your school. Visit the EPA’s How’s My Waterway tool: mywaterway.epa.gov
Enter your school’s zip code and browse the list of waterbodies.
Are there any impaired waterbodies? Which ones? What are their identified issues?
Are there any patterns? What are the most common waterbody issues in this area?
Click on each identified issue to read about “What You Can Do”. What would you recommend people in this community do to make the biggest impact in improving water quality in this area?
Next, research air data around your school. Visit the EPA’s AirNow tool: www.airnow.gov
Enter your school’s zip code and scroll down to find information.
What is the current air quality status in this area? What does the tool recommend regarding outdoor activities?
What is the current primary pollutant?
Is the current forecast consistent with previous forecasts? Are there any patterns?
These materials were developed through an Intergovernmental Agreement awarded to the Office for Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education in the College of Education at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign from the Illinois Envi-ronmental Protection Agency under agreement number MUL24308. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.