Austin Munroe

12/12/2015
Chemistry

Water treatment Simulation & Analysis Lab

Abstract:
This lab was undertaken to understand how bases and acids react and mimic the EPA current treatment
system of the acid mine waste that leaves the mine. This lab was also extremely relevant to the population
living downstream of the spill and what is understood about how this waster treatment plant is working to
clean the water of minerals and neutralize the pH. The answer we were looking for in this lab are the
quality of the water after neutralizing and amount of minerals that stay with the water through the
treatment of the EPA. In the first part of the lab we found that different bases could neutralize the mine
waste with less if the element was more effective. In the second part of the lab we found that the minerals
that were drownout in a precipitate were very small in proportion to the amount of water tested.

Introduction:
When we started this experiment was create a more robust understanding of why the acid mine drainage
in being treated to improved water quality in the Animas River. Even Before the latest Gold King mine
Spill the mines in Silverton Colorado have been producing acid mine drainage as a result of the drilling
deeper into the mountains. When the mining process advanced to where the mine tunnels advanced far
into the earth where they intercepted groundwater. This allowed for oxygen sulfur and water. This began
producing sulfuric acid. This started the process of acid mine drainage that has been affecting Cement
Creek and Animas River for years.
When we began to look into the river we did multiple test and found that the river have to part to it that
needed to be under stand. the First was the pH of the water. The pH of something is measurement of
acidity or base. The ph scale goes from 1 to 14 and 7 as a neutral pH. As
the pH gets lower the acidity increases and the more harmful it becomes to skin contact as well as the rate
and intensity at which it breaks down the mineral rich rock that makes up the mine. The pH scale moves
in factors of 10 with 7 being neutral. The pH directly measures the concentration of H + and the OH- in a
solution or material.
The Arrhenius definition of acids and bases. The Arrhenius definition of a acid is that is the compound is
acidic, its symbolic representation will have a H + at the beginning. For example the symbolic
representation of sulfuric acid H2SO4. In this example the H2 are the hydrogen ions that react and make
this compound acidic. When breaking down compounds we use the Arrhenius definition to understand if
the compound is basic. Basic compounds can be identified by an (OH -) at the end of the symbolic
presentation. For example the current product that is being added to the Animas River to improve water
quality is calcium hydroxide. When looking at this elements symbolic representation, Ca(OH) 2. In this
you can see that the (OH)2 is the acidic part in this equation as stated by Arrhenius definition.

The current objective of the EPA is to balance the pH of the water leaving the Gold King Mine to limit the
damage from the drainage. As the mine drainage levels the mine the EPA collects it and performs a
titration on a large scale. The idea behind performing this titration is to increase the pH and form a
precipitate. By increasing the pH with a base and forming precipitate the EPA is left with to byproducts.
The first is a precipitate salt that contains all the minerals from the mine and the second is a clean water.
When this precipitate is formed it becomes separable from the water and provides a simple to way to
remove the minerals from the water.
The water samples taken from the Animas River contained two different types of metals. Total and
dissolved. When the Gold King Mine spill happened the lower pH of the mine drainage began to break
down the metal particles dissolved with the water. Both dissolved and the total metal particles. At this
point the metal particles are not visible on the macroscopic level and is not separable with filters. It's my
understanding is that this is the most harmful form for minerals for the wildlife and humans. Total metals
in the water are visible on the macroscopic level and is the dissolved metals. When we measure the total
metals we look at the total metal content. Total metals can also be filtered out of a solution using a variety
of different methods. In situations like the Gold King Mine Spill, base is added to the acidic mine waste
that leaves the mine. This does two things, one it increases the pH of the water to a level closer to neutral.
The second is that the base that is being added to the waste creates a calcium salt and draws out the
dissolved metals into the precipitate. The precipitate in this situation in this is the salt made by the acid
and base combining in an optimized ratio.

Methods;
Measuring Acidity of Solution through a Neutralization Titration with an Indicator Solution
Before starting this lab, make the appropriate effort to use the proper safety precautions to avoid risk to
you and others. At all times wear ventilated goggles and latex gloves to prevent damage to eyes and skin.
In addition use caution around hot plates, heat can be extremely painful when comes in contact with skin.
The begin make sure that a 50 mL graduated cylinder has been rinsed with 5-10ml of deionized water
once before rinsed with the same amount of sample water. In addition to rinsing the graduated cylinder
with deionized water and sample water, complete this for a 250mL beaker. After rinsing both the beaker
and cylinder, fill the graduated cylinder up with exactly 50 mL of the sample water. Using the graduated
cylinder to transfer the water into the beaker to ensure that sediment in the sample water is not included in
the test. Using the properly calibrated pH probe collects the pH of the water from the 250mL beaker.
Record you results in the table 2 of the results.
After collecting the the pH, choice one of the 4 indicator solution for the next part of the test. Use one of
the following solutions. Bromothymol Blue, Phenol Red, Universal Indicator or Phenolphthalein. Use the
chart below to see reaction colors and the pH associated with each indicator solution. Decide which
indicator solution to use then select an endpoint pH color. The endpoint chosen, it should be a neutral or
as close to neutral pH. After a indicator is choise, add 30 drops using the pipet into the beaker containing
the sample water. Swirl the solution as drops are added in the beaker. After completing this process, begin
rinsing a 50 mL buret twice, each time with a titrant base. Choice either sodium hydroxide (NaOH) or

calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2 and rinse the buret. After rinsing the buret fill it to the 10mL mark. This will
be about 40 mL loaded in the buret. If needed remove air bubbles from the buret by draining a few drops
into a waste container. Once you feel comfortable with dripping the buret, record you starting volume in
table 1. Place a magnetic stir bar the beaker and place the buret as just off the top of the beaker. Using the
hot plate to swirl the magnetic bar in the beaker. Apply a steady drip from the buret until you reach your
color end point. Once reached record the final volume of the buret in the table 1.Subtract the starting
volume from the final volume to find the militerleters used for the titration. Measure the pH using the
calibrated pH probe and the pH paper. Record all final event data in the tables. Repeat this this process
but using the other base titrant.
Indicator Solution

pH Range

Color Changes per pH Range

Bromothymol Blue

6-7.6

Yellow(<6) - Green(7) Blue(7.6)

Phenol Red

6.8- 8.4

Yellow (<6.8) - Orange(7.6) Red(8.4)

Universal Indicator

4-10

Red(<4) - Orange(5.1) Yellow(6) - Green(7-8) Blue(9.2) - Violet(10)

Phenolphthalein

8-10

Colorless(<8) - Magenta(10)

Part 2
Measuring the Dissolved Metal Content by Precipitation and Dehydration
In a 10 mL graduated cylinder, measure out 5 mL of 0.5m Na2CO3. Add this to this the solution you
titrated with NaOH. Using a magnetic stir bar mix the solution until a precipitate has completely formed.
Record observation. Take a porosity filter paper and weigh it, record the weight in table 3. Fold this filter
paper into a cone then place in a funnel. lightly dampen the filter with distilled water then place the funnel
on top of a 250 mL Erlenmeyer Flask. Slowy pour the precipitate solution through the filter paper. Make
sure that all precipitate is poured in the filter.
Find a evaporation dish and weights it using a scale. Record After the solution has been passed through
the filter paper, place it in the evaporating dish. After the filter paper is completely dried weight it using
the scale with the evaporating dish. Record the dish weight on the table. Add the weight of the filtering
paper with the weight of the Evaporation dish recorded before during this experiment. Subtract this
weight collected after during the experiment to find the weight of the precipitate. Record the weights in
table 3. If you recorded the pH of your solution between 5.5 and 9 your solution can be poured down the
sink.
By completing this section of the lab we can find the weight of the precipitate that was formed when
Na2CO3 was mixed with NaOH.

Results and analysis:

Part 1:
Table 1: volumes, Amount and Concentrations of Base and Acid in Neutralization Reaction
Trial 1 NaOH

Trial 2 Ca(OH)2

Initial buret volume (mL)

23 mL

10.5 mL

Final buret volume (mL)

35.5 mL

12.3 mL

Volume of base (mL)

12.5 mL

7.2 mL

Volume of base (L)

0.0125 L

0.0022 L

Concentration of base (M)

0.010 M

0.010 M

Moles of base (mol)

0.000125 mol

0.000022 mol

Acid of Base Mole Ratio

1:1

2:1

Moles of acid (mol)

0.000125 mol

0.000044 mL

Volume of acid (water sample)

(mL)

50 mL

50 mL

Volume of acid (water sample)

(L)

0.050 L

0.050 L

Initial concentration of acid

(water sample) (M)

0.0025 M

0.00044 M

Calculated initial pH of water

sample

5.99 pH

7.72

Table 2:pH Measurements Before and After Neutralization Reactions

Trial 1 NaOH

Trial 2 Ca(OH)2

Indicator Solution used

Phenol Red

Phenol Red

Expected Color at End Point

Red

Red

Is End Point also the

Equivalence Point (pH=7)

No

No

Internal Color of solution

Clear

Yellow

Observed End Point Color

Red/Orange

Yellow

Qualitative Final pH of solution

using indicator solution

8 pH

6 pH

Initial pH of solution as
measured by ph probe

3.16 pH

3.26 pH

Final pH of solution as measured 3.39 pH

by pH probe

Initial pH of solution as
measured by pH paper

6 pH

6 pH

Final pH of solution as measured 7 pH

by pH paper

Calculated initial pH of solution

4.01 ph

Table 3: masses for Determining Amount of Precipitate Formed

Trial 1 NaOH

Trial 2 Ca(OH)2

Initial mass of filter paper (g)

0.64 g

0.44 g

Mass of watch glass/evaporating

dish (g)

58.12 g

44.09 g

Mass of filter paper with

precipitate and watch glass/
evaporating dish (g)

56.79 g

44.53 g

Mass of precipitate

0.03 g

0.03 g

Moles of precipitate (assume all

of precipitate is CaCO3) (g)

0.0003 g

0.003 g

Mass of dissolved metal ions

prior of precipitation (assume
ion were Ca) (g)

0.012 g

0.012 g

Appearance of precipitate.

Sandy Brown

Discussion:

When performing the first section of the test on the water samples taken from the Animas River we used
two types of bases to neutralize the water's pH. The first base we used had a 1:1 ratio. This means that
when we balanced out the water sample we used the same amount of acid as we did a base. When we
compare the second base used to balance the same amount of acid we see that it took roughly half the
amount of base to neutralize the acidic sample. This can be explained by looking the symbolic
representation of the Base (Ca(OH) 2). The basicness of the element can be found by looking at the
subscript at the end of the (OH). We know that the OH pairs up with H so we know that if the Base has a
subscript of 2 then we know that for every mole of that element there is can neutralize twice that amount
of a simple acid. In this case we have a 2:1 ratio so it only took half of the base to successfully neutralize
the acid.
When we look at this in the context of the Gold King Mine Spill we begin to understand how the EPA is
treating the water and how their treatment process works. Simply put, the EPA is mixing the water coming
from the mine with a base that when mixed in optimal ratios creates a precipitate salt and balanced out the
acidity of the mine waste. The limitations of this treatment is that it doesn't fix the root issue.
Groundwater, oxygen and sulfur mix to form this mine waste . The treatment the EPA set up and uses only
addresses the symptoms of the problem.
The issues of the Gold King MIne Spill and other acidic materials that need to be neutralized for the
health of the ecosystem. There needs be a more efficient solution for treating or solving this mine waste
issue. An experiment that I propose to make this system more efficient is to mix and blend together
multiple different bases in the hopes of find a combination that creates a precipitate that has uses and has
a high ratio to neutralize more acid per mol of base.