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current event - contaminated drinking water

10/8/2015

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The school year is moving along – remember that Mole Day is coming up 10/23!  Check out my blog post from 10/20/14 about Celebrating Mole Day!
 
For inexpensive chemistry labs to expand your repertoire, buy my lab book
Chemistry on a Budget for $21 at amazon.com or $23 at lulu.com.
 
There are two versions of each lab, one with a ten-question conclusion and one with directions for a full lab report.  This way the teacher has the option!  Each lab is two pages to allow for one two-sided handout. 
 

There are a couple of labs based on the Mole Concept, both good for introducing the idea.
 
It will take a week or so to get to you, so Order Now!
 
http://www.amazon.com/Chemistry-Budget-Marjorie-R-Heesemann/dp/0578129159/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1389410170&sr=1-1&keywords=chemistry+on+a+budget

http://www.lulu.com/shop/marjorie-r-heesemann/chemistry-on-a-budget/paperback/product-21217600.html
 
*Some of you have purchased my lab book – be sure to check out Page 141 !
 
The city of Flint, Michigan changed its source of drinking water about 1 ½ years ago, leading to E Coli contaminated water being delivered through pipes containing lead (Pb). 
 
“…Flint, unable to come to an agreement on a short-term contract with Detroit, quit buying water from its system and signed on with a new system that will draw water from Lake Huron.”

http://www.npr.org/2015/09/29/444497051/high-lead-levels-in-michigan-kids-after-city-switches-water-source
 
We tend to take our drinking water for granted that it will be clean and safe from bacterial infection.  Over the years, there have seen local “Do Not Drink” warnings because of heavy rains overwhelming the local water treatment plant or other source of contamination.
 
“Formerly, Flint took water from Lake Huron that was treated, then they switched to the Detroit water source, and finally to water directly from the Flint River. … The Flint water problems could take until 2016 to be resolved, when the city starts using lake water again.”

http://www.inquisitr.com/1747612/flint-michigan-water-putting-residents-at-risk/
 
Now residents are being advised to boil water and concerns about long term exposure to lead (Pb) have surfaced.
 
“City officials say coliform bacteria was found in localized areas of the Flint water system.”

http://michiganradio.org/post/boil-water-warning-flint-neighborhoods-after-contamination-found-0#stream/0
 
“Doctors are finding elevated levels of lead in the children in Flint, Mich., and local tap water is the likely cause.  That's the latest alarming news to come out of the city, which
switched its water source about a year and a half ago.”
http://www.npr.org/2015/09/29/444497051/high-lead-levels-in-michigan-kids-after-city-switches-water-source
 
 “It appears that the toxic metal [lead] had been entering drinking water through corroded pipes and plumbing materials, according to 
Flintwaterinfo.com.”
http://ecowatch.com/2015/10/07/flint-michigan-lead-contamination/
 
Here’s another article outlining the history of this issue:

http://www.inquisitr.com/1747612/flint-michigan-water-putting-residents-at-risk/
 
Lead (Pb) is an element that is toxic:
“Researchers … in Flint said last week that lead levels in local children have risen since the city … started getting its water from the Flint River instead of the Detroit system in April 2014. … Lead poisoning can cause learning disabilities, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At very high levels, it also can lead to seizures, coma and even death.”

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2015/10/02/health-emergency-declared-due-lead-flint-water/73196456/
 
Several activities could be derived from this current situation.  For example your students could:
 
-Research the element lead (Pb) and report on its uses, sources of lead (including contamination) and its toxic effects;
-Research/discuss the situation of contaminated drinking water and research/propose solutions;
-Research/discuss the source of drinking water for their own household.
 
Different students could research the various topics and then report to the class and/or prepare a poster or display for the classroom.
 
This Blog contains several entries that would be helpful to your chemistry classroom.  Remember, you can check out the Topic List to help you to find past Blog entries.

The lab book
Chemistry on a Budget is very useful to your Chemistry classroom with labs and class article ideas.
Order Soon! 

Also, 
Write To Me about your successes, challenges, or questions in the Chemistry Classroom.
 

Remember, Mole Day is coming up on 10/23!
 
Some Mole related  blog posts include: 10/20/14 about
Celebrating Mole Day; 10/23/2014 titled …Mole Labs in My Book; and 1/10/14 titled …Mole Conversions and [the] Moletown Map.  Check them out!
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    Marjorie R. Heesemann is a chemistry teacher with 15 years of experience who is now working to develop resources for the Chemistry classroom.

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