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Chemical Tests for Pollution

Transportation vehicles are among the top three leading sources of pollution in the world -- cars and planes are the biggest culprits in that category. Other major sources of pollution are food production, mainly meat and dairy, and energy production involved in heating, cooling and operating household appliances. The pollutants enter the water, air and soil of the earth. Chemical tests have been developed to detect them.

  1. Indoor Air Pollution

    • Chemical tests are done to test indoors air quality. The process requires extensive preparation of the building to be tested, generally at least 24 hours in advance. Preparatory measures include complete inspection of building, complete inventory of contents, closing windows, turning off fans, and not spraying and household cleaners or aerosols. Samples are taken from various places in the building and analyzed for pollutants and their breakdown products (e.g., 1,1,1-trichloroethane breaks down into1,1-dichloroethane, 1,1-dichloroethene, cis-1,2-dichloroethene, trans-1,2-dichloroethene, chloroethane and vinyl chloride).

    Water Pollution

    • Water can be excessively acidic or contain nitrates. These pollutants are often associated with acid rain and special kits are available to test for each factor. Ph test strips are used to test for acid levels in water and contain chemicals that will cause the paper to turn red. Nitrates are measured in ppm (parts per million) and are measured with the use of a reagent such as cadmium.

    Soil Pollution

    • Soil often contains many toxins and chemical tests are available for a variety of them. Arsenic is one of the more toxic pollutants and the test for it is a recent development. Sodium hydroxide and phosphoric acid are used to remove arsenic from the soil. The particles are then further separated and manipulated with a high-heat process called atomic emission spectroscopy.

    Bacteria Test

    • Water can be contaminated with harmful bacterial pollutants and testing for them could prevent a serious illness. One of the most common bacterial pollutants is E. coli. A home test for this bacteria is available. It consists of a petri dish coated with patented responsive chemicals that changes color to indicate the presence of E. coli and an agar (nutrient medium) solution.

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