Courtney Leistering is a chemistry and forensic science major who studied the chemistry and biology of treating municipal drinking water. Her presentation covered the main components of water treatment including chemistry tests, filtration, and bacterial sampling. She discussed testing for various substances like iodine, aluminum, turbidity, color, and pH. She also explained the processes of water filtration using alum and activated carbon, as well as bacterial water sampling techniques and the importance of chemistry and biology in ensuring safe drinking water.

1. COURTNEY LEISTINGER
CHEMISTRY/FORENSIC SCIENCE MAJOR
The Chemistry and Biology of Treating
Municipal Drinking Water

2. John P. Buckley Water Treatment Plant
 City of Troy Department of Public Utilities

3. What are the main components of
water treatment?
 Chemistry Tests
 Filtration
 Bacterial Sampling

4. Water Testing

5. Iodine
 Important for metabolism
 Can still be lethal in large doses
 Removed through activated charcoal

6. Aluminum
 Indigestible
 Lethality is questionable; limit still enforced
 Methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK)

7. Turbidity
 Translucence of a water source
 Dirt/sand absorbs light
 Jackson turbidimeter

8. A Rare Exception: Blue Lake
 Located in New Zealand
 Has water with no turbidity
 Connected to neighboring lake

9. Color
 Light is reflected and absorbed
 Platinum Cobalt Scale
 Color must be slightly above 0

10. pH
 Most natural water is slightly acidic
 Too acidic = Eating through pipes
 Too basic = Calcium buildup

11. Water Filtration

12. Alum
 Double sulfate salt
 Electric double layer
 Collected particles sink

13. Active Carbon Filtering
 Porous charcoal
 High surface area
 Portable water filters

15. Bacterial Water Sampling

16. Quick History Lesson
 1836: Antonio Bassi and muscardine
 1850s – 1920s: Germ Theory
 1885: First routine bacterial examination
 1891: Fecal bacteria needs to be identified

17. Collecting Samples
 100 mL sterile bottles -> listed water sources
 Sterilized source faucets
 Chain of Custody

18. Membrane Filtration
 Vacuum suction and standardized paper filter
 Small portion kept aside (unfiltered)
 Unfiltered reserved for specific plate count

19. Preparing and Incubating Plates
 ME Plates -> 24 hours
 SPC Plates -> 48 hours
 Colonies tallied

20. Errors in Bacterial Water Sampling
 Sterilization
 Plate Preparation
 Air Density
 Agar Batch

21. Potential Application: Microbial Source
Tracking
 DNA of fecal colonies used to identify source
 Can help to stop/prevent contaminants
 Ingestion of certain chemicals

22. Dangers of Cyanobacteria
 “blue-green algae”
 Blooms destroy aquatic ecosystems
 Excess nitrogen from fecal sources makes bacteria flourish

23. Chemistry and Biology is Important!

24. References
"APHA = Pt-Co = Hazen Color." Measure True Color. Hunter Lab, 23 Oct. 2012. Web. 28 Feb. 2015.
<http://measuretruecolor.hunterlab.com/2012/10/23/apha-pt-co-hazen-color/>.
Afifi, A. A. "Determination of Dissolved Aluminum in Water Samples." USGS: Science for a Changing World.
US Geological Survey, 2 Feb. 2012. Web. 28 Feb. 2015. <http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/wri824018>.
Ahad, Farhana, and Shaiq Ganie. "Iodine, Iodine Metabolism and Iodine Deficiency Disorders Revisited." Indian
Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism. Medknow Publications. 2010. Web. 28 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3063534/>.
"Aluminum in Drinking-water: Background Document for Development of WHO Guidelines for Drinking- water
Quality." World Health Organization. World Health Organization, 1 Mar. 2004. Web. 28 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/chemicals/en/aluminium.pdf>.
Beddow, Victoria. "A Brief History of Water and Health from Ancient Civilizations to Modern Times." - IWA
Water Wiki. 8 Feb. 2010. Web. 28 Feb. 2015. <http://www.iwawaterwiki.org/xwiki/bin/view/Articles/-
ABRIEFHISTORYOFWATERANDHEALTHFROMANCIENTCIVILIZATIONSTOMODERNTIMES#Information>.

25. References
"Blue Lake, Nelson, New Zealand - The Clearest Lake in the World | Amusing Planet." Blue Lake,
Nelson, New Zealand - The Clearest Lake in the World | Amusing Planet. Amusing Planet, 18
June 2013. Web. 28 Feb. 2015. <http://www.amusingplanet.com/2013/06/blue-lake-nelson-
new-zealand clearest.html>.
Britannica Editing Team. (2014, October 23). Agostino Bassi (Italian bacteriologist). Retrieved
November 18, 2014, from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/55517/Agostino
Bassi#ref19832
"Chapter 4 - From the Field to the Lab." How to Measure TSS and Turbidity. Washington State
Department of Ecology. Web. 28 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/plants/management/joysmanual/4tss.html>
Harvard College. (2014) Germ Theory. Retrieved November 18, 2014, from
http://ocp.hul.harvard.edu/contagion/germtheory.html
Helmenstine, Anne Marie. "What Is Alum? - Alum Facts, Types, Uses, and More." About
Education. 15 Jan. 2015. Web. 28 Feb. 2015.
<http://chemistry.about.com/od/moleculescompounds/f/What-Is-Alum.htm>.

26. References
"Iodine in Drinking-water: Background Document for Development of WHO
Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality." World Health Organization. World Health
Organization, 1 Mar. 2004. Web. 28 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/chemicals/en/aluminium.p df>.
Matthews, D. M. (2013). Microbiology lab manual. Unpublished manuscript. Russell
Sage College, Troy, NY.
"Nelson's Blue Lake – The Clearest Freshwater Ever Reported." NIWA Taihoro
Nukurangi. 19 Dec. 2011. Web. 28 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.niwa.co.nz/news/nelson’s-blue-lake-–-the-clearest freshwater- ever-
reported>.
Rompré, A., Servais, P., Baudart, J., De-Roubin, M., & Laurent, P. (2002). Detection and
enumeration of coliforms in drinking water: Current methods and emerging approaches.
Journal of Microbiological Methods, 49, 31-54.
Scott, T., Rose, J., Jenkins, T., Farrah, S., & Lukasik, J. (2002). Microbial Source Tracking:
Current Methodology And Future Directions. Applied and Environmental Microbiology,
68(12), 57965803.

27. References
"The History of Drinking Water Treatment." Epa.gov. United States
Environmental Protection Agency, 1 Feb. 2000. Web. 28 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.epa.gov/ogwdw/consumer/pdf/hist.pdf>.
"Wellcare Information For You About PH in Drinking Water." Wellcare
Information For You About PH in Drinking Water. Water Systems Council,
1 Sept. 2007. Web. 28 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.watersystemscouncil.org/download/wellcare_informa
tion_sheets/potential_groundwater_contaminant_information_shee
ts/9709284pH_Update_September_2007.pdf>.