Running Head: SAMPLE FINAL LAB REPORT 1
Sample Lab Report (The Optimal Foraging Theory)
Name
SCI 207 Dependence of Man on the Environment
Instructor
Date
SAMPLE FINAL LAB REPORT 2
Sample Lab Report
Abstract
The theory of optimal foraging and its relation to central foraging was examined by using
the beaver as a model. Beaver food choice was examined by noting the species of woody
vegetation, status (chewed vs. not-chewed), distance from the water, and circumference of trees
near a beaver pond in North Carolina. Beavers avoided certain species of trees and preferred
trees that were close to the water. No preference for tree circumference was noted. These data
suggest that beaver food choice concurs with the optimal foraging theory.
Introduction
In this lab, we explore the theory of optimal foraging and the theory of central place
foraging using beavers as the model animal. Foraging refers to the mammalian behavior
associated with searching for food. The optimal foraging theory assumes that animals feed in a
way that maximizes their net rate of energy intake per unit time (Pyke et al., 1977). An animal
may either maximize its daily energy intake (energy maximizer) or minimize the time spent
feeding (time minimizer) in order to meet minimum requirements. Herbivores commonly behave
as energy maximizers (Belovsky, 1986) and accomplish this maximizing behavior by choosing
food that is of high quality and has low-search and low-handling time (Pyke et al., 1977).
The central place theory is used to describe animals that collect food and store it in a
fixed location in their home range, the central place (Jenkins, 1980). The factors associated with
the optimal foraging theory also apply to the central place theory. The central place theory
predicts that retrieval costs increase linearly with distance of the resource from the central place
SAMPLE FINAL LAB REPORT 3
(Rockwood and Hubbell, 1987). Central place feeders are very selective when choosing food
that is far from the central place since they have to spend time and energy hauling it back to the
storage site (Schoener, 1979).
The main objective of this lab was to determine beaver (Castor canadensis) food selection
based on tree species, size, and distance. Since beavers are energy maximizers (Jenkins, 1980;
Belovsky, 1984) and central place feeders (McGinley & Whitam, 1985), they make an excellent
test animal for the optimal foraging theory. Beavers eat several kinds of herbaceous plants as
well as the leaves, twigs, and bark of most species of woody plants that grow near water (Jenkins
& Busher, 1979). By examining the trees that are chewed or not-chewed in the beavers' home
range, an accurate assessment of food preferences among tree species may be gained (Jenkins,
1975). The purpose of this lab was to learn about the optimal foraging theory. We wan ...
1. Running Head: SAMPLE FINAL LAB REPORT 1
Sample Lab Report (The Optimal Foraging Theory)
Name
SCI 207 Dependence of Man on the Environment
Instructor
Date
2. SAMPLE FINAL LAB REPORT 2
Sample Lab Report
Abstract
The theory of optimal foraging and its relation to
central foraging was examined by using
the beaver as a model. Beaver food choice was examined by
noting the species of woody
vegetation, status (chewed vs. not-chewed), distance from the
water, and circumference of trees
near a beaver pond in North Carolina. Beavers avoided certain
species of trees and preferred
trees that were close to the water. No preference for tree
circumference was noted. These data
suggest that beaver food choice concurs with the optimal
foraging theory.
Introduction
In this lab, we explore the theory of optimal foraging and the
theory of central place
foraging using beavers as the model animal. Foraging refers to
the mammalian behavior
3. associated with searching for food. The optimal foraging theory
assumes that animals feed in a
way that maximizes their net rate of energy intake per unit time
(Pyke et al., 1977). An animal
may either maximize its daily energy intake (energy maximizer)
or minimize the time spent
feeding (time minimizer) in order to meet minimum
requirements. Herbivores commonly behave
as energy maximizers (Belovsky, 1986) and accomplish this
maximizing behavior by choosing
food that is of high quality and has low-search and low-
handling time (Pyke et al., 1977).
The central place theory is used to describe animals that
collect food and store it in a
fixed location in their home range, the central place (Jenkins,
1980). The factors associated with
the optimal foraging theory also apply to the central place
theory. The central place theory
predicts that retrieval costs increase linearly with distance of
the resource from the central place
SAMPLE FINAL LAB REPORT 3
4. (Rockwood and Hubbell, 1987). Central place feeders are very
selective when choosing food
that is far from the central place since they have to spend time
and energy hauling it back to the
storage site (Schoener, 1979).
The main objective of this lab was to determine beaver
(Castor canadensis) food selection
based on tree species, size, and distance. Since beavers are
energy maximizers (Jenkins, 1980;
Belovsky, 1984) and central place feeders (McGinley &
Whitam, 1985), they make an excellent
test animal for the optimal foraging theory. Beavers eat several
kinds of herbaceous plants as
well as the leaves, twigs, and bark of most species of woody
plants that grow near water (Jenkins
& Busher, 1979). By examining the trees that are chewed or
not-chewed in the beavers' home
range, an accurate assessment of food preferences among tree
species may be gained (Jenkins,
1975). The purpose of this lab was to learn about the optimal
foraging theory. We wanted to
know if beavers put the optimal foraging theory into action
when selecting food.
We hypothesized that the beavers in this study will
5. choose trees that are small in
circumference and closest to the water. Since the energy yield
of tree species may vary
significantly, we also hypothesized that beavers will show a
preference for some species of trees
over others regardless of circumference size or distance from
the central area. The optimal
foraging theory and central place theory lead us to predict that
beavers, like most herbivores,
will maximize their net rate of energy intake per unit time. In
order to maximize energy, beavers
will choose trees that are closest to their central place (the
water) and require the least retrieval
cost. Since beavers are trying to maximize energy, we
hypothesized that they will tend to select
some species of trees over others on the basis of nutritional
value.
Methods
This study was conducted at Yates Mill Pond, a research area
owned by the North
SAMPLE FINAL LAB REPORT 4
6. Carolina State University, on October 25th, 1996. Our research
area was located along the edge
of the pond and was approximately 100 m in length and 28 m in
width. There was no beaver
activity observed beyond this width. The circumference, the
species, status (chewed or not-
chewed), and distance from the water were recorded for each
tree in the study area. Due to the
large number of trees sampled, the work was evenly divided
among four groups of students
working in quadrants. Each group contributed to the overall
data collected.
We conducted a chi-squared test to analyze the data with
respect to beaver selection of
certain tree species. We conducted t-tests to determine (1) if
avoided trees were significantly
farther from the water than selected trees, and (2) if chewed
trees were significantly larger or
smaller than not chewed trees. Mean tree distance from the
water and mean tree circumference
were also recorded.
Results
7. SAMPLE FINAL LAB REPORT 5
Overall, beavers showed a preference for certain species of
trees, and their preference
was based on distance from the central place. Measurements
taken at the study site show that
SAMPLE FINAL LAB REPORT 6
beavers avoided oaks and musclewood (Fig. 1) and show a
significant food preference. No
avoidance or particular preference was observed for the other
tree species. The mean distance of
8.42 m away from the water for not-chewed trees was
significantly greater than the mean
distance of 6.13 m for chewed trees (Fig. 2). The tree species
that were avoided were not
significantly farther from the water than selected trees. For the
selected tree species, no
significant difference in circumference was found between trees
that were not chewed
8. (mean=16.03 cm) and chewed (mean=12.80 cm) (Fig. 3).
Discussion
Although beavers are described as generalized herbivores, the
finding in this study
related to species selection suggests that beavers are selective
in their food choice. This finding
agrees with our hypothesis that beavers are likely to show a
preference for certain tree species.
Although beaver selection of certain species of trees may be
related to the nutritional value,
additional information is needed to determine why beavers
select some tree species over others.
Other studies suggested that beavers avoid trees that have
chemical defenses that make the tree
unpalatable to beavers (Muller-Schawarze et al., 1994). These
studies also suggested that
beavers prefer trees with soft wood, which could possibly
explain the observed avoidance of
musclewood and oak in our study.
The result that chewed trees were closer to the water accounts
for the time and energy
spent gathering and hauling. This is in accordance with the
optimal foraging theory and agrees
9. with our hypothesis that beavers will choose trees that are close
to the water. As distance from
the water increases, a tree's net energy yield decreases because
food that is farther away is more
likely to increase search and retrieval time. This finding is
similar to Belovskyís finding of an
SAMPLE FINAL LAB REPORT 7
inverse relationship between distance from the water and
percentage of plants cut.
The lack of any observed difference in mean circumference
between chewed and not
chewed trees does not agree with our hypothesis that beavers
will prefer smaller trees to larger
ones. Our hypothesis was based on the idea that branches from
smaller trees will require less
energy to cut and haul than those from larger trees. Our finding
is in accordance with other
studies (Schoener, 1979), which have suggested that the value
of all trees should decrease with
distance from the water but that beavers would benefit from
choosing large branches from large
trees at all distances. This would explain why there was no
10. significant difference in
circumference between chewed and not-chewed trees.
This lab gave us the opportunity to observe how a specific
mammal selects foods that
maximize energy gains in accordance with the optimal foraging
theory. Although beavers adhere
to the optimal foraging theory, without additional information
on relative nutritional value of
tree species and the time and energy costs of cutting certain tree
species, no optimal diet
predictions may be made. Other information is also needed
about predatory risk and its role in
food selection. Also, due to the large number of students taking
samples in the field, there may
have been errors which may have affected the accuracy and
precision of our measurements. In
order to corroborate our findings, we suggest that this study be
repeated by others.
Conclusion
The purpose of this lab was to learn about the optimal foraging
theory by measuring tree
selection in beavers. We now know that the optimal foraging
theory allows us to predict food-
11. seeking behavior in beavers with respect to distance from their
central place and, to a certain
extent, to variations in tree species. We also learned that
foraging behaviors and food selection is
SAMPLE FINAL LAB REPORT 8
not always straightforward. For instance, beavers selected large
branches at any distance from
the water even though cutting large branches may increase
energy requirements. There seems to
be a fine line between energy intake and energy expenditure in
beavers that is not so easily
predicted by any given theory.
12. SAMPLE FINAL LAB REPORT 9
References
Belovsky, G.E. (1984). Summer diet optimization by beaver.
The American Midland Naturalist.
111: 209-222.
Belovsky, G.E. (1986). Optimal foraging and community
structure: implications for a guild of
generalist grassland herbivores. Oecologia. 70: 35-52.
Jenkins, S.H. (1975). Food selection by beavers:› a
multidimensional contingency table analysis.
Oecologia. 21: 157-173.
Jenkins, S.H. (1980). A size-distance relation in food selection
by beavers. Ecology. 61: 740-
746.
Jenkins, S.H., & P.E. Busher. (1979). Castor canadensis.
Mammalian Species. 120: 1-8.
McGinly, M.A., & T.G. Whitham. (1985). Central place
13. foraging by beavers (Castor
Canadensis): a test of foraging predictions and the
impact of selective feeding on the
growth form of cottonwoods (Populus fremontii).
Oecologia. 66: 558-562.
Muller-Schwarze, B.A. Schulte, L. Sun, A. Muller-Schhwarze,
& C. Muller-Schwarze. (1994).
Red Maple (Acer rubrum) inhibits feeding behavior by
beaver (Castor canadensis).
Journal of Chemical Ecology. 20: 2021-2033.
Pyke, G.H., H.R. Pulliman, E.L. Charnov. (1977). Optimal
foraging. The Quarterly Review of
Biology. 52: 137-154.
Rockwood, L.L., & S.P. Hubbell. (1987). Host-plant selection,
diet diversity, and optimal
foraging in a tropical leaf-cutting ant. Oecologia. 74:
55-61.
Schoener, T.W. (1979). Generality of the size-distance relation
in models of optimal feeding.
The American Naturalist. 114: 902-912.
SAMPLE FINAL LAB REPORT 10
14. *Note: This document was modified from the work of Selena
Bauer, Miriam Ferzli, and Vanessa
Sorensen, NCSU.
ACC 680 Milestone Three Guidelines and Rubric
You will prepare a draft of the section of your final presentation
that covers the topic of the global market. Specifically, you will
analyze potential issues in financial statement analysis in your
company’s country of choice and make a recommendation on
how to avoid these issues. You will also weigh the benefits of
the international financial statement analysis process.
For this project, consider this scenario: you have worked very
hard and have just earned a promotion at Quality CPA firm. As
part of your new responsibilities, you will be advising an
influential client on their international aspirations. Their
business has been booming and they are seriously considering
expanding their operation overseas. They are concerned about
the political and financial risks of such an undertaking.
You will build a multimedia presentation (with speaker notes to
elaborate) that addresses the upper management of this
company. You will choose a country other than the United
States. This country will be presented as a potential destination
for the company, although other countries can be included, as
the global market is the focus. The presentation must explore
the company’s potential expansion into the chosen country, the
global market in general, and how that will impact their
operations.
15. Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:
III. Global Market: For this part of the project, you will
explain to your audience the impact that expanding into the
global market will have on your decision-making tools and
processes.
A. Analyze the potential issues in financial statement analysis
when conducting business in the chosen country.
B. Make recommendations on how your company could avoid
these financial statement analysis issues.
C. Analyze the international financial statement analysis
process for potential benefits. In other words, what would be
the benefits of international financial statement analysis despite
the potential issues?
Guidelines for Submission: Your multimedia presentation
should include 10–15 slides, which must be accompanied by
speaker notes and may contain audio if you wish.
Instructor Feedback: This activity uses an integrated rubric in
Blackboard. Students can view instructor feedback in the Grade
Center. For more information, review these instructions
Critical Elements
Exemplary (100%)
Proficient (90%)
Needs Improvement (70%)
Not Evident (0%)
Value
Global Market:
Potential Issues
Meets “Proficient” criteria and provides keen insight into how
the process of reviewing financial statements may influence the
company in the scenario
Analyzes the process of reviewing financial statements for
16. potentials issues when expanding into the global market
Analyzes the process of reviewing financial statements for
potentials issues when expanding into the global market but
analysis lacks depth or detail
Does not analyze the process of reviewing financial statements
for potentials issues when expanding into the global market
30
Global Market:
Recommendations
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
communicates recommendations in a professional manner that is
also
easy for the client to understand
Makes recommendations for how the company in the scenario
could avoid issues of international financial statement analysis
Makes recommendations for how the company in the scenario
could avoid issues of international financial statement analysis
but recommendations are inappropriate or lack detail
Does not make recommendations for how the company in the
scenario could avoid issues of international financial statement
analysis
30
Global Market:
Potential Benefits
Meets “Proficient” criteria and provides keen insight into the
analysis of the international financial statement review process
for potential benefits
Analyzes the international financial statement review process
for potential benefits
Analyzes the international financial statement review process
for potential benefits but analysis lacks depth or detail
Does not analyze the international financial statement review
17. process for potential benefits
30
Articulation of
Response
Submission is free of errors related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, and organization and is presented in a
professional and easy-to-read format
Submission has no major errors related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
Submission has major errors related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization that negatively impact
readability and articulation of main ideas
Submission has critical errors related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization that prevent understanding of
ideas
10
Total
100%
Shante Smith: Ashford 4 Assignment
Numeric Grade: 8.71 / 10 pts Weighted Average
(Earned/Possible):
18. 8.71 % / 10
%
Letter Grade:
Comments:
View Waypoint markup for SCIWeek3RoughDraft.edited
(1).docx
View Waypoint markup for Screenshot 2017-02-27 at 9.45.55
PM.pdf
The following files have been attached to your feedback
Shante,
I have recorded screencast feedback for you. To view the video,
please copy and paste this
link into your browser window: http://screencast-o-
matic.com/watch/cben3P6TSL
If the link does not work, clear your browser cache, including
cookies and search history.
Restart your browser and try again. If that fails, try another
browser (I use Chrome.).
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
Clifford
(0.25 / 0.25) Title Page
Distinguished - Provides a title page that includes the title of
the report, course name, student's
name, instructor, and date submitted.
(1.1 / 1.25) Introduction
Proficient - Includes an introduction in a minimum of three
paragraphs that discusses the
background into the topic supported by scholarly sources, an
19. objective of the study, and a
hypothesis for the experiment along with an explanation of how
the student arrived at that
hypothesis. Minimal improvement is needed through additional
detail, improvement of source
material, and/or rewording of hypotheses.
(0.95 / 1.25) Materials and Methods
Basic - Partially describes the materials and methods section.
Relevant details are missing that
limits the repeatability of the experiment, and/or excessive
information is present.
Very detailed methods section here. This is certainly an
excellent beginning; however, your
outline actually provides too much detail. You only need to
provide vital steps that summarize
how you conducted the experiment. For instance, when
calculating pH, you do not need to
http://outboundsso.next.ecollege.com/default/launch.ed?ssoType
=Waypoint2&action=3&docid=11505450
http://outboundsso.next.ecollege.com/default/launch.ed?ssoType
=Waypoint2&action=3&docid=11505756
include steps such as "dip the pH test strip in the water, then
shake the test strips." These
steps can be simplified to read "we used pH test strips to
measure water pH" as such testing
strips will come with instructions. If you have any questions
about this, feel free to email me
directly or post your concerns in the Ask Your Instructor
section of the course.
(1.1 / 1.25) Results
20. Proficient - Includes a results section that addresses all of the
tables utilized in the laboratory
as well as at least one paragraph objectively explaining the data.
Minor errors are seen in the
data tables, or details are missing in the data explanation.
(0.8 / 1.25) Discussion
Below Expectations - Includes a discussion section; however,
does not explain one or more of
the required components. Many improvements are needed
through additional detail, inclusion
of source material, and correction of significant errors.
(0.57 / 0.75) Conclusion
Basic - Includes a conclusion section that summarizes all facets
of your experiment. Moderate
improvement is needed to accurately summarize the report.
(1 / 1) Submits Grammarly Report
Distinguished - Submits screen shot of the Grammarly report as
required.
(0.44 / 0.5) Written Communication: Control of Syntax and
Mechanics
Proficient - Displays comprehension and organization of syntax
and mechanics, such as
spelling and grammar. Written work contains only a few minor
errors, and is mostly easy to
understand.
(0.5 / 0.5) APA Formatting
21. Distinguished - Accurately uses APA formatting consistently
throughout the paper, title page,
and reference page.
(0.5 / 0.5) Page Requirement
Distinguished - The length of the paper is equivalent to the
required number of correctly
formatted pages.
(1.5 / 1.5) Resource Requirement
Distinguished - Uses more than the required number of
scholarly sources, providing compelling
evidence to support ideas. All sources on the reference page are
used and cited correctly
within the body of the assignment.
Overall Score: 8.71 / 10
Running head: WATER AND CONTAMINATION
Water and Contamination
22. Shante' Smith
SCI 207: Our Dependence upon the Environment
Instructor: Clifford Blizard
February 27, 2017
- 1 -
1
1. Shante,
I have recorded screencast
feedback for you. To view the
video, please copy and paste
this link into your browser
window: http://screencast-o-
matic.com/watch/cben3P6TS
L
If the link does not work, clear
your browser cache, including
cookies and search history.
Restart your browser and try
23. again. If that fails, try another
browser (I use Chrome.).
If you have any questions,
please feel free to contact
me.
Clifford [Clifford Blizard]
WATER AND CONTAMINATION 2
Water and Contamination
Introduction
Water is a vital resource for the human life survival as well as
other living beings. The
earth is however not endowed with fresh water sources, and
hence a lot of water purification is
always needed before consumption of the water. Research has
been carried to check on the
contamination levels of water from different sources. According
to Hawkins, (2017), using
bottled water which has more mineral content is safer than the
tap water. This is further backed
by Poland survey which showed that bottled water was preferred
24. based on its taste, odor and
maybe color, and this has constantly led to the rise of the
bottling water ready market (Górski &
Siepak, 2014). The organoleptic has also been evident in
surveys conducted in France. The
research done by …… show that some prefer bottled water for
health-related reasons. Another
reason for consumption of the bottled water would be packaging
and the marketing tools that
entice the potential customers (de Queiroz, Doria, Rosenberg,
Heller, & Zhouri, 2013).
Due to the limited research, available, it is important to do more
lab analysis on the
mineral contents of the Dasani water, Fiji water, and tap water
to determine which is best for
human consumption and what each category lacks (de Queiroz
et al., 2013). This will be used to
create public awareness to individuals demystify on the safety
and health risk on water. This will
lead to the reduction in the cases of drinking contaminated
water that exposes one to diseases
such as typhoid and ingesting of harmful toxins.
The hypothesis being experimented on is whether the bottled
water contains fewer
25. chemicals, if any, that come from the local tap water and should
be healthier. Fiji water is
expected to contain the least number of contaminants because
the water is bottled at the source.
- 2 -
[no notes on this page]
WATER AND CONTAMINATION 3
It is bottled from an artesian aquifer and remains untouched by
man (FijiWater.com). An artesian
aquifer is essentially a well that is in particular geologic layer
that stores water. Following the
Fiji water, the Dasani water will contain more contaminants
than the Fiji water but less than my
local tap water because Dasani is just purified water. Dasani's
purified water is filtered using
reverse osmosis then minerals are added in after the purification
process (Dasani.com). Finally,
the local tap water is expected to contain the greatest number of
contaminants because there is no
purification system in place.
Materials and Methods
26. The experiment requires the sample of Fiji bottled water,
Dasani bottled water and tap
water. To aid in testing the mineral components use the
Ammonia test strips, Chloride test strips,
4 in 1 test strips, Phosphate test strips, and Iron test strips.
Other additional equipment are
beakers, stopwatch, parafilm, and pipettes
Using the Ammonia strips test, insert a strip in each of the
labeled beakers, working on
each beaker at a time, and ensure its fully submerged and move
it up and down the beaker for 30
seconds. Then remove the strip from the water and shake off to
get rid of excess water and hold
the strip pad side up for 30 seconds (Van Hulle & Cristina
Ciocci, 2012). Holding the pads away
from you now compare with that of the color chart table and
collect the results. Carry out the
same procedure for the two samples and record the results.
The chloride test strips are carried out by immersing “the pads”
in the water samples for 1
second and then remove from water and shake off excess water
leaving it for 1 second before
comparing the “pads” to the color chart and record the results.
27. One should repeat the procedure
on the other two samples.
- 3 -
[no notes on this page]
WATER AND CONTAMINATION 4
In the 4 in 1 method, the strips are immersed in the sample
water in a back and forth
movement for 5 seconds. Then remove the strip and shake off
fast before leaving it for 20
seconds. Compare the strips on the color chart to match on
Total Alkalinity, Total Chlorine and
Total Hardness and record results. Finally, repeat the procure
for the other two samples.
The phosphate test is a bit different, and the strip is immersed
in the sample water for 5
seconds and removed from the water. While still soaked in
water, the strip is held horizontally
with the pads on the upside for 45 seconds (Van Hulle &
Cristina Ciocci, 2012). Compare the
test pad on the color chart and record the results. Repeat
procedure for the other two samples of
28. water.
On the iron test strip, the sample water is measured 30ml into a
beaker, and the reducing
powder is added to the beaker and covered with parafilm then
shake the beaker vigorously for
15seconds. Dip iron strips into the beaker in a back and forth
movement for 5 seconds and then
remove iron strips from the beaker and shake off excess water.
Wait for 10 seconds before
comparing the test strips to the color chart and record results
(Van Hulle & Cristina Ciocci,
2012). Repeat the procedure for the other two samples.
The PH test involves measuring 25ml of sample water to a
beaker and the using a pipette
add 5ml of jiffy juice and mix by swirling the beaker and then
compare the color of the water
with that of the Ph chart. Repeat the test on the other two
samples.
Results
Table 1: Test Results
Water Sample Ammonia
Test
Chlorine
29. test
Phosphate Iron pH
Tap Water 0(mg/L) 0(mg/L) 50ppm 0.15ppm 7
Dasani® Bottled Water 0(mg/L) 0(mg/L) 10ppm 0ppm 3
Fiji® Bottled Water 0(mg/L) 0(mg/L) 100ppm 0ppm 6
- 4 -
[no notes on this page]
WATER AND CONTAMINATION 5
Table 2: Test Results
Sample water Total Alkalinity Total Chlorine Total Hardness
Tap Water 0(mg/L) 4.0(mg/L) 50(mg/L)
Dasani® Bottled Water 0(mg/L) 0(mg/L) 0(mg/L)
Fiji® Bottled Water 0(mg/L) 4.0(mg/L 50(mg/L)
According to the experiment carried out, it was established that
all the water sampled i.e.
Fiji, Dasani and tap water did not contain ammonia and
chlorine. The 4 in 1 test shows that there
were no alkalinity levels in all the water samples. However, the
Total Chlorine and Total
hardness were noticed on the Tap water and Fiji water at similar
proportions. The phosphates
30. show greater levels in Fiji water and least on the Dasani Bottled
water. The iron test was only
positive on the tap water. Finally, using the Ph kit, the highest
levels were recorded in the Tap
water and least on the Dasani Bottled water.
Discussion
About the hypothesis drawn, one would reject the hypothesis
because the Fiji Bottled
Water contained the same amount of chlorine and hardness as
the tap water and the bottled
Dasani water contained no hardness or chlorine. Also, the Fiji
Bottled Water had the highest
amount of phosphate present followed by the local tap water
then the Dasani Bottled Water. As
far as the iron test the Dasani water and Fiji water was the same
and my local tap water had .15
ppm of iron present in its water (Górski & Siepak, 2014).
Finally, pH results showed that Dasani
had the least amount of pH present followed by Fiji than the
local tap water. In conclusion, the
Dasani Fiji Bottled Water and my tap water almost the same
number of contaminants.
Surprisingly, the Dasani Bottled Water that is just purified tap
water had the least number of
31. contaminants even with the minerals added in the water after
the purification process (Saylor,
Prokopy, & Amberg, 2011).
- 5 -
[no notes on this page]
WATER AND CONTAMINATION 6
The consumption of water is critical and is affected by many
factors, this research backs
up previous research carried on the same topic, and the results
are much similar. Just like the
study conducted by de Queiroz, Doria, Rosenberg, Heller, &
Zhouri, (2013) that also found
contamination in tap water as compared to bottled water. The
research did not focus on the
different brands of bottled water to check consistency. The
major research carried out shows
drinking too much-chlorinated water may impose the health risk
of bladder cancer there also so
many other long-term downsides in drinking chlorinated water.
The source of the tap water is
quite varied, and hence this may greatly influence the
32. experiments carried out in different
geographical regions
Conclusion
The bottled water is worth the price, but the source of water and
process of purification
should be kept in mind because you may be drinking water that
contains more contaminants than
the local tap water (Hawkins, 2017). In this instance, the Dasani
Bottled Water would be worth
the price to protect one from any health risks. Further research
needs to be carried out by
examining the contamination levels of various brands of bottled
water before being launched in
the market.
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WATER AND CONTAMINATION 7
References
Chemical Quality of Tap Water versus Bottled Water:
Evaluation of Some Heavy Metals and
33. Elements Content of Drinking Water in Dakhlia Governorate -
Egypt. (2010). The
Internet Journal of Nutrition and Wellness, 9(2).
http://dx.doi.org/10.5580/12ef
de Queiroz, J., Doria, M., Rosenberg, M., Heller, L., & Zhouri,
A. (2013). Perceptions of bottled
water consumers in three Brazilian municipalities. Journal of
Water and Health, 11(3),
520. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wh.2013.222
Górski, J. & Siepak, M. (2014). Assessment of metal
concentrations in tap-water – from source
to the tap: a case study from Szczecin, Poland. Geologos, 20(1).
http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/logos-2014-0004
Hawkins, G. (2017). The impacts of bottled water: an analysis
of bottled water markets and their
interactions with tap water provision. Wiley Interdisciplinary
Reviews: Water, e1203.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/wat2.1203
Saylor, A., Prokopy, L., & Amberg, S. (2011). What’s Wrong
with the Tap? Examining
Perceptions of Tap Water and Bottled Water at Purdue
University. Environmental
Management, 48(3), 588-601. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00267-
34. 011-9692-6
Van Hulle, S. & Cristina Ciocci, M. (2012). Statistical
evaluation and comparison of the
chemical quality of bottled water and flemish tap water.
Desalination and Water
Treatment, 40(1-3), 183-193.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19443994.2012.671166
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