Environmental Analysis Laboratory Handbook

Anshul Nigam, PhD, has completed his Masters and PhD from IIT Kanpur and IIT Bombay, respectively. He is the recipient of prestigious GATE, DBT and NDF fellowships in India and has eight years of experience in both academia and industry. He is currently associated with Amity University of Maharashtra as senior assistant professor and has received grants from industry for various projects. He has several publications in a variety of topics ranging from drug discovery to bioremediation.
 
Rupal Gupta is a graduate student at Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Mumbai. She received an internship in biotech and environmental start-ups and has presented her work in various national and international conferences.

The most comprehensive and up-to-date volume on environmental analysis available today, this is the standard laboratory reference for any environmental or chemical engineer, chemist, or scientist.
 
Today, environmental issues are a great cause of concern at the global level, and universities and other institutions around the world are involved in research on climate change, deforestation, pollution control, and many other issues. Moreover, environmental science and environmental biotechnology are inherent parts of various courses while some universities provide degrees in these fields. Although the environment perspective of water is discussed time and again in research, academic, and non-academic discussions, there is no book summarizing protocols involved in water quality analysis. The information seems to be sporadically distributed on the internet.
 
Even if available at all, the information does not discuss limits of the protocols or caveats involved. For example, essays on chemical oxygen demand (COD) on the internet mostly do not discuss differences between organic compounds of biological origin and aliphatic/aromatic. The authors have performed nearly all the protocols mentioned in this new volume, and their protocols are discussed in a simplified, easy-to-understand manner. The book has been written after elaborative discussions with and input from faculty and research students to ensure the clarity of the material for use on many levels.
 
Further, the authors have emphasized low-cost methods which involve minimal use of high-end instrumentation keeping in mind limitations faced in developing countries. A valuable reference for engineers, scientists, chemists, and students, this volume is applicable to many different fields, across many different industries, at all levels. It is a must-have for any library.

Preface xxi
 
Acknowledgement xxiii
 
Table of Abbreviations xxv
 
Table of Symbols xxvii
 
List of Figures xxix
 
List of Tables xxxiii
 
List of Chemicals and Respective Molecular Weight xxxv
 
1 Air, Water and Soil: An Environmental Perspective 1
 
1.1 Introduction 1
 
1.2 Air 2
 
1.2.1 Composition of Air 2
 
1.2.2 Air Pollution 3
 
1.2.3 Air Pollutants 3
 
1.2.4 Adverse Effect of Contaminants 5
 
1.3 Water 6
 
1.3.1 Properties of Water Molecule 6
 
1.3.2 Global Significance of Water 8
 
1.3.3 Environmental Monitoring 9
 
1.3.4 Water Quality Assessment in Recycling 10
 
1.3.5 Wastewater Treatment Plant 10
 
1.3.6 Working of Sewage Treatment Plant 11
 
1.4 Soil 12
 
1.4.1 Importance of Soil 13
 
1.4.2 Types of Soil 13
 
1.4.3 Soil Pollution 14
 
1.4.4 Types of Soil Pollution 14
 
1.4.5 Anthropogenic Activities 15
 
1.4.6 Health Effects 16
 
1.4.7 Ecosystem Effects 16
 
1.4.8 Methods to Reduce Soil Pollution 17
 
References 18
 
2 Determination of Physical Properties of Environmental Samples 21
 
2.1 Introduction 21
 
2.2 Determination of Specific Gravity or Density in the Given Water Sample 22
 
2.2.1 Principle 22
 
2.2.2 Material Required 25
 
2.2.3 Procedure for Specific Gravity Measurements Using Pycnometer/Volumetric Flask 26
 
2.2.4 Observation Table 26
 
2.2.4.1 Measurement of Specific Gravity of Water Sample 26
 
2.2.4.2 Readings of Pycnometer 26
 
2.2.5 Calculations 27
 
2.2.6 Results 27
 
2.2.7 Notes 27
 
2.3 Determination of Turbidity of Given Water Sample 28
 
2.3.1 Principle 28
 
2.3.2 Nephelometric Method 28
 
2.3.3 Material Required 29
 
2.3.4 Procedure 30
 
2.3.5 Standard Curve 30
 
2.3.6 Calculation 31
 
2.3.7 Note 31
 
2.4 Determination of Total Suspended Solids 31
 
2.4.1 Principle 31
 
2.4.2 Material Required 32
 
2.4.3 Procedure 32
 
2.4.4 Observation 33
 
2.4.5 Observation Table 33
 
2.4.6 Calculation 34
 
2.4.7 Results 34
 
2.4.8 Notes 34
 
2.5 Determination of Total Dissolved Solids 34
 
2.5.1 Principle 34
 
2.5.2 Material Required 35
 
2.5.3 Procedure 36
 
2.5.4 Observations Table 36
 
2.5.5 Calculation 36
 
2.5.6 Result 36
 
2.5.7 Notes 37
 
2.6 Determination of the Moisture Content of Soil 37
 
2.6.1 Principle 37
 
2.6.2 Material Required 37
 
2.6.3 Procedure 38
 
2.6.4 Observation 38
 
2.6.5 Calculations 38
 
2.6.6 Result 38
 
2.7 Determination of pH Using Universal Indicator 39
 
2.7.1 Principle 39
 
2.7.2 pH of Natural Water Bodies 40
 
2.7.3 Effects of pH Variation on Aquatic Life 40
 
2.7.4 Universal Indicator 40
 
2.7.5 Dyes 40
 
2.7.5.1 Methyl Orange 40
 
2.7.5.2 Methyl Red 41
 
2.7.5.3 Bromothymol Blue 41
 
2.7.5.4 Phenolphthalein 42
 
2.7.6 Material Required 43
 
2.7.7 Reagents Preparations 43
 
2.7.8 Procedure 43
 
2.7.9 Observations 43
 
2.7.10 Results 44
 
2.7.11 Notes 44
 
2.8 pH Determination by Using pH Meter 45
 
2.8.1 Principle 45
 
2.8.2 Material Required 47
 
2.8.3 Reagent Preparation 47
 
2.8.4 Procedures 48
 
2.8.5 Result 48
 
2.8.6