Environmental Geology & Hazard Waste Management (Lab)

Lab 1
Submitted by: Muhammad Attique
(2017-GE-5)
Submitted to: Sadia Ismail
(Assistant Professor)

Geological Engineering Department

University of Engineering & Technology, Lahore

2017-GE-5
 Lab.01
Statement
To feminize with laboratory equipment and lab configurations
Objective
To know about the principles of all laboratory equipment with their applications.
Introduction
Environmental geology is the branch of geology that is concerned with the interactions between
humans and the geologic environment. Environmental geology is essentially a way of applying
geologic knowledge to identify, remediate, and hopefully prevent, environmental problems from
occurring as a result of people. Environmental geologists can also attempt to protect people from
environmental factors beyond their control (like suggesting that they not build a home in an active
flood plain). Environmental geology as a field is just as broadly reaching and interesting as geology
is, with many potential phenomena and human-Earth interactions to research.
Waste management refers to the various schemes to manage and dispose of wastes. It can be by
discarding, destroying, processing, recycling, reusing, or controlling wastes. The prime objective of
waste management is to reduce the number of unusable materials and to avert potential health and
environmental hazards. he collected wastes are disposed of by various methods, e.g., by landfill
compaction and incineration. Solid wastes, most especially, are incinerated to reduce their volume by
80 to 95%, and to convert them into gas, steam, ash, and heat. Thus, other means are encouraged, such
as recycling, reprocessing, and re-use. Organic wastes, especially those that are biodegradable, can be
decomposed so that they can be used as mulch or compost in agriculture and the methane gas from the
biological degradation be collected and used for generating electricity and heat.
The main objective of the lab to feminize with basics different equipment associated with
environmental geology to improve the mankind life by solving environmental problems. The following
equipment are enlisted with their details.
1. Oven
2. Autoclave
3. pH Meter
4. Turbidity Meter
5. Conductivity Meter
6. TDS Meter
7. Photometer
8. Hotplate
9. Paqualab
Equipment
Oven
Laboratory ovens, also referred to as laboratory furnaces, are used to sterilize biohazard waste,
dissecting instruments or media/reagents for aseptic assays. They are also used for drying, heating,
testing environmental stresses, such as changes in temperature, light and humidity.

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 Figure 1 Oven

The working principle is based on fine gravity air convection in an electrically heated chamber. The
machine is equipped with various components to ensure the uniform heating throughout the chamber,
allows the machine to work efficiently and return to normal temperature when the test process is over.
Autoclave
Autoclave was invented by Charles Chamberland in 1879, although a precursor known as the steam
digester was created by Denis Papin in 1679. The name comes from Greek auto-, ultimately meaning
self, and Latin clavis meaning key, thus a self-locking device. Autoclave is a machine used to carry
out industrial and scientific processes requiring elevated temperature and pressure in relation
to ambient pressure/temperature. Autoclaves are used in medical applications to
perform sterilization and in the chemical industry to cure coatings and vulcanize rubber and
for hydrothermal synthesis. Industrial autoclaves are used in industrial applications, especially in the
manufacturing of composites.

Figure 2 Autoclave

The autoclave works on the principle of moist heat sterilization where steam under pressure is used to
sterilize the material present inside the chamber. When this steam comes in contact on the surface, it
kills the microbes by giving off latent heat. The condensed liquid ensures the moist killing of the
microbes.

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pH Meter
In chemistry, pH (denoting 'potential of hydrogen' or 'power of hydrogen’) is a scale used to specify
the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution. A pH meter is a scientific instrument that measures the
hydrogen-ion activity in water-based solutions, indicating its acidity or alkalinity expressed as pH.

Figure 3 pH Meter

The overall working principle of pH sensor and pH meter depends upon the exchange of ions from
sample solution to the inner solution (pH 7 buffer) of glass electrode through the glass membrane. The
porosity of the glass membrane decreases with the continuous use that decreases the performance of
the probe. pH Meter has few key components namely Measuring Electrode, Reference Electrode,
Temperature Sensor and the Sample Solution being measured.
Turbidity Meter
Turbidity is an optical property of water based on the amount of light scattered and absorbed by
colloidal and suspended particles. The turbidity value measured in FNU, FTU, NTU etc. is the
quantitative statement of this qualitative phenomenon.

Figure 4 Turbidity Meter

The working principle of turbidity meter based on backscatter principle. Particles in the media reflect
the irradiated light which is detected by the receiver diode. The electronics calculate the
relative turbidity of the media according to the received signal. The turbidity value measured in FNU,
FTU, NTU etc. is the quantitative statement of this qualitative phenomenon.

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Conductivity Meter
A conductivity meter measures the amount of electrical current or conductance in a solution.
Conductivity is useful in determining the overall health of a natural water body. It is also a way to
measure changes in wastewater procedures at water treatment plants.

Figure 5 Conductivity Meter

The meter is equipped with a probe, usually handheld, for field or on-site measurements. After the
probe is placed in the liquid to be measured, the meter applies voltage between two electrodes inside
the probe. Electrical resistance from the solution causes a drop in voltage, which is read by the meter.
The meter converts this reading to milli- or micromhos or milli- or micro-Siemens per centimeter. This
value indicates the total dissolved solids. Total dissolved solids are the number of solids that can pass
through a glass-fiber filter.
TDS Meter
Total dissolved solids are a measure of the dissolved combined content of all inorganic and organic
substances present in a liquid in molecular, ionized, or micro-granular suspended form. TDS
concentrations are often reported in parts per million by mean of TDS Meter. A TDS meter is a small
hand-held device used to indicate the Total Dissolved Solids in a solution, usually water. Since
dissolved ionized solids, such as salts and minerals, increase the conductivity of a solution, a TDS
meter measures the conductivity of the solution and estimates the TDS from that reading.

Figure 6 TDS Meter

TDS meter is basically an electrical charge (EC) meter whereby two electrodes equally spaced apart
are inserted into water and used to measure charge. The result is interpreted by the TDS meter and

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converted into a ppm figure. If water contains no soluble materials and is pure, it will not conduct a
charge and will therefore have a 0-ppm figure. If the water is full of dissolved materials, it will conduct
a charge, with the resulting ppm figure being proportional to the number of dissolved solids.
Photometer
A photometer is an instrument that measures the strength of electromagnetic radiation in the range
from ultraviolet to infrared and including the visible spectrum. Photometers convert light into an
electric current using a photoresistor, photodiode, or photomultiplier.

Figure 7 Photometer

The working principle of photometer base on the spectral distribution of light. Most photometers detect
the light with photoresistors, photodiodes or photomultipliers. To analyze the light, the photometer
may measure the light after it has passed through a filter or through a monochromator for
determination at defined wavelengths or for analysis of the spectral distribution of the light.

Hot Plate
Hot plates are generally used to heat glassware or its contents. Some hot plates also contain a magnetic
stirrer, allowing the heated liquid to be stirred automatically. This not only reduces the temperature of
the glass, but it slows down the rate of heat exchange and encourages even heating.

Figure 8 Hot Plate

Working principle of hotplate is very simple, is the basic electric effect. Electric work, the current
through the electric alloy wire, electric heating wire will heat, the electrical energy into heat, and

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conduction to the outer shell. The electric plate is designed with insulating material to ensure that the
current when the electric alloy wire is working does not cause the user to have hidden trouble.
Paqualab
The Paqualab is a portable testing system for the key drinking water quality parameters. The Paqualab
allows the laboratory to be carried to water so that accurate results are obtained sooner even in remote
areas. The equipment provided in each Paqualab has been specifically designed for field use.
Aluminum replaces glass for many components for improved strength and lighter weight. The
incubators have 2 pre-set temperatures that are usually set to 370C and 440C.

Figure 9 Paqualab

References
1. Prasanna, M. V., Chidambaram, S., Gireesh, T. V., & Ali, T. J. (2011). A study on
hydrochemical characteristics of surface and sub-surface water in and around Perumal Lake,
Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu, South India. Environmental Earth Sciences, 63(1), 31-47.
2. Tonini, D., Albizzati, P. F., & Astrup, T. F. (2018). Environmental impacts of food waste:
Learnings and challenges from a case study on UK. Waste Management, 76, 744-766.
3. Ananthanarayan, R; Paniker, C. J. (2006). Textbook of Microbiology (7th ed.). India: Orient
Blackswan. pp. 2, 25–26. ISBN 978-8125028086.
4. Riddle, Peter (2013). "pH meters and their electrodes: calibration, maintenance and use".The
Biomedical Scientist. April: 202–205
5. Washington Department of Ecology. Olympia, Washington."Water Quality Standards for
Surface Waters of the State of Washington." Washington Administrative Code (WAC).Chapter
173-201A. November 18, 1997.
6. Hogan, C. Michael; Patmore, Leda C.; Seidman, Harry (August 1973). "Statistical Prediction
of Dynamic Thermal Equilibrium Temperatures using Standard Meteorological Data Bases".
EPA. Retrieved 2016-02-15. Environmental Protection Technology Series. Document No.
EPA-660/2-73-003.
7. Draper, John William (1861). A textbook on chemistry. NY: Harper and Brothers. p. 78.
8. Bekele, Meseret & Ulsido, Mihret & Tadele, Demisachew. (2018). Assessment of Physico-
Chemical and Bacteriological Quality of Drinking Water at the Source, Storage, Point-of-Use,
Dry and Wet Season in Damot Sore Woreda, Southern Regional State, Ethiopia.

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