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DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY Marked by

UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN

Date
CEM 2005W
CHEMISTRY PRACTICAL
Mark awarded

EXPERIMENT NO: 8..............................................................................................................

TITLE: HYDRAULIC FRACKING AND GROUND WATER POLLUTION

SURNAME: .................................................................. NAME: ............................................

LOCKER NO: ........................................................................................................................

DATE PERFORMED: ............................................................................................................

DATE HANDED IN: ..............................................................................................................

DECLARATION I know that plagiarism is wrong. Plagiarism is to use another’s work and
pretend that it is one’s own.

I have not allowed, and will not allow, anyone to copy my work with the
intention of passing it off as his or her own work and I acknowledge that
copying someone else’s assignment or essay, or part of it, is wrong, and
declare that this report is my own work.

SIGNED...................................................................................................

CEM2005W EXPERIMENT 8 PRE-PRACTICAL QUESTIONS

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1. Does fracking have an economic benefit? /2

2 Does fracking harm the environment? /3

3 Does the RSC advocate fracking? /2

4 Should South Africa allow fracking in the Karoo? /2

5 What is the allowed level of Ba in drinking water? /1

Mark /10

CEM2005W LABORATORY HAZARD ANALYSIS

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Look up MSDS material safety data sheets for all the chemicals you are using for your experiment. Use the
information found on them to complete the table. Sigma and Merck are good sites to find MSDSs.

Chemical Chemical/physical Hazard/toxicological Action/personal First aid Ecological

characteristics information protection applicable information

Nitric acid

(1%)

Barium

Standard

solution
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Chemical Chemical/physical Hazard/toxicological Action/personal First aid Ecological

characteristics information protection applicable information

Strontium

Standard

solution

/3

FLOW DIAGRAM

Please draw a flow diagram, take a picture on your phone and insert it here.
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Mark /2

AIM:
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METHOD

RESULTS

Table 1: TITLE:

standard Sr conc (ppb) Vol Sr (ml) Ba conc (ppb) Vol Ba (ml)

1 200 20
2 300 40
3 400 60
4 500 80
5 600 100
/5

QUESTION 1

Table 2: TITLE:

Barium Conc Ave

(ppb) Intensity 1 Intensity 2 Intensity 3 Intensity
20
40
60
80
100
/1

Table 3: TITLE:

Strontium Conc Ave

(ppb) Intensity 1 Intensity 2 Intensity 3 Intensity
200
300
400
500
600
/1

Table 4: TITLE:
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Sample Intensity 1 Intensity 2 Intensity 3 Ave Intensity

Karoo
Newlands
Franschoek
Tap water (1)
Tap water (2)
Tap water (3)
Borehole (1)
Borehole (2)
Borehole (3)
/1

Table 5: TITLE:

Sample Intensity 1 Intensity 2 Intensity 3 Ave Intensity

Karoo
Newlands
Franschoek
Tap water (1)
Tap water (2)
Tap water (3)
Borehole (1)
Borehole (2)
Borehole (3)
/1

QUESTION 2

PLOT TITLE:

/5

PLOT TITLE:
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/5

QUESTION 3

Table 6: TITLE:

Barium conc Strontium conc Ba mean and Sr mean and

Sample (ppb) (ppb) std dev std dev

Karoo

Newlands

Franschoek

Tap water (1)

Tap water (2)

Tap water (3)

Borehole (1)

Borehole (2)

Borehole (3)
4.5 4.5 2 2 /13

Calculations:
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QUESTION 4

Comment on Ba concentrations (mention each water and compare) /5

Comment on Sr concentrations (mention each water and compare) /5

QUESTION 5

Comment on Karoo pollution /2

READ the attached newspaper article titled “Spring has no diesel fumes” and answer the additional
questions below:
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Answers
1. Suggest a method and detail how you would analyse a sample of water. /4

2. Acronyms and meaning /3

How does each technique work? /3

Compare the three techniques giving advantages and disadvantages of each (discuss 3) /6
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TITLE:
AAS MP ICP

REFERENCES

TOTAL /75

FINAL MARK /10