SuchSmallHands
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Nov 13, 2012
- Messages
- 1,391
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- Female
- HSC
- 2014
- AAS is useful in determining heavy metal pollution in waterways. It is highly sensitive and can give results in ppb. This sensitivity is important in determining concentrations of heavy metals such as mercury, among the most bioconcentrated and xenobiotic trace metals that pollutes waterways. As mercury is bioconcentrated, even relatively small amounts of it present in water can signal relatively high concentrations of the metal in aquatic organisms which may be biomagnified as the fish is consumed by predators including humans. Where mercury concentrations exceed safe levels, anthropogenic sources of the trace metal (mining, smelting and refining of metals and cement manufacturing, for example) may require more stringent limitations to lower the concentration in nearby waterways. Thus, the sensitivity of AAS renders it highly effective for monitoring trace metal pollution which may require control, as the concentrations of these metals are generally very low.What is there to say about this DP? :/
• Gather, process and present information to interpret secondary data from AAS measurements and evaluate the effectiveness of this in pollution control
- AAS is, by contrast, not an effective way of testing for non-metallic pollution. Organic waste cannot be detected by AAS, and the presence of anions, such as chloride, also cannot be detected using AAS. Thus, AAS is limited in its effectiveness in identifying a range of pollutants in our waterways.
I'm hoping specifically referencing mercury and the response made when the concentration is high classes as 'interpreting secondary data', but I'd say that in an exam a question like that would just give you a table/graph of AAS results that you can interpret, and then they'd ask you to answer the second part of that dot point with something similar to what I just wrote