A discussion of water pollution in the United States and Mexico; with high school laboratory activities for analysis of lead, atrazine, and nitrate

Water pollution has its roots in our desire to meet the agricultural, energy, and commercial needs of an ever-growing world population. The causes of water pollution are as diverse as the countries that struggle with it. It is as deeply rooted in economic and social conditions as it is in chemical interactions. In the first part of this paper we present an overview of water pollution in the United States and Mexico, including sources, federal regulations and standards, and standard methods of analysis for overall water quality The second part of the paper focuses on three water pollutants-lead, atrazine, and nitrate-chosen as representative examples of heavy metals, organic herbicides and inorganic pollutants. In addition to a background discussion of each substance and analysis methods for it, we describe related laboratory activities that are suitable for the high school audience.