Mayank Bansal

XI G
15 August y

Investigatory Project
Chemistry 2022-23

-Aim / objective – To check the bacterial contamination in

drinking water by testing sulphide ion.

-Material required –
1. Hydrogen sulphide ( H2S ) strip
2. Beaker (with heat resistant cap)
3. Water sample
4. Thermometer

Scientific princi-
pal – Clean water is

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 absolutely essential for our survival. However, the water around
us is under constant threat of bacterial contamination.
Sulphide ions are present in water when anaerobic bacteria de-
compose organic matter or reduce sulphates. These are found in
stagnant water. Generally pollutants from paper mills, gas works,
tanneries, sewage works and other chemical plants are responsi-
ble for the growth of such bacteria.
Contaminated water poses a risk of many epidemics. Hence, it
is important to detect these contaminants and remove them.
The H2S test is useful for identifying contaminated water. Presence
of pathogenic bacteria in water can be detected by testing the sul-
phide content of water. The presence of sulphide ions in water is an
indicator of sulphide producing bacteria.

-Sources of bacterial contamination –

1. Human waste – Poor sanitation, manual scavenging and

open defecation are major contributors to contamination of
drinking water. At many places, even ground water my end
up getting contaminated because of close proximity to hu-
man waste.

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 2. Animal waste – Animal waste is another factor for the bacte-
rial contamination of water. Cattle and dogs are the main
sources of animal waste which ends up polluting the water.

3. Flood water – Flood water often contains many bacteria be-

cause it carries debris from many places. Sometimes, the flood
water seeps into the ground and ends up contaminating the
ground water.

-Adverse effects of contaminated water – Bacterial contamination

of drinking water can cause serious health effects. It increases the
risk of diseases such as jaundice, hepatitis, cholera, diarrhea and
other health related consequences. These are not a major cause of
concern for adults but may prove life threatening in children.

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 -Significance of sulphide ions in water – In surface waters, hy-
drogen sulphide is formed under oxygen deficient conditions. It is
produced from the decomposition of sulphur containing organic
compounds. The concentration of sulphide ion becomes signifi-
cant only at pH 10 or above.
Hydrogen sulphide is a weak acid, which ionizes to yield hy-
drosulphide (HS-) and sulphide (S2-) ions. Hydrogen sulphide
is highly toxic to fish. Hydrogen sulphide also reduces the aes-
thetic value of the water body due to foul smell and colour.

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 -Basics of the H2S paper strip test - The H2S test is recom-
mended for testing drinking water derived from surface water,
boreholes, and rain water sources for bacterial contamination.
The reagents used to make the H2S paper strip test are common
laboratory chemicals. By adding a measured amount of “boiled”
water and a common liquid detergent to the reagents, a measured
amount is impregnated on a piece of absorbent paper and dried in
a low-temperature oven.

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 Procedure –
1. Collection of sample – Collect some water (approx. 250 ml)

Fig: The sample turns black.

from a river or other sources and store it in a beaker.

1. Dip the H2S strip in the beaker, and close the cap.

2. Keep it in an incubator (warm place) preferably at a tempera-

ture of 300C – 370C, for about 24 to 36 hours. You may use a
thermometer to keep track of the temperature.

3. Observe for the blackening of the contents and record

the results.

Observations – According to the nature of different sam-

ples, different results were obtained. Some of the results

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 are:

Sou Result
rce
Wa- Sample
ter turns black
from
river
Wa- Sample
ter turns black
from
canal
Wa- Sample does
ter not turn
from black
puri-
fier
Wa- Sample does
ter not turn
from black
sprin
g/
well

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Fig: Results of samples from different sources.
 Well water

River water
Conclusions –
1. The results show that water obtained from some sources such
as purifiers, wells is clean whereas water obtained from rivers
and canals is not clean (i.e. bacterial contamination has been
found).
2. Water from rivers and canals may contain harmful bac-
teria which cause diseases such as diarrhea, cholera etc.
3. Thus, water from rivers and canals must be cleaned and puri-
fied before their use.

-Precautions –
1. All experiments should be performed with clean and
proper apparatus.

2. Sulphides are readily oxidised, therefore care should be taken

at the time of sampling to exclude air by flushing it with nitro-
gen or carbon dioxide.

3. A small volume of cadmium-zinc acetate solution can be

added to the sample to fix the sample after collection.

-Advantages of H2S test –

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 1. This is a simple method, as it needs no sterilisations.

1. This is a low-cost method, and can be done with materials

found locally.

2. Does not require samples to be shipped or stored un-

der refrigeration.

2. Very easy to use in the field as it consists of only a sample

tube.

3. Simple for non-technical people to understand as a clear

color change is observed.

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 Future scope –
1. For monitoring of rural and outer island water supply sys-
tems where it may be difficult to conduct conventional test-
ing due to a lack of appropriate laboratory facilities.
2. For routine monitoring of reticulated systems; i.e. water that
is distributed through a piped system.
3. To determine the cleanliness of water storage tanks, rainwa-
ter cisterns and other household storage containers.
4. As a tool in health and hygiene education to show villagers
how water becomes contaminated and what they can do
about it.
5. To identify sources of pollution entering streams and rivers
by comparing differences in incubation times of samples
collected at regular intervals along the stream or river.

Biliography -

• Science Lab Manual XI

• https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/wa-
ter/contaminants/bacteria.html
• https://extensionpublications.unl.edu/assets/pdf/g1826.pdf
• Istockphotos (images)

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