Freebie 5: Clean Water Testy Teaser

Clean Water Testing?  What's more fun than checking out your knowledge of BOD5, TSS, pH, and fecal coliform tests?  As you go through, the program will automatically tell you whether you are wrong or right.  

The 40 CFR Part 136 regulations may come in handy, as will approved analytical procedures unless you really know your STUFF!  It will likely require 10 minutes of undisturbed time to complete this exercise.  If you get one or more incorrect, write down the problem number so that you can quickly access the answer at the end of this freebie.

Good luck and challenge your friends and colleagues to take the same teaser test and see who does better. After all: IT'S FREE!!!!!!!

1.  pH is a measure of 
  1. alkalinity
  2. acidity
  3. hydrogen ions
  4. standard units
  5. none of the above
2.  When measuring BOD5, you always:
  1. Add nitrification inhibitor to the dilution water
  2. Add nitrification inhibitor to the seed dilution bottle
  3. Add nitrification inhibitor to the sample dilution bottles
  4. All of the above
  5. None of the above

3.  An accurate seed dilution bottle:

  1. Has between 0.6 to 1.0 mg/l DO depletion after 5 days
  2. Has 1.0 mg/l DO depletion after 5 days
  3. Has 2.0 mg/l DO depletion after 5 days
  4. Has 2.0 mg/l DO depletion after 5 days, but have at least 1.0 mg/l DO remaining
4.  Fecal coliform tests:
  1. Measure the mg of fecal per liter of sample
  2. Measure the # of colonies per liter of sample 
  3. Measure the # of colonies per 100 mls of sample

5.  Fecal coliform tests:

  1. can be averaged arithmetically
  2. must be averaged logarithmically  
  3. must be reported by a range
  4. both a and b are correct
6.  Dechlorination of BOD5 and fecal coliform samples must be accomplished by:
  1. Na2S2O3 for both
  2. NaSO3 for both 
  3. Na2S2O3 for BOD5 and NaSO3 for fecal coliform
  4. Na2S2O3 for fecal coliform and NaSO3 for BOD5
  5. None of the above

7.  The holding time for pH is:

  1. 24 hours
  2. 1 hour 
  3. 15 minutes, except when field samples take more than 15 minutes to transport to the laboratory 
  4. There is no holding time for pH.  pH must be analyzed immediately and 40 CFR Part 136 says that immediately is interpreted as 15 minutes. 
  5. None of the above.
8.  Analytical results for varying BOD5 sample dilutions:
  1. Should always have different analytical results because different sample volumes are used
  2. Should have the same analytical results 
  3. Should be averaged 
  4. a and b above.
  5. a and c above
  6. b and c above

9.  TSS is a measure of :

  1. The visible dirt particles floating on the surface of the sample of wastewater
  2. The dissolved material in the the sample of wastewater 
  3. The solids in suspension in the the sample of wastewater 
  4. a and b above
  5. b and c above
  6. a and c above
  7. None of the above
  1. TSS testing should:
  1. be conducted at temperature around 100C
  2. incorporate the use of a muffle furnace
  3. result in solid captured equaling at least 2.5 mg
  4. All of the above
  5. None of the above