(MUSIC)
JOAN CARTAN-HANSEN: HI, I'M
JOAN CARTAN HANSEN.
AND WELCOME TO SCIENCE TREK
THE WEB SHOW.
AND WELCOME TO THE BOISE
WATERSHED ENVIRONMENTAL
EDUCATION CENTER.
HERE YOU CAN LEARN HOW TO
CONSERVE AND PROTECT THE
WATER.
AND JOINING ME NOW TO ANSWER
YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT WATER ARE
JAN BOLL AND SARAH GODSEY.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE.
SARAH GODSEY: THANKS VERY
MUCH.
JAN BOLL: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
HANSEN: OKAY LET'S GO TO YOUR
QUESTIONS.
(MUSIC) ALYSSA: HI, MY NAME IS
ALYSSA AND I GO TO ADAMS
ELEMENTARY.
WHY IS MY DRINKING WATER
CLOUDY?
GODSEY: SO IT MAY BE THAT YOUR
DRINKING WATER IS CLOUDY
BECAUSE YOU HAVE A LITTLE
FILTER ON THE END OF YOUR
FAUCET THAT IS USED TO ADD AIR
TO YOUR WATER AND SLOW DOWN
THE FLOW A LITTLE BIT, AND
THOSE AIR BUBBLES THAT ARE
ADDED TO YOUR, TO YOUR WATER
IN THAT PROCESS CAN SOMETIMES
MAKE IT LOOK REALLY CLOUDY,
BUT IF YOU LET IT SIT FOR A
LITTLE WHILE THEN THE AIR WILL
COME OUT AND THE BUBBLES WILL
COME TO THE SURFACE AND IT
WON'T LOOK CLOUDY ANYMORE.
ON THE OTHER HAND, YOU MAY
HAVE OTHER CONSTITUENTS THAT
ARE IN YOUR WATER, OTHER
CHEMICALS THAT MIGHT MAKE IT
LOOK CLOUDY, AND THAT MIGHT BE
BECAUSE YOU HAVE RELATIVELY
HARD WATER, OR THAT THERE MAY
BE OTHER CHEMICALS THAT ARE IN
YOUR WATER.
SO IT MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA TO
ASK YOUR PARENTS WHAT, WHAT
THEY THINK IS IN THE WATER.
OR TO LOOK AT THE REPORT THAT
YOU CAN GET, IF YOU'RE ON CITY
WATER, OR IF YOU HAVE YOUR
WATER TESTED, YOU CAN LOOK AT
YOUR REPORT AND SEE WHAT IT IS
THAT'S IN YOUR WATER THAT
MIGHT MAKE IT LOOK CLOUDY.
ELLA: HELLO, MY NAME IS ELLA
AND I AM FROM BASIN
ELEMENTARY.
MY QUESTION IS HOW DOES WATER
POLLUTION AFFECT HUMANS?
BOLL: ALL RIGHT SO WATER
POLLUTION, AGAIN, IS A VERY
BROAD TERM.
I WOULD THINK THAT IF YOU ARE
INHALING WATER, WHICH IS THE
ONE WAY THAT YOU CAN BE
AFFECTED BY IT, YOU DON'T WANT
FOREIGN SUBSTANCES IN YOUR
BODY.
AND FOREIGN SUBSTANCES COULD
BE CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS, BUT
IT CAN ALSO BE BIOLOGICAL
CONSTITUENTS.
ONE SIMPLE EXAMPLE IS A SMALL
PATHOGEN THAT IS CALLED
CRYPTOSPORIDIUM OR ANOTHER ONE
IS LIKELY SMALLER GIARDIA.
IF WE GET THOSE IN OUR SYSTEM,
WE ARE GETTING, YOU KNOW, AN
UPSET STOMACH TO CALL IT
LIGHTLY AND THOSE ARE REALLY,
REALLY NOT FUN FOR US.
BUT IF WE ARE HEALTHY PEOPLE,
IN THOSE CASES WE MIGHT HAVE A
LITTLE TROUBLE WITH OUR STOOL,
BUT IF WE ARE COMPROMISED
PEOPLE MAYBE THE CANCER
PATIENTS OR WE HAVE OTHER
DISEASES, THEN IT MIGHT
ACTUALLY KILL US.
AND SO THOSE ARE REALLY SCARY
ONES.
CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS CAN
CAUSE PROBLEMS, BUT THEY DO IT
TYPICALLY ON THE LONGER TERM,
SO WE MIGHT NOT IMMEDIATELY
NOTICE THAT WE HAD A PROBLEM
IN, IN SOME OF THE FOOD OR THE
DRINK THAT WE, WE TOOK IN.
BUT, AND STUDIES DON'T HAVE
CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE AS TO WHEN
THIS HAPPENS, SOME PEOPLE ARE
MORE SENSITIVE TO IT THAN
OTHERS.
NOW OTHER WAYS THAT WATER CAN
HURT US IT THROUGH OUR SKIN,
SO SOME PEOPLE HAVE VERY
SENSITIVE SKIN TO CONSTITUENTS
IN THE WATER AND THEN IT'S ON
A PERSON BY PERSON BASIS AS TO
WHEN THAT STARTS HITTING US.
NOAH: HELLO MY NAME IS NOAH
AND I GO TO ADAMS ELEMENTARY.
MY QUESTION IS WHERE DOES
WASTE WATER GO?
GODSEY: SO IT REALLY DEPENDS
ON WHERE YOU LIVE.
IF YOU LIVE IN A CITY WITH A
SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT, THEN
YOUR WATER WILL GO INTO THE
SEWAGE SYSTEM AND THEN MAKE IT
TOWARDS THE WASTEWATER
TREATMENT PLANT AND BE TREATED
THERE SO THAT IT CAN REMOVE
PATHOGENS AND THINGS THAT CAN
CAUSE PROBLEMS FOR THOSE WHO
ARE DOWNSTREAM OF YOU.
IF YOU LIVE IN A PLACE WHERE
YOU HAVE A SEPTIC SYSTEM, THEN
YOUR WATER WILL GO DOWN INTO
YOUR SEPTIC SYSTEM AND SLOWLY
FILTER THROUGH THAT SEPTIC
SYSTEM IN ORDER TO TRANSFER
THE, OR TRANSFORM THE
MATERIALS THAT ARE COMING OUT
THROUGH YOUR WASTE INTO A FORM
THAT'S LESS, LESS TOXIC TO
OTHER THINGS THAT ARE
DOWNSTREAM OF YOU.
SO, THERE ARE A FEW PLACES
ACROSS THE WORLD THAT DON'T
HAVE ANY WATER TREATMENT AT
ALL, AND SO, IN THAT CASE,
WHEN THERE'S WASTE IT JUST
GOES INTO THE RIVER OR INTO
THE WATER BODY OR INTO THE
GROUND DEPENDING ON, ON WHERE
YOU, WHERE YOU'RE AT.
KAYLYNN: HI MY NAME IS KAYLYNN
AND I AM FROM BASIN
ELEMENTARY.
MY QUESTION TODAY IS WHY IS
WATER GOOD FOR HUMANS?
BOLL: WATER IS GOOD FOR HUMANS
AS IT IS GOOD FOR PLANTS.
WE RELY ON WATER TO DO A LOT
OF FUNCTIONS, BODILY FUNCTIONS
THAT ARE GOING TO KEEP US
GOING AND WE SHOULD, WE CAN
LOOK AT A PLANT AS AN EXAMPLE
AS TO WHEN, IF WE DON'T GIVE
IT ANYMORE WATER IT'S GOING TO
LOOK VERY UNHAPPY.
WELL, INSIDE OUR BODIES IS A
SIMILAR SITUATION.
AND I'LL GIVE YOU ONE EXAMPLE,
ONE FUNCTION OF WATER IN OUR
BODIES IS TO CARRY AWAY OUR
WASTE, YOU MIGHT UNDERSTAND
THAT WHEN YOU GO TO THE
BATHROOM.
WELL THAT IS AN IMPORTANT
FUNCTION, IF WE STOPPED
INHALING WATER, OUR WASTE
CANNOT BE CARRIED AWAY AND OUR
BODIES GET KIND OF TOXIC AND
WE GET SICK.
MILEY: HI MY NAME IS MILEY AND
I GO TO ADAMS ELEMENTARY.
MY QUESTION IS WHAT IS
ARTESIAN WELL WATER?
GODSEY: THE SPECIFIC WORD
ARTESIAN REFERS TO WATER THAT
COMES TO THE SURFACE OF THE
EARTH WITHOUT US HAVING TO PUT
IN THE EFFORT TO PUT IN A
PUMP.
AND SO, WHAT THAT MEANS IS
THAT THERE'S GOT TO BE ENOUGH
PRESSURE IN THAT WATER SYSTEM,
UNDERGROUND TO SEND THE WATER
ALL THE WAY UP TO THE SURFACE,
OR EVEN ABOVE THE SURFACE OF
THE EARTH.
AND THAT CAN HAPPEN IN SOME
PLACES IF THE AREA THAT'S
RECHARGING OUR GROUNDWATER
SYSTEM IS PRETTY HIGH UP ON A
MOUNTAIN, SO THAT THERE'S A
LOT OF ENERGY THAT CAN HELP TO
DRIVE THAT PRESSURE UP AND
BRING THE WATER UP TO THE
SURFACE.
(MUSIC) HANSEN: AVERY WOULD
LIKE TO KNOW, "IS SALT WATER
HARMFUL TO PLANTS?"
BOLL: SO THE WATER THAT WE SEE
GOING INTO THE PLANTS GOES
INTO THE CELLS OF THE PLANTS.
AND THESE CELLS HAVE A CERTAIN
AMOUNT OF SALT IN THEM TO BE
ABLE TO FUNCTION, RIGHT?
WE HAVE SALT IN OUR SYSTEM, IN
OUR HUMAN BODIES TOO.
IF YOU PUT A LOT OF SALT
INSIDE THE PLANT EVENTUALLY
YOU GET A DIFFERENCE IN
CONCENTRATION IN THE CELLS AND
WHAT'S OUTSIDE THE CELLS.
AND AT THAT POINT, THE CELLS
ARE GOING TO CONTINUE AND
CONTINUE TO ABSORB MORE AND
MORE WATER BECAUSE THEY WANT
TO BALANCE IT WELL.
OKAY, IF TOO MUCH WATER GOES
INTO THOSE CELLS YOU GET A
SITUATION CALLED TURGOR AND IT
ACTUALLY EXPLODES THE CELLS.
SO IT'S NOT A GOOD IDEA FOR
THAT TO HAPPEN.
NATALIE: HELLO MY NAME IS
NATALIE AND I'M FROM BASIN
ELEMENTARY.
MY QUESTION TODAY IS HOW LONG
DOES IT TAKE TO PURIFY WATER?
GODSEY: IT TAKES A DIFFERENT
AMOUNT OF TIME DEPENDING UPON
HOW DIRTY THE WATER IS TO
BEGIN WITH.
SO IF WE START OUT WITH REALLY
CLEAN WATER THEN IT WON'T TAKE
MUCH EFFORT AT ALL.
ON THE OTHER HAND IF WE HAVE
REALLY, REALLY POLLUTED WATER
WHERE THE AMOUNT OF MATERIAL
THAT'S IN THE WATER THAT MAKES
IT, THAT MAKES IT UNSAFE FOR
US IS VERY HIGH THEN IT'LL
TAKE A LOT LONGER.
IT DEPENDS A LOT; THE AMOUNT
OF TIME IT REALLY TAKES TO
CLEAN UP WATER DEPENDS A LOT
ON THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF
TECHNIQUES THAT WE COULD USE.
SO SOMETIMES WE FILTER IT, AND
THEN IT JUST DEPENDS ON HOW
QUICKLY IT MOVES THROUGH THAT
FILTER.
OTHER TIMES WE MIGHT TRY TO
ACTUALLY DISTILL IT, IN OTHER
WORDS, HEAT IT UP AND TURN IT
COMPLETELY INTO THE VAPOR
PHASE AND THEN ALLOW THAT
VAPOR THEN TO COOL DOWN AND
REFORM AS LIQUID WATER; AND
THAT CAN TAKE LONGER DEPENDING
ON HOW MUCH ENERGY WE HAVE
AVAILABLE TO ACTUALLY CLEAN UP
OUR WATER.
LUKE: HELLO MY NAME IS LUKE
HARSH, I GO TO ADAMS
ELEMENTARY, AND MY QUESTION IS
DOES COLD WATER OR HOT WATER
BOIL FASTER?
BOLL: SO LETS START WITH WATER
AT A RELATIVELY LOW
TEMPERATURE; WE NEED TO ADD
ENERGY TO IT TO MAKE IT REACH
THE BOILING TEMPERATURE,
RIGHT.
SO IF WE ALREADY HAVE WATER
THAT'S HOT, THEN WE SHOULD
REALLY HAVE TO ADD LESS ENERGY
TO THAT WATER THAN TO THE COLD
WATER TO REACH THE SAME
TEMPERATURE.
SO YEAH THE COLD WATER WOULD
NEED A LOT MORE ENERGY ADDED
TO MAKE IT BOIL.
HANSEN: I'M SORRY WE'VE RUN
OUT OF TIME.
MY THANKS TO JAN AND SARAH FOR
ANSWERING TODAY'S QUESTIONS.
BOLL: THANK YOU IT WAS A
PLEASURE.
GODSEY: THANKS VERY MUCH.
HANSEN: MY THANKS ALSO TO THE
FOLKS HERE AT THE BOISE
WATERSHED ENVIRONMENTAL
EDUCATION CENTER FOR HOSTING
US.
IF WE YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE
ABOUT THIS TOPIC, CHECK OUT
THE WATER AREA ON THE SCIENCE
TREK WEBSITE, YOU'LL FIND
FACTS, LINKS, GAMES, OUR WATER
BROADCAST SHOW AND LOTS MORE.
AND EVERY WEEK, CHECK OUT MY
BLOG FOR THE LATEST SCIENCE
NEWS FOR KIDS.
YOU'LL FIND IT ALL, AT
IDAHOPTV.ORG.
THANKS FOR JOINING US FOR
SCIENCE TREK THE WEB SHOW.
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