NOTE O N THE AC'l'IOK O F KATERS UPON LEAD PIPE.
B r E. WALLEH,P11.L).
_Abont nine niontlis ago, a couple of samples of water were sent to me from the mountain region of Kentucky. They were stated to be from creeks in tliat region, and the intention was to utilize oiie or hotli of them for domestic purposes. The results of the analysis were as follows i n parts per 100,000 : I. 11. Appearance: Faintly turbid, brownish.
Odor when heated to 100" F . _ _..-. _ -none. _ Chlorine in cliloridea- - - - ..- . . . . - - - - -0.0311 l'liosphates al:d nitrates-. - .. ... - - - . - - -none. Eitroguii in nitrates- - - .- - - - ..- - - - -0.0165 Free ammonia. - - - - . - .- ..- .- .. . - -0.0004 Albuminoid ;immonia - - - - .-.- - .- - - - - - 0.0046 Hardness temporary- - - ..- - .- - - - .- - .- - 0.950 r i permanent - - - .- - - - - - - - ..- - - 1.40 Organic and volstile (loss on ignitiot1).-1.300 ~
__
'I'otnl solids _ _ _ - ._ . . ._ _ _..- ._ . 3.400 --
I. Salts.
none. 0.0560 none. 0.0247 trace. 0.0016 0.7'50
1.300 1.400 ?.n00
11. Salts.
0.092 KaCl - - - - - - - - - - - - .- .- - ... .. - - .- - - - - .0.051 K, SO, _ _ _ _ . _ _ . _ . __ _ __ _ . __ _. _ __ _ _ 0.284 . _ _ 0.263 0.093 Ka2 SO, .... _ . _ _ _ _ . .. __ ._ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ 0.151 0.015 Ka, CO, - . - _ . . _ . _ ._ __ .. _ _ _ __ _ _ _ ---0.035 _ 0.404 Ca GO,. - . - .. _ _ _ _ . .. _ - ._ _ . _ _ _ _ - - -0.556 0.846 - - - .. .- - . - ....- .- .- - - .- -0.501 Mg co, 0.150 Fe, 0 , and Al, 0 , . - - .- - - .- - _ _ - - - . - - .-0.107 0.957 Si 0, _ . _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ . _ ._ __ _ _ _ . _ __ _ _ _ _ 0.912 _ _ . 0.548 Orgiinic (by difference). - - .~. - - - - - - - - - -0.800 ~
~
~
~
-
1otal
r 1
.
--- - --
. .. .
- - . . . .. - :3*400
--
2.900
NOTE ON THE ACTION OF WATERS UPON LEAD PIPE.
177
The resulte, as may be perceived, &re sucli as to allay any suspicious of organic pollution, indeed the accounts given me of the surroundings were such as would lead to a conclusion as to their safety in that regard, irrespective of the analysis. Since, however, the water was to be used in several houses, in dome or all of which leaden pipes might be used as service pipes, I made, as I frequently do, a test as to the action of these waters upon lend. Pieces of ordinary lead pipe which had been used for service pipe were filed and scraped perfectly bright and clean, and then placed in stoppered bottles, each having a capacity of about 300 c. c. The bottles were then filled with the waters and labelled. As a comparison test, B piece of the lead pipe, cleaned in the same manner, was placed in a bottle, and Croton water run in in the same way. All three bottles were thus stoppered and set aside. After standing for about 20 hours, all three bottles showed a slight separation of white granular material which was proved by tests to contain lead. The bright surface of the pieces of lead pipe, had also become dull, indicating some action. The waters, however, on filterihg showed no decided reaction for lead in solution. The action of the Croton water was appriciably less than either of the others. T h e water and sediment was poured off, and after two or three rinsings with fresh lots of the respective samples to remove d l perceptible sediment, fresh portions of the waters were run in upon the lead, and they were again p u t by, as before, a t the ordiuary temperature of the laboratory, for 24 hours, At the end of that time practically no sepamtion of lead scales had occurred with theCroton water, a little had shown itself with No. I. a n d much more with No. 11. The operation of rinsing off and refilling with water was repeated and a t the end of the next 24 hours, the Croton water showed no sediment, No. I. showed hardly any, while No. 11. showed about the same amount as before. They were then allowed to stand, without further changing of the water, and they have been allowed to stand thus ever since. The results I have brought to show you as they may be interesting. The lead in the Croton water has become blacker with time, and had developed in one or two spots, some white crusts which seem to be moderately hard, and firmly adherent. Practically no sediment has formed. In the No. I. water tho lead has B more
176
KOTE: O N T H E ACTION OF WATER:,
U P O N LEAL) I J I I J E .
whitish nppearance, and some particles of the lead compound hrtve become detached forming some sediment. But, in the c:tse of S o . 11. the scales, of white lead compouiid appear to have bec,onie detached almost as fast as formed, m d the action seems to be going on indefinitely, for, as may be seen, it nearly conceiils the piece of lead, being nearly half a n inch in depth, and hits when shrtkeii t h e pearly crystalline appearance such as are often obtained by ponring solutions of bismuth salts into a large bulk of water. IYhatever may be the impnrities in the lead, the pieces must be very nearly of the same character i n itll, for they were cut from the same piece of pipe. T h e action appeared to be quite rapid ttt first, and has become slower as time has gone on, but for a long time the increase in the amount of separated lead salt was quite perceptible from week to week, and even now can be perceived by inspection at longer intervals. T’lie action corresponds almost exactly to the description given by Professor Frederick Penny of the action of T ~ o ~Katrine li water upon lead ix opeti vesseZs. Water No. I. ill the closed bottle acts i n very riiuch the game manner as t h e Locli Kiitririe water in closed vessels, described by Professor Penny. * T h e annlysis of the Loch Katrine water given in his report, shows itbout the same proportion of solids, though the salts are different i i i their respective amounts. His figures are given i n grains per gallon, presumably the imperial gallon of ’70,000 grains. 0 1 1 that assumption, 1 have calculated the proportions per 100,000, for cornpiirisoil with the figures already given. L o c H KATKISE \ V 2 i m H . (Analysis by Prof. Penny). “(:r, ,iins ’ per gallon.’’ €’arts per 100,000.
1.255 Organic matter.. - .- - - .- - .. . . -0.900 0.544 Ca SO, - - . .. . - - - . . . . - - - - .(?.:IS1 - - - - - - . ... - - 0 . 144 0.206 Ca C1,. - .- .- ~. O.Gl9 Alkaline c1iloride~-- - - .- - - - .- .0.433 0.309 3fg co, _ _ _ _ . . - ._ _ .-_ .._ _ _ _ -0.21fi 0. “43 Si 0, itnd phospliate~- - - - - - - .-0.170 Fe, 0, _ . . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _traces _ . . . . . . _ . _ traces ~
--
Total
2.844
--
3. ?O(j
Hardness, 0.8”
___
__-__ +Reports and o inions on the use of lead pipe for service pipe. J. P. Kirkwood, New gork, 1859. Page 212. ~
