BP Oil Spill

The oil spill from BP was caused for many reasons such as, human and machine error. One machine, a blowout preventor, is used to seal leaks that may occur. Due to mistakes the BOP, or blowout preventor was unable to perform its job. An obstruction caused the BOP to not contain the leaks properly.Thus, oil began to leak into the ocean causing an environmental disaster.After the oil spill off the coast of Louisiana, BP is coming up with possible solutions to clean up the mess. A cement dome is being built to contain all of the oil in the ocean, it is a 4 story, 70 ton structure that is going to be lowered over one of the 3 leaks to catch the escaping oil. Other solutions have also been brought to the attention of BP. Humans and machines that perform jobs will now be closely observed and checked for safety and proficiency before executing their work. Companies such as FBR Capital Markets have invested their money and trust into BP and were worried when the oil spill occured. They and other companies may be faced with a loss of money and investments as well as BP. In my opinon, BP could have prevented this oil spill form the beginning. Jobs should be performed slowly and precisely to minimalize mistakes. Corners should also not be cut, to save money.

Water Quality Testing



The Erin Brockovich movie has inspired us to test our own water from different places in our county. In the experiment, a number of pollutants were tested: carbonate, chloride, chromate, iron, lead, phosphate, and sulfate. Two samples of water were taken, one from the drinking water fountain at school and the other from a natural spring in Smithfield. In sample one, the water from the drinking fountain, suprisingly no pollutants were found. In sample two, the spring water, no polllutants were found except small amounts of phosphate and chloride. Phosphate is found in fertilizers, detergents, and wastewater from humans, animals and plants. Chloride is found in rocks and soil. Both the pollutants were typical because the spring water actually comes from the ground which contains rocks, soil, and wastewaters. Although, I didnt think any pollutants were going to be found in anything but the water in the school fountain. The pollution found in the natural spring water was nonpoint water pollution. The pollution did not come from a specific place such as a factory or power plant. In conclusion, although, pollutants were found, the water is still safe for humans to drink.


This picture shows the pollutants tested in sample 2, as you can see some wells are cloudy, these wells showed that the water tested positive for chloride and phosphate.



Movie Review

In the Erin Brockovich movie, PG&E water company used a chemical which contaminated the drinking water of a California town named Hinkley.Two kinds of chromium were used hexavalent and trivalent. Although both chemicals come from chromium, each have a significant difference. Chromium 3 is an essential nutrient for humans and is found in drinking water. If humans do not have enough chromium 3 in their body it can cause heart conditions and diabetes. Chromium 6 however, is a different story, it is very toxic to humans. Chromium 6  is a carcinogenic and increases the risk of gastrointestinal tumors. In conclusion, both these chromiums can effect the human body in a positive and negative way.