Student Research Reports
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Is Bottled Water Really Healthy or Does it Raise Human Blood Pressure?
Organization(s):Thirkell Elementary-Middle School
Country:United States of America
Student(s):Za'Niya Currie
Grade Level:Upper Primary (grades 3-5, ages 8-11)
GLOBE Educator(s):Connie Atkisson
Contributors:
Report Type(s):International Virtual Science Symposium Report, U.S. Student Research Symposia (SRS)
Protocols:pH, Salinity
Presentation Video:
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Presentation Poster:
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Language(s):English
Date Submitted:03/06/2024
The purpose of this project was to perform Water Quality Index protocol tests on various bottled water brands around here to determine if there are salt/sodium levels in the water and discover if any of these brands tested contain sodium levels high enough to elevate blood pressure.
While there is not a strict federal guideline that determines the number used for too much sodium in drinking water, several states have set a standard which was used in this research to determine if sodium levels are above or below the standard for a safety factor.
Samples from each regional bottled water brand were tested using a multimeter that measures pH and conductivity to determine sodium levels. Chemical tests were used to obtain pH levels. The data was recorded in the logbook and the results were unexpected. They were analyzed to discover if salt was present in enough amounts to elevate or lower blood pressure in humans. These unexpected results did not confirm or deny the hypothesis but rather opened the door for more research. Salt levels were all over the place. Further research is necessary.