Lynn’s Review
How often do we take water for granted? Gary Mason, made us think immediately, with a stream of facts. I wonder how many we were aware of:
Water shaped our planet … glaciers, canyons, rivers …
It brought invaders ashore from other lands
It remains viable through a cycle of evaporation, condensation, precipitation
It’s a solvent; the process of taking out minerals creates the salty seas
We humans are 60% water
We use it constantly for many things
Water is everywhere and we benefit from it
Mars, the moon and solar system have water
Combustion causes water
97.5% of water is in the oceans
Only 2.5% is elsewhere, such as ground water, lakes, soil
79% is in glaciers. If they melt sea levels will rise
Does hot water freeze faster than cold water? (Mpemba effect)
Are snowflakes all uniquely different?
Possibly,… “Because the number of deuterium atoms varies in each snowflake, as does their placement within the ice crystal. Factors, including temperature, speed, path and humidity, affect each snowflake's unique shape as it forms while falling toward the ground.” (Discover Magazine 2022)
What is Water?
It should be a gas as hydrogen and oxygen are both gases. The hydrogen bonds keep molecules together, so making water, a liquid. Lots of energy is needed to pull these molecules apart.
It is a universal solvent and can break the chemical bonds of salt, sugar, iron. Seawater can break down the majority of factory produced materials.
What about its properties. Where did it come from and How do we use it?
Pure H2O is not good for health for it would leach out calcium in our bodies. Hard water is best to drink, as it is a source of calcium.
Solid water – ice- is less dense and it floats; it acts as an insulator and organisms can survive beneath the ice. As is cools, density increases, but beyond 4°C density decreases; water beneath the ice retains warmth.
Because water molecules stick together, it can move through capillary action; this is how trees use water; our blood reaches our extremities via capillary action too. This action has also been used for irrigation since Ancient Egyptian times.
Mangrove trees live in saline water, but they desalinate sea water in their roots to give themselves fresh water. Maybe we could copy this technique? Could it be more sustainable? In Saudi Arabia, de-salination generally provides their water needs, but the brine, left behind, damages sea life; recycling of sea water leads to less dilution of the brine in the sea. It cannot be constantly re-cycled.
Water came to Earth from outside our solar system via asteroids and meteorites, so creating our atmosphere.
Boiling water, sterilises food. In past times, poor folk would have their soup pot constantly over the fire, adding to it daily. This is a safe cooking technique.
Steam also sterilises and is used in hospitals for the cleansing of equipment.
Dams, can hold water back. This may be beneficial to some but detrimental to others who no longer have access to the flowing water further down-stream.
Water extraction from rivers can so reduce flow that only foul wastewater flows beyond the site of extraction.
The hydrogen, removed from water by a process of electrolysis powered by solar or hydroelectric energy, is called: Green Hydrogen, as opposed to black or grey hydrogen created by splitting out water molecules with heat. It’s a clean energy source. Hydrogen has been used since the 19thC to fuel cars, airships and spaceships; it has the potential to replace fossil fuels; heat homes; power vehicles and power industry.
Water in History
William Armstrong used hydroelectric power to light an arc lamp in 1878. Ice houses were introduced into Britain by the wealthy between 1619-1626, and ice boxes, which were generally wooden, zinc lined boxes packed with straw or sawdust appeared in the 19th - early 20thC.
Steam was one of the most significant developments of the industrial revolution of 1750 -1900, but explosions occurred before pressure valves were perfected in the 1800s. Steam power moved from piston to turbine engines, Turbina being the first turbine driven steamship. It was built in 1894 as an experiment, and after proving its speed in 1897 led the way for future turbine steamships.
Steam turbines work when steam expansion causes rotors on turbines to move the rotating shaft of the generator. The generator produces electricity; converting mechanical energy to electrical energy. Gas turbines and wind turbines are also in use today and the internet has information on their efficiency.
Steam generators must use pure water, as your steam iron must. Water from your clothes dryer (filter out the fabric particles) can be used in your steam iron.
Heavy Water
Heavy water, is a coolant and a moderator. Its uses include: nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared spectroscopy, neutron moderation, neutrino detection and metabolic rate testing. More information can be found here: https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Heavy_water
To make your own heavy water, you would begin with electrolysis to separate the hydrogen and oxygen atoms, but maybe it’s best not to. You can find lots of wild information about this on the internet, and about other items covered in Gary’s talk.
After our coffee break, there were many questions and concerns raised, some were about materials and how they work; such as goretex : “The microscopic pores on the membrane are 20,000 times smaller than a water droplet, which means water droplets can't pass through.”
Much concern was shown for products containing Teflon, and micro-plastics from washing machines were discussed. I think we are all focussed on the problems of pollution and on how we are affecting our planet. Sewage and waste water treatments and the proposed reverse osmosis system at Southern water were also discussed. On a personal level, I am now becoming a Rep for Surfers Against Sewage, having been concerned when walking on the beach each day. Sewage discharges from sewage overflows happen almost weekly at Pagham, frequently at Chichester harbour; Langstone harbour; Middleton and Bognor. We know this is a complex problem from previous talks here, but it’s an urgent problem.
I was heartened to hear of the reed beds (nature’s filtration system) incorporated into house building at Hambrook, for I believe that nature has the answers we need, and this demands a re-think as to how systems operate: “The open space will bring biodiversity net gain, through a diverse strategy including ponds with reed beds, wild grass, retained hedgerows and trees, plus an orchard.”