Question

According to an informal 1992 survey, the drinking water in about one-third of the homes in Chicago had lead levels of about 10 ppb. Dr. Koether lived in Chicago from 1996 to 1998. Assuming she drank 1.4 L of water a day, calculate the total amount of lead in mg (using one decimal place) that she was exposed to over the two years if she lived in a home that had such high levels of lead.

Answer 1

10.2 mg

Step-by-step explanation:

Step 1: Calculate the total amount of water she drank

1 year has 365 days and she lived in Chicago for 2 years = 2 × 365 days = 730 days.

If she drank 1.4 L of water per day, the total amount of water she drank is:

730 day × 1.4 L/day = 1022 L

Step 2: Calculate the amount of Pb in 1022 L of water

The concentration of Pb is 10 ppb (10 μg/L).

1022 L × 10 μg/L = 10220 μg

Step 3: Convert 10220 μg to milligrams

We will use the conversion factor 1 mg = 1000 μg.

10220 μg × 1 mg/1000 μg = 10.2 mg