Inorganic Pollutants in the Water of Midland and Odessa, Permian Basin, West Texas

Abstract

The objective of this study is to evaluate the public water contamination in the cities of Midland and Odessa, West Texas. Even though both cities are geographically close, their sources of water for public use are different. For this study, the copper-, lead-, arsenic-, nitrate-, and chromium-level reports in drinking water, provided by the cities from 2008 to 2017, were organized and analyzed using Cubic Hermite Interpolation. The results for each contamination per city were compared and contrasted with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards. Also, this study proposed possible risks to human health, as well as potential origins of the pollutants. Finally, conclusions about the quality of water for human consumption and possible reasons behind the difference of results between the 2 cities were made.