Which category includes acids and metals dissolved in water?

Which category includes acids and metals dissolved in water?

• A. Organic Chemicals
• B. Nitrate Standards
• C. Inorganic Chemicals
• D. Oxygen-Demanding Wastes

Answer: (C)

Acids and metals dissolved in water fall under inorganic chemicals. This category includes substances that are not based on carbon-hydrogen chains, such as mineral acids (like sulfuric or hydrochloric acid) and metal ions (like iron, lead, or cadmium) that dissolve as ions in water. They typically originate from minerals, industrial discharges, corrosion, or natural weathering, and they influence water quality by affecting pH, hardness, and metal toxicity. In contrast, organic chemicals are carbon-based compounds—think solvents, pesticides, fuels, and other carbon-rich pollutants. Oxygen-demanding wastes refer to materials—often biodegradable organics—that consume oxygen as microbes break them down. Nitrate standards point to regulatory limits for a specific inorganic pollutant. But when classifying the broad category for acids and metals dissolved in water, inorganic chemicals is the best fit.

Acids and metals dissolved in water fall under inorganic chemicals. This category includes substances that are not based on carbon-hydrogen chains, such as mineral acids (like sulfuric or hydrochloric acid) and metal ions (like iron, lead, or cadmium) that dissolve as ions in water. They typically originate from minerals, industrial discharges, corrosion, or natural weathering, and they influence water quality by affecting pH, hardness, and metal toxicity.

In contrast, organic chemicals are carbon-based compounds—think solvents, pesticides, fuels, and other carbon-rich pollutants. Oxygen-demanding wastes refer to materials—often biodegradable organics—that consume oxygen as microbes break them down. Nitrate standards point to regulatory limits for a specific inorganic pollutant. But when classifying the broad category for acids and metals dissolved in water, inorganic chemicals is the best fit.