Chapter 12
Chapter
Twelve
Back at the lab, Laney prepared for another round of analysis. Her data needed to be bulletproof if she planned to alert officials. She held each beaker up to the light, noting differences in clarity and color. She recorded these observations in her field notebook.
She then opened a fresh package of water testing strips and dipped one strip into each sample. After waiting thirty seconds, she held each strip against the color reference chart. The spring water showed minor pH shifts and trace chemical indicators. The creek sample turned the strips distinctly off-color, suggesting higher concentrations of foreign substances.
Laney transferred small amounts of each sample into test tubes and then placed them in the spectrometer. The machine whirred as it processed. The computer screen displayed overlapping peaks—telltale signs that a single contaminant family affected all tested locations.
“This confirms it’s the same chemical in each site,” Laney said with grim satisfaction.
To verify these findings, she ran the spectrometer analysis again. The second and third rounds produced nearly identical readings, confirming the initial results weren’t errors or anomalies.
Laney then lined up test results from all four locations: brewery tank, pumphouse, spring, and creek. She created a chart showing contamination levels at each site. The patterns revealed a clear gradient. The contamination levels increased as she moved upstream, with the creek showing the highest concentration.
She recognized that the same chemical signature remained consistent throughout the entire water system. This evidence provided enough to build a conclusive case.
Laney finalized her report with a simple action plan. “We need more specialized testing to identify the exact compound, but current evidence confirms contamination throughout the watershed.”