Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
1 – Sapphire
Philippine Science High School – Western Visayas
Investigatory Project
Title: Pollutant Absorbency on Different Soil Types
Soil is created slowly and destroyed easily. Soil is mainly made up of rock
debris and organic materials, such as decomposed plants and animals.
Microbes live in the soil, causing dead organisms to decay to help return
nutrients to the soil. Soil is made up of organic and mineral particles.
Pollution Problems
Pollution is a daily problem and hazard to the human race as well as all other
things on earth, living or not. Water, air and soil pollution is constant and
deadly to all organisms that come to inhabit on, in or near a toxic area of
pollutants. Even as we try to reduce the amount of litter, smoke, pollution
and excess carbon dioxide, we will never be able to save all that we as
humans have damaged in the many years past. Yet, knowing the causes
could lead to solutions.
Soil VS Pollution
Does soil porosity and pollutant viscosity affect the absorbency of the soil to
pollutant?
III. Hypothesis
The information gained from this experiment will benefit farmers, gardeners
and botanists who have soil pollution problems to better understand
absorbency in different types of soil.
V. Experimental Design
A. Variables
The manipulated variable was the type of soil filtered and the kind of pollutant being
filtered. Each kind of soil (sand and clay) filtered each kind of pollutant (oil, gas)
three times.
The responding variable was the amount of pollutants that filtered through the 250
mg of soil.
B. Materials
C. Procedure
1.) Create a clean and organized area near a working sink or tub of water.
2.) Place 1 plastic cup on the table.
3.) Set filter in the cup so it is sturdy.
4.) Carefully put 250mg of soil 1 in filter.
5.) Accurately measure 250mL of oil in a graduated cylinder.
6.) Pour oil onto soil 1 slowly and steadily.
7.) Once oil is completely out of the cylinder begin timing filtering for 60 seconds
with the stopwatch.
8.) After the 60 seconds are completed, immediately remove filter from the cup and
set it in the sink. Immediately clean up any spills if you have any.
9.) Once the filter is in the sink pour the remaining oil in the cup, into the graduated
cylinder. Record the amount on the piece of scratch paper, but this is not your final
measurement.
10.) On the same paper as the recorded measurement, write the following equation:
250 - pollutants remaining = pollutants absorbed, and solve it by filling in the
numbers where the variables are.
11.) Record the difference to the equation in step 10 on the organized table.
12.) Repeat steps 1-11 two times with the same pollutant and the same soil.
13.) Repeat steps 1-11 three times with the same pollutant and soil 2.
14.) Repeat steps 1-11 three times with gasoline and soils 1 and 2.
VI. Photographs
VII. Results
Sand Clay
Trial Oil Gasoline Oil Gasoline
Number (mL) (mL) (mL) (mL)
1 115 172 205 127
2 113 122 245 130
3 150 120 211 140
Average 126 138 220.33 132.33
The original purpose of this experiment was to determine which polypedon (type of
soil) was most absorbent of liquid pollutants.
The results of the experiment were that the oil and clay combination was the most
absorbent as we suspected, but some oil just sat on the top because it was so thick.
The clay absorbed an average of 220.33mL of oil, 112and 132.33mL of gasoline. The
sand absorbed an average of 126mL of oil, and 138mL of gasoline. We noticed that
the gasoline ran right through both soils quickly because they were both thin, like
water.
VIII. Conclusion
Our first hypothesis was that the soil with less porosity would be most absorbent.
Our second hypothesis was that the more viscous pollutant would be most
absorbent.
The results also indicate that the second hypothesis should be accepted.