LAB REPORT: WASTE WATER FILTRATION SYSTEM Date May 7, 2012 Partners: Kim Foster and Mohammad Ullah

Purpose In this activity, the student creates a filtration system that will filter dirt, oil, and other waste products so that only water is returned from the apparatus. Materials Apparatus materials: 1-Liter Soda bottle, 50 mL sand, 2 filter paper, 1 plastic water paper Dirty water: water, dirt, paper clippings, vegetable oil, toilet paper, dish soap, cotton balls, match sticks, various pieces of cloth and corn syrup. Procedure Assembly of Apparatus 1. Cut out the soda bottle's top half so that it forms a parabolic shape 2. Repeat procedure with water bottle 3. After it is assembled, pour sand into the inside on top of the filter paper Testing of Apparatus 1. Pour the impure water down the apparatus 2. Readjust the apparatus if needed 3. Observe the clarity of water Results Before: Original water solution before filtration pH paper indicating the pH of the solution before filtration

After: pH paper indicating the pH of the solution after filtration filtration

Water resulting from

Water after filtration

Discussion In this experiment, a water filtration system was created from common household products to remove dirt from an impure water sample. According to the data, the water filter apparatus constructed was somewhat sufficient. The semi-murky water resulting from the filtration indicates that the experiment could have been improved to produce a completely clear liquid. From the after-picture, I can conclude that not all matter can be removed from the original sample. The items filtered from the impure water were those of the highest concentration of mass that is in the solid form. For example, the remaining water did not contain any pieces of cloth, large chunks of dirt or cotton balls. Nevertheless, the light brown product showed that there were remnants of waste remaining after the filtration that was not removed using the apparatus. The hypothesis is supported in that the data allow one to see that a large majority of the water was cleaned. According to the pH strips, removing waste material and purifying water reduces acidity and returns the pH of the water to a nearly normal value around 7. The treatment composed of primary and secondary treatment in that the waste filtered twice before letting it flow in the cup. A source of error was introduced into the lab when the apparatus collapsed due to the heavy weight of the flowing water. An alternative solution would be to use a thicker layer of filter paper. Another method is to carefully pour the water through the filter and replacing the filter paper layer once it is soaked through to avoid rupture. One of the problems associated with water filter processes is that it does not clean the water adequately, resulting in sanitation and health issues. Another common problem is that it requires a significant amount of effort to designing, constructing, and implementing a successful water filtration project. Sometimes too much effort is needed for the purification of water. Sewer sludge is the solid waste found inside water. Generally this form of waste can be removed using only a simple apparatus. To minimize the impact of waste on the environment, I can reuse items instead of throwing it out. Conclusion Through this water filtration apparatus lab, it was determined that the solution can be somewhat cleared using a water filter but cannot be completely purified using a simple, homemade object. Reflection Overall, the lab activity was an interesting activity that allowed the student to see how a water filtration system operates. Specifically, I liked how we were given freedom in how to design our filter. The experimental procedures should have allowed us to repeat the water filtration step more than once.