Dirt pH Filters

TURNER 7 .20 ENV

Question
Does the pH of soil affect how well it filters water?

Abstract
The purpose is to find out how the pH of dirt effects how well the
dirt acts as a filter. This can benefit the recycling of waste/water. I
had 14 soil samples in pots, each with a different pH level in whole
increments from 1-14. 1 is the most acidic, 14 is the most alkaline,
and 7 is neutral. To change the pH level, I mixed in a substance that
had the desired pH level with the soil sample. I had three trials,
where I poured liter of black colored water down each pot. Each
pot drained into a 2 liter bottle, where I used a homemade Secchi
Disc to measure the clarity. Water filtered from this dirt sample was
the clearest. My hypothesis was proven wrong, but was close to the
answer shown. The dirt with the pH of 9 was the best filter, which
favored the alkaline side, but not the far end. The Secchi Disc was
visible (on average) 0.77cm down, which (on average) was
visible the most far down.

Hypothesis
If I pour colored water among several pots of soil that have
holes at the bottom, then the soil that is the most alkaline will
be the best filter, because it is a base, and the water will take
longer to drain, leading it to be a better filter, whereas acidic
soil will get rid of the water faster.

Procedure
1)

Gather materials, then organize them on a table.

2)

Empty out the plastic bottles.

3)

Scrape off packaging layers and brand labels off of bottles.

4)

Cut off the neck of a bottle with the scissors- only the broader part should be
left. The top, neck, and narrow part are trash, throw them away.

5)

Cut a strip of plastic out of the bottle to make a ring about 5 centimeters wide,
a decimeter long. Sand edges down to smooth them.

6)

Tape ends of that strip together firmly and sealed off.

7)

Cut off strips of long (just over a decimeter) plastic off of bottle. Sand edges
down to smooth them.

8)

Repeat step 7 until the bottle is depleted. Use at most 2 bottles- if using a
second, repeat steps 4-7.

9)

Tape some strips of longer plastic onto an open side of the ring. Seal it well,
make it airtight.

10)

Poke a hole in the bigger side in the center with a skewer or pencil.

11)

Thread string through poked hole, then thread it through the bead that is on the
other side of the plastic side.

12)

Tie the string so the bead wont let the string slip through the hole.

Materials

28 pots- all the same size, color, variation, and have drainage holes at the
bottom.

2 bags of dirt

1 pH meter

1 table (roughly a meter or two long)

28 liters of water

Food/water dye- black

Limes (to lower the pH level)

Sulfur (to lower the pH level)

Lemon (to lower the pH)

Lime (powder- to raise the pH)

Murphys Oil (to raise the pH)

Baking Soda (to raise the pH)

Toilet Cleaner (to lower the pH)

Liquid Drain Cleaner (to raise the pH)

Glass Cleaner (to raise the pH)

Experiment

Results and Data

10

11

12

13

14

Trial 1

0.75

0.75

0.75

0.75

0.5

0.75

0.5

Trial 2

0.5

0.5

0.25

0.75

0.25

0.5

0.25

0.5

0.75

0.1

0.25

0.5

0.25

Trial 3

0.1

0.1

0.25

0.1

0.1

0.75

0.75

0.8

0.05

0.25

0.5

0.5

0.5

0.45

0.45

0.67

0.37

0.53

0.67

0.67

0.77

0.05

0.3

0.75

0.5

0.083

Average

Graph

Conclusion
My hypothesis wasnt supported by the results because the
most alkaline dirt filter, the pH of 14, had the least filtered
water, leaving it the worst filter in this experiment. The best
filter to use (if using a dirt filter) would be dirt with a pH of 9.
Also, the top 3 filters (the 3rd one is tied with the pH of 4,
though) came from the alkaline side. Based off this, alkaline
filters tend to do better than acidic filters. There are many
possible reasons. Alkaline filters filter water slower, or water
reacts differently with alkaline substances. Overall, I
discovered that alkaline filters (pH of 9 and 12 especially) are
better water filters, and clear water the best.

Works Cited