A Rocky Road
INTRODUCTION:
For the H2O Unit 2 Field Experience: 4.5 Billion, we went to the Jardine Water Plant in Chicago, near Navy Pier. This plant filters all of the water for Chicagoland. I learned that the plant takes water directly from Lake Michigan and filters it for safe drinking and everyday use. After the water is pumped to the plant, it goes through many stages of filtration. First, chemicals are added (chlorine, flouride, and aluminum sulfate) to remove particles and dangerous microorganisms. After the chemicals are added, the water is filtered through layers of sand and gravel in large pools. This is the part of the plant that resembles ground water filtration. For this Action Project, I built a homemade filter based on the cycle water goes through in nature.
QUESTION:
How would I thrive in a water crisis if I built a water filter designed after groundwater filtration?
HYPOTHESIS:
By using a few household items and some materials found in nature, a homemade water filter can be as effective as the process of groundwater filtration at removing impurities, improving the scent and clarity, and making the water less acidic.
For the H2O Unit 2: Water Filtration Action Project, I built and tested the effectiveness of a homemade water filter. Below is the list of materials used and my step-by-step process.
MATERIALS:
- one-gallon plastic bottle
- unbleached coffee filter
- cotton balls
- 100% cotton cloth
- activated charcoal pouches (aquarium filter inserts)
- cotton cheesecloth
- sand
- marble gravel
- red lava rock
- hammer
- nail
- X-acto knife
- Gorilla Tape
- clean collection jar
- water collected from Lake Michigan (to be filtered)
PROCESS:
1) Using the X-acto knife, I cut off the bottom of the one-gallon bottle.
2) I removed the bottle cap and, using the hammer and nail, I made 4 holes in the cap.
3) I placed the coffee filter at the opening of the bottle and secured it by screwing the cap in place.
4) For reinforcement, I Gorilla Taped the edge of the cap and coffee filter.
5) Turning the bottle upside down (cap facing down), I positioned it on top of the clean collection jar.
6) Next, I began adding the layers of materials for water to pass through.
LAYER 1: cotton balls
LAYER 2: 100% cotton cloth
LAYER 3: activated charcoal pouches
LAYER 4: cheesecloth
LAYER 5: sand
LAYER 6: red lava rock
LAYER 7: marble gravel
7) BEFORE filtering, I tested the pH level of the water using a digital pH monitor.
8) I poured the water collected from Lake Michigan into the top of the water filter.
9) AFTER the water passed through the filter, I observed changes and tested the pH level once again.
My water filter is similar to groundwater filtration because it closely resembles the layers water travels through in nature. It contains sand, porous rock, gravel, and natural fibers (cotton cloth and cheesecloth). The addition of activated charcoal, cotton balls, and a coffee filter were added to ensure greater purity.
Here is an illustration of the layered water filter:
Below is an image of the water filter I built.
(I added the tape to make sure the contents wouldn't fall out if it tipped over.)
Here is a picture of the water I collected from Lake Michigan BEFORE it passed through my filter. If you look closely, you will notice some white particles and solids floating around. Before filtration, the water was cloudy and smelled like fish.
Here is a picture of the water AFTER it passed through the homemade filter. The filtered water was free of floating white particles. The homemade water filter had successfully removed larger debris.
pH RESULTS:
pH is a measure of the hydorgen ion (H+) concentration of a solution. Solutions with highconcentrations of hydrogen ions have a low pH (acidic, 0-7), and solutions with low concentrations of hydrogen ions have a high pH (alkaline, 7-14).
Pure water should have a pH of 7.0 (neutral).
OBSERVATIONS:
BEFORE
LOOK: murky, cloudy
SMELL: fishy, moldy
pH: 6.3
H+: 0.000000501
AFTER
LOOK: no particles, less cloudy
SMELL: no smell
pH: 6.5
H+: 0.000000316
CONCLUSION:
I conclude that, although my filter was effective at removing larger particles and improved the smell and clarity of my water, it was not very effective at altering the pH (acidity). Pure water has a pH of 7. The water I collected was already very close to neutral (6.3) before filtering. After filtering, the water was less acidic, but only by 1.6 (0.000000501 / 0.000000316 = 1.6). In order for my filtered water to be safe to drink, further steps would still need to be taken, such as boiling or adding chemicals.
*************************************
MacDonald, Alex. "How To Make Your Own Homemade Water Filter." Filter Butler Blog, filterbutler.com/blog/make-homemade-water-filter/.
"Water Purification: Improvised Charcoal Filter." Practical Primitive: Improvised Charcoal Water Filter, Practically Seeking, May 2010, practicalprimitive.com/skillofthemonth/charcoalfilter.html.
For the H2O Unit 2 Field Experience: 4.5 Billion, we went to the Jardine Water Plant in Chicago, near Navy Pier. This plant filters all of the water for Chicagoland. I learned that the plant takes water directly from Lake Michigan and filters it for safe drinking and everyday use. After the water is pumped to the plant, it goes through many stages of filtration. First, chemicals are added (chlorine, flouride, and aluminum sulfate) to remove particles and dangerous microorganisms. After the chemicals are added, the water is filtered through layers of sand and gravel in large pools. This is the part of the plant that resembles ground water filtration. For this Action Project, I built a homemade filter based on the cycle water goes through in nature.
QUESTION:
How would I thrive in a water crisis if I built a water filter designed after groundwater filtration?
HYPOTHESIS:
By using a few household items and some materials found in nature, a homemade water filter can be as effective as the process of groundwater filtration at removing impurities, improving the scent and clarity, and making the water less acidic.
For the H2O Unit 2: Water Filtration Action Project, I built and tested the effectiveness of a homemade water filter. Below is the list of materials used and my step-by-step process.
MATERIALS:
- one-gallon plastic bottle
- unbleached coffee filter
- cotton balls
- 100% cotton cloth
- activated charcoal pouches (aquarium filter inserts)
- cotton cheesecloth
- sand
- marble gravel
- red lava rock
- hammer
- nail
- X-acto knife
- Gorilla Tape
- clean collection jar
- water collected from Lake Michigan (to be filtered)
PROCESS:
1) Using the X-acto knife, I cut off the bottom of the one-gallon bottle.
2) I removed the bottle cap and, using the hammer and nail, I made 4 holes in the cap.
3) I placed the coffee filter at the opening of the bottle and secured it by screwing the cap in place.
4) For reinforcement, I Gorilla Taped the edge of the cap and coffee filter.
5) Turning the bottle upside down (cap facing down), I positioned it on top of the clean collection jar.
6) Next, I began adding the layers of materials for water to pass through.
LAYER 1: cotton balls
LAYER 2: 100% cotton cloth
LAYER 3: activated charcoal pouches
LAYER 4: cheesecloth
LAYER 5: sand
LAYER 6: red lava rock
LAYER 7: marble gravel
7) BEFORE filtering, I tested the pH level of the water using a digital pH monitor.
8) I poured the water collected from Lake Michigan into the top of the water filter.
9) AFTER the water passed through the filter, I observed changes and tested the pH level once again.
My water filter is similar to groundwater filtration because it closely resembles the layers water travels through in nature. It contains sand, porous rock, gravel, and natural fibers (cotton cloth and cheesecloth). The addition of activated charcoal, cotton balls, and a coffee filter were added to ensure greater purity.
Here is an illustration of the layered water filter:
 |
| SN. (2017) Filter. |
Below is an image of the water filter I built.
(I added the tape to make sure the contents wouldn't fall out if it tipped over.)
 |
| SN. (2017) Handmade Filter. |
Here is a picture of the water I collected from Lake Michigan BEFORE it passed through my filter. If you look closely, you will notice some white particles and solids floating around. Before filtration, the water was cloudy and smelled like fish.
 |
| SN. (2017) Dirty Water. |
Here is a picture of the water AFTER it passed through the homemade filter. The filtered water was free of floating white particles. The homemade water filter had successfully removed larger debris.
 |
| SN. (2017) Clean Water. |
pH RESULTS:
pH is a measure of the hydorgen ion (H+) concentration of a solution. Solutions with highconcentrations of hydrogen ions have a low pH (acidic, 0-7), and solutions with low concentrations of hydrogen ions have a high pH (alkaline, 7-14).
Pure water should have a pH of 7.0 (neutral).
pH = -log [H+] concentration
BEFORE
pH = 6.3
6.3 = -log [H+] concentration
-6.3 = log [H+]
10^-6.3 = [H+]
5.01 x 10^-7 = 0.000000501
AFTER
pH = 6.5
6.5 = -log [H+] concentration
-6.5 = log [H+]
10^-6.5 = [H+]
3.16 x 10^-7 = 0.000000316
 |
| SN. (2017) pH Scale. |
OBSERVATIONS:
BEFORE
LOOK: murky, cloudy
SMELL: fishy, moldy
pH: 6.3
H+: 0.000000501
AFTER
LOOK: no particles, less cloudy
SMELL: no smell
pH: 6.5
H+: 0.000000316
CONCLUSION:
I conclude that, although my filter was effective at removing larger particles and improved the smell and clarity of my water, it was not very effective at altering the pH (acidity). Pure water has a pH of 7. The water I collected was already very close to neutral (6.3) before filtering. After filtering, the water was less acidic, but only by 1.6 (0.000000501 / 0.000000316 = 1.6). In order for my filtered water to be safe to drink, further steps would still need to be taken, such as boiling or adding chemicals.
*************************************
MacDonald, Alex. "How To Make Your Own Homemade Water Filter." Filter Butler Blog, filterbutler.com/blog/make-homemade-water-filter/.
"Water Purification: Improvised Charcoal Filter." Practical Primitive: Improvised Charcoal Water Filter, Practically Seeking, May 2010, practicalprimitive.com/skillofthemonth/charcoalfilter.html.
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