Natural Filtrations Tested by a Homemade Turbidity Meter

Overview

Objectives/Goals Our objective of the experiment was to determine which of the three filters we constructed would be best in removing particles in contaminated water. Also to build a simple electronic device to measure light scattering in the water after it has been filtered. Methods/Materials We designed 3 types of filtration methods for this experiment. Our focus when creating the filters was to keep it as natural as possible, make it easily accessible, and build it at a low cost. The biosand filter is made from sand, gravel, and PVC that is all contained within a plastic bucket. The algae filter is constructed by putting a leg stocking over a plastic canvas. Green algae is then placed on the stocking and held within a cylinder. The third filtration method is the tree branch filter. We cut small round pieces of wood and plugged them into clear vinyl tubes. Waterproof tape was added to stop small leaks along with a pump to quicken the process. The turbidity meter was constructed with the help of procedures and diagrams guiding us. Results The turbidity meter tested the water after it had been filtered. The average results shown from the filters were: 22.6 mv (biosand filter), 46.8 mv (algae filter), 24.6 mv(wood filter). From our results the biosand filter was the most effective. However, the wood filter's average results were almost as well as the biosand filter. The algae filter did not perform as well as the other filters. Conclusions/Discussion In conclusion, our filters were not able to get rid of all impurities in the water because many of them are microorganisms.

Competition history

• CSEF 2014 Environmental Science · Entry S1117

Resources

• CSEF project summary ↗

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