New Jersey Southern An Effective and Cost-Efficient Approach to Removing Phosphate Ions From Water With the Use of Crassostrea virginica Shells

Overview

After the use of fertilizers on gardens and lawns near bodies of water, it is common for chemicals (phosphates) to make their way into local waterways. It is also common for these chemicals to cause harm to the local ecosystem, mainly through the process o f eutrophication. The objective of this project was to explore the possible use of Crassostrea virginica shells as a way to decrease phosphate ion concentration in aqueous solutions. Oyster shells were collected, disinfected, dried, and crushed into a powder. For 15 trials, 1 gram of oyster shell powder was added to 500 mL of a sodium phosphate solution. For another 15 trials, 0.5 grams of oyster shell powder was added to a sodium phosphate solution. These solutions were placed on a stir plate, where they stirred for 30 minutes at a medium speed. The collected data indicated that oyster shell powder was effective at lowering phosphate concentrations. The trials completed with 1 gram of oyster shell powder worked the best at lowering these concentrations, wit h a mean concentration reduction of 97.42%. The set of trials using 0.5 grams, on the other hand, had a mean reduction percentage of 54.55%. The reasoning behind the decrease in phosphate concentrations is due to the property of adsorption, which allowed f or phosphate ions to cling to the oyster shell powder. This powder has relevant applications in stormwater runoff management, and can be added to stormwater basins or artificial wetlands.

Competition history

• JSHS 2025 Category not listed

Resources

• National JSHS abstract book ↗

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