Oxygen and Two Hydrogen

For the past couple of weeks, my freshman class and I have been studying water filters and the possibilities for water filtration. During our classes and research, I was really into it because of the fact that I had done this before. I instantly knew that building the actual filter would probably be easier this time because of my previous experience. This journey also made me think about the Flint Water Crisis and how I could potentially make a filter to ensure safe drinking water for myself and community. This is my second action project for my STEAM course on the unit “Water.” The project is to make a water filter that filters dirty water into clean and potable water. During this class, we have been studying water filtration. In class, we learned about logarithms, and we also learned how to find pH levels using logarithms and scientific notation, and what the pH scale is. We went on a field experience to the Jardine Water Treatment Plant. During the field experience, I learned about the filtration process that provides clean water for the city of Chicago. These studies and experiences have all helped me create this action project.

After this entire process, I am going to find data through my water filter and lab that may or may not support my current guiding.   Does the quality of the materials within the filter effect the pH of the water level, taste, color, and odor? Does re-filtering the water change the pH level, color, taste, and odor?

Materials I will need to effectively make and test my water filter includes:
-- fine sand

C.H. (2018) Materials

-- course sand
-- gravel
-- one empty bottle
-- activated carbon
-- coffee filters
-- filter sponge
-- Exacto knife
-- pH tester
-- TDS tester. 

1. Cut two inches off the bottom of the bottle
2. Poke 3 holes into the bottle cap
3. Put a coffee filter over the opening of the bottle and secure with the bottle cap
4. Place the fine sand into the bottle
5. Place the coarse sand into the bottle on top of the fine sand
6. Rinse the activated carbon and gravel 
7. Place the gravel into the bottle on top of the coarse sand
8. Measure and cut three filter sponges and place one of them on top of the gravel
9. Place the carbon on top of the sponge
10. Place the second filter sponge on top of the carbon
11. Place gravel as next layer
12. Place the aquarium sand on top of the gravel
13. Place the fine sand on top of the aquarium sand
14. Place the third filter sponge on top
15. Put small quantities of water in the top and wait for the water to filter out into the cup below
16. Repeat step 15 as needed

C.H. (2018) Draft

In order for the filtration process to start, water must be poured into the most opened part of the filter. It will then make its way down through each layer. Traveling through the small space between the sand kills the pathogens living in the water. When the water reaches the carbon layer, in filters is known to be most effective at removing chlorine, particles such as sediment, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), taste and odor from water. To make it easier to collect the filtered water at the end of this process, I created holes into the cap of the bottle. When the bottle is placed over a cup, gravity will help guide the water through each stage, until I can receive my end product of filtered water.

C.H. (2018) Water Filter

Groundwater filtration systems start from the surface of the earth and then makes its way into the crevices and small spaces between rocks. This helps to limit the oxygen and food to the pathogens. Groundwater is continuously filtered until it ends up in an underground aquifer or into a stream. My filter takes water and mimics to a smaller scale, what water would have to go through in order to get to the aquifers and become filtered.

I created the filter so that the dirty water will enter through the top of the filter and my concern is that it will displace some of the fine sand because of how light the sand is. I predict it will take a little while for the water to filter through the sand, especially if it is packed down. The water might have an easier time going through the gravel and carbon surprisingly, then the sand. I predict that the water will be cleared of debris and small particles after it is filtered. It may still have some certain minerals to it that you would not find in the distilled water. I believe, for the most part, the carbon will definitely help to remove the pathogens that died in sand layers.

I am going to filter water from the Chicago River. My class and I collected some water in an earlier unit. When I tested the pH of the water before filtering it, the water had a pH level of 6.3. That is below neutral and helps show that the water straight from the river is more acidic than distilled water, distilled water is the most neutral liquid that the pH testers can test. The pH after filtration was a 6.8. This tells me that my filter was able to take out something from the river water that was making it more acidic. I was able to return the water to a more neutral pH level.

C.H (2018) Before Filtering

Before Filtration
pH 6.3
Color Grey & black
Clarity Cloudy
Odor Strange odor

C.H. (2018) After Filtering

After Filtration

pH 6.9 

Color Clear 

Clarity Transparent

Odor No odor

I then decided to try and find the concentration of the pH levels of my water, before and after filtration. First we learned about pH and the concentration of pH. The main way to find the pH level of water is to use a pH tester. Trying to find the concentration of pH is where things start to get a little tricky. There is actually a formula for finding the concentration of pH. The formula is pH equals negative log H plus ion concentration (pH=-log[H+ion concentration]). To use this formula effectively you must take 10 and Square it by the negative version of the original level of pH.

Before Filtration             After Filtration

[H+] = 10^-pH              [H+] = 10^-pH
[H+] = 10^- 6.3             [H+] = 10^- 6.9
[H+] = 5.012^-7            [H+] = 1.259^-7

In conclusion, my water filter successfully filtered the water from the Chicago River mixed with dirt into potable water. Through this test, I was able to prove that my data supports my hypothesis because the filtered water’s pH level did increase after going through the filtration process of my water filter. My water filter kept its stability. My water filter collected a lot of large and small particles from the water. I learned about the different kinds of water filters there are and how I can make a water filter. If I do this experiment again another question I can think of is can I manipulate the pH level of water by using different types of water filters. I would also perhaps change the temperature of the water, and also put more than one coffee filter in the cap. There are many ways to make this project better, and next time I intend to create a water filter that does make the water's pH base. This was a really fun project to conduct and I look forward to doing this again!