The Problem:
Unclean water is a lot more common than most think. While we take purified water for granted, in many countries, most of the population does not have access to drinkable water. Many contaminants are present in dirty water, such as chemicals, bacteria, and parasites. Namely, these include E.coli, Trachoma, Cholera and many more. This leads to many problems such as disease, malnutrition and infertility.
A map of countries and their access to clean water.
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A visual example of water contaminants.
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POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS:
In an effort to find a solution to our water problem, we researched three methods of filtration.
CARBON |
UV LIGHT |
plants (BIO) |
FINAL SOLUTION:
For our final solution, we thought that the combined effects of both carbon and plants would provide a cheap and effective way of filtration. As a proof of concept, we created a 2-stage bio-carbon filter small enough to be used in the home. The carbon is used to filter out chemicals and particles, while the plants are used to filter out the biological contaminants.
TESTS:
As our main tests, we used pond water and ran it through our filter several times, for a combined time of about 5-10 minutes. Although we weren't able to preform real scientific testing due to limited time and budget, after running the filter, there were some very noticeable results. It was easy to see the change in clarity of water. Although we had limited scientific results, we were still amazed with the visual clarity achieved in such a short time with such a small budget.
This image shows the filtered water (left) against the unfiltered pond water (right).
CONTENT:
1) Filtration: The process of removing something unwanted from a liquid, gas, etc.
2) Contaminant: Something that make something else unsuitable for use.
3) Activated Carbon: Carbon treated to have small pores used to absorb contaminants.
4) UV Light: High frequency electromagnetic energy invisible to the human eye.
5) water Hyacinth: Floating plant species with a complex root structure suitable for water filtration.
2) Contaminant: Something that make something else unsuitable for use.
3) Activated Carbon: Carbon treated to have small pores used to absorb contaminants.
4) UV Light: High frequency electromagnetic energy invisible to the human eye.
5) water Hyacinth: Floating plant species with a complex root structure suitable for water filtration.
REFLECTION:
This was definitely my favorite project and was by far our most fun and creative project. However, it didn't come easy. Since my group decided to actually build a filter as a proof of concept, we had many unanticipated problems and design issues, many of which made significant setbacks for us. We also had trouble finding a mentor. These problems, however were outweighed by the success of our project. One success, for example, was the synergy in our group. Everyone was willing to help and there were no fights or disagreements. The creative energy was there. Additionally, another success was that our filter ended up working really well, proving that our concept was worth exploring. Overall, this project was a huge success for both me, and my group.