Digital Display Board Template

Use the following template as your digital display board for the STEM Science
and Engineering Fair (SSEF).
Download and save this template for your personal use. Once completed,
please upload it on Canvas by November 17 Get ready to present and defend
th

your research in class the first day after you return from Thanksgiving Break
(11/27-28).
You may download and edit template parts to highlight your research.
 Purifying Pollutants
Charles W.

CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSION

INTRODUCTION/ STATEMENT OF Independent Variable: Soil Type Clay may be the most beneficial to
PURPOSE Dependent Variable: Amount of Microplastics and Oil Spots in Water filtering the environment, but it might
Constants: Amount of Microplastics in Water; Amount of Oil in Water; also cause water logging and flooding.
Different soils have different particle Soil allowed for the most water to go
sizes, so these sizes are able to filter Amount of Water in Pipette; Swipes on the bottle; Time to filter; Amount of
through but the least pollutants
smaller particles while letting atoms of soil
water through. This is especially useful caught. Sand was right in between with
in areas near roadways that receive a lot decent percolation, however it eroded
of run off oil and plastics from away the most.
automobile pollution and plastic waste.
The experiment conducted will highlight Methods/ Procedures Materials
which specific soil type is the best at
filtering oil and microplastics. 1. Lay a 2in cubic foot of Aluminum baking tray: 1
soil/sand/clay on a tray Top soil: 1 cubic foot
BACKGROUND INFORMATION/
2. In a separate bowl, pour a bottle of Sand: 1 cubic foot
LITERATURE SEARCH INTERPRETATION OF DATA
water Clay: 1 cubic foot
Clay has the finest particle size while soil 3. Make 20 passes of the sandpaper 3 in 1 Oil: 1 bottle
has the largest. Microplastics are any
plastics smaller than 5mm. Run off from along the same spot of that bottle Plastic Water Bottle
the road after rain can include motor oil, 4. Pour a tablespoon of oil into the Teaspoon: 1 The experiment proved my
and micro plastic from trash. bowl Sand Paper: Three 400 grit sheets hypothesis was correct and also
opened up new conclusions not
5. Tilt the tray at a 30 degree angle Microscope: 1 anticipated due to the nature of the
and slowly pour bowl contents, then Pipette:1 experiment. For example, clay may
wait 5 minutes still holding it up Mask:1 induce flooding on the roads, but
6. Pipette up 30mL of water onto a Eye Protection:1 the environment will be thankful it
doesn’t get contaminants.
slide and view under microscope Oppositely, soil lets water through
7. View how many microplastics/oil
I
very easily, causing more pollutants
spots remain in that sample and record to get in but less chance for flooding.
Sand seemed to be the best at
HYPOTHESIS/ ENGINEERING GOAL filtering while allowing water to go
through, having minimal chance for
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flooding but also filtering some of
If I use clay, then the water will show the soil(microplastic/oil) the contaminants out. The biggest
least number of contaminants Clay: 9/3 Sand: 13/6 Soil: 20/7 issue with sand however was that a
20
lot seemed to flow down with the
water on the other side, which could
cause a lot of it to be lost and
15 unrecyclable.
FURTHER RESEARCH
10

5
It’s possible to now figure out the best
way to layer the three soil types and
allow for the best movement of water,
0
Clay Sand
Microplastics Oil Column1
Soil Category 4
and filtration.