The Effect of Water Pollutants on the Ability to

Remove Them
Purpose
The purpose of this lab is to investigate how different water pollutants prolong the time to
remove them.

Research Question
Which water pollutant is the hardest to remove?
Which water pollutant is the easiest to remove?

Hypothesis
If the pollutant is physical, then the removal process will be quicker than both the biological
pollutant and the chemical pollutant.

If the pollutant is biological, then the removal process will take more time than the physical
pollutant, but less time than the chemical pollutant.

If the pollutant is is chemical, then the removal process will take longer than both the physical
pollutant and the biological pollutant.

Explanation
In this investigation, we are trying to find out what pollutant is the hardest to remove from
water. There are three main types of pollutants that we currently have in our waters, physical,
biological, and chemical pollutants. We are slowly trying to remove them to help keep our
waters habitable for marine life, and drinkable for all other animals that require water to live. In
this lab, we will be testing what type of pollutant is the easiest to remove from our waters.
Although this will not change anything we are currently doing to remove pollutants, it will give
us a better understanding of what pollutant is harming our waters more than others based on
which one is the hardest to remove. By the end of this lab, we should have an understanding of
whether physical, biological, or chemical pollutants are the hardest to remove and therefor,
have a greater negative effect on the cleanliness of our waters.

Variables Table
Variable Detailed How it will be manipulated, controlled, or
measured
Independent Variable The pollutant The pollutant is being changed to allow us
to test more than one type of pollutant.
We will be testing a physical pollutant (oil),
a biological pollutant (bacteria), and a
chemical pollutant (solid Tylenol tablet).
There will be 3 trials for each pollutant to
try and limit the effects of an error or
fluke.

Dependent Variable Time until the pollutant This time will be measured by seeing how
is fully removed long it takes to remove the pollutant. After
(measured in seconds) the pollutant is in the water for an hour
prior to removal, the water will be
cleansed until it is 100% clean.

Controlled Variable Quantity of water The quantity of water needs to stay at 5L

for each trail throughout the lab in order
to maintain fair and accurate trails. By
keeping this the same, we should be able
to receive data with minimal flukes and
errors.

Controlled Variable Shape of water The shape of the water container needs to
container be a 33 x 19 x 18 rectangular fish tank for
each trial throughout the lab in order to
maintain fair and accurate trails. By
keeping this the same, we should be able
to receive data with minimal flukes and
errors.

Controlled Variable Temperature of the The temperature of the room needs to be

surrounding area at 21 degrees Celsius throughout the lab in
order to maintain fair and accurate trails.
By keeping this the same, we should be
able to receive data with minimal flukes
and errors.

Controlled Variable Amount of pollutant in There needs to be exactly 500mg of

the water pollutant in the water for each trial
throughout the lab in order to maintain
fair and accurate trails. By keeping this the
same, we should be able to receive data
with minimal flukes and errors.
 Controlled Variable Time that the pollutant The pollutant needs to be in the water
is in the water prior to exactly 1 hour before the test starts for
removal each trial throughout the lab in order to
maintain fair and accurate trails. By
keeping this the same, we should be able
to receive data with minimal flukes and
errors.

Procedure
1. Get 3 33 x 19 x 18 rectangular fish tanks and fill them with 5L of water each
2. Measure 500mg of pollutant for each fish tank and put them into the water
3. Time 60 minutes for the pollutant to dissolve or spread out in the water
4. After the 60 minutes is up, immediately start a stopwatch and have yourself and two
partners try and remove the pollutant using the fastest known method for each substance
5. Fully clean fish tanks to prepare for next trials
6. Repeat steps 1-5 for all three substances.
7. Record all data collected in the observations table
8. Analyze data against hypothesis and right a conclusion

Materials
- 3 33 x 19 x 18 rectangular fish tanks
- Tap/drinking water
- 1500mg of solid Tylenol pills
- 1500mg of oil
- 1500mg of bacteria
- Stopwatch
- Timer
- Protective gloves
- Goggles
- Machinery appropriate to removing the pollutants (machinery unique to research
completed before conducting lab. Research shows what is the fastest way to remove
each substance)
- Beaker

Safety
- Don’t drink any water used during this lab
- Don’t ingest any pills used in this lab
- Wear goggles as fish tank is glass
 - Use protective gloves to keep hands clean of oil
- Make sure hands are clean after cleaning pollutants from the water
- Make sure bacteria put into the water isn’t harmful to us in case they escape from the
fish tank

Observations
(Not completed as this is only a design for a lab)
Observation Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Qualitative Observations
Table

Oil Spill

E.coli

Solid pill

Conclusion
(Not completed as this is only a design for a lab)