The motivation behind this project is to provide potable water to homes in developing nations where large water treatment plants are not readily available. The goal is to create a small scale filter for a single family household’s use. Throughout the project, the group will explore cost effective methods and techniques that conserve resources and allow for a simple mechanism that can be operated by a layman in a non lab setting.
Challenges
- Filtration of microbes along with filtration of larger particles
- Creating a long lasting filter that is easy to maintain
- Biofilms dry out and become useless if not watered
Fiberglass will be used to filter out particles from the water and positively charged oxidized iron filings will serve to attract negatively charged microbes. This project will operate in conjunction with other groups in the lab section that will change the variables to determine the best combination of filter materials. The other groups will experiment by replacing the fiberglass with sand, and/or removing the rusted iron, and/or adding nylon cloth to help retain moisture in the filter.
The group will measure the success of the filter using a turbidity meter that will demonstrate the amount of microbes and debris removed. The results will then be compared to the other group's filters to determine the best filter.
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