urgent help needed on environmental science project

[redred81]

For my school we have this whole model where we have an extra class to accommodate people who go off campus usually every other week and we have to make an experiment for our chemistry grade. The teacher I have is an AP Environmental Science teacher and she grades hard. Last semester we got a 79 and that was a good grade apparently, and we haven’t even started our experiment yet. Our research is based around the school itself which is environmentally conscious, and we have to do an experiment on soil pollution around the building. I seriously have to start the experiment this week, in the next few days because it has this is ‘supposed’ to be presented on the 30th of April and it needs about four weeks. I was planning to do like a growing a plant in store bought soil vs soil near the building but that doesn’t automatically mean it’s polluted? And idk, but I need serious help, any advice is cool!

Edited March 27, 2018 by redred81

[Area54]

It might help others if you were to state which grade you are in (also which country!). In addition what resources do you have available to you? For example, did a rich alumni gift the chemistry department a high specification Mass Spectrometer-Gas Chromatograph?

Do you need to conduct an actual experiment, or could you submit very detailed plans, with abundant, relevant references for a an experimental program to assess the extent and character of soil pollution?

[studiot]

9 hours ago, redred81 said:

30th of April

 

Your deadline is to close to perform any useful experiment in Biology for this project.

Perhaps you prefer Biology, but you say this is for a Chemistry grade so why not do some Chemistry?

 

From you description I am guessing you are in an urban area?

So what sort of pollutants could be in the soil?

Have you any nearby factories etc or were there any in the past, or is the school built on former landfill for waste disposal?

Is there a watercourse that could bring in pollutants?

If the school is basically built on ground only disturbed by the builders then the most likely pollutants will be from the building.
This can provide a  source of chemical pollutants because many building products are alkaline (cement, plaster etc) so will change the soil acidity/alkalinity.

So there is something to look for.

Don't forget that you can test not only the soil itself but also the soil water.

 

Since you are studying Chemistry, you have presumably studied some chemical reactions.

Look at some of these, look up what what is in 'good soil' test your soil and water.

Look for lead, copper, iron, manganese ..........

[redred81]

3 hours ago, studiot said:

 

Your deadline is to close to perform any useful experiment in Biology for this project.

Perhaps you prefer Biology, but you say this is for a Chemistry grade so why not do some Chemistry?

 

From you description I am guessing you are in an urban area?

So what sort of pollutants could be in the soil?

Have you any nearby factories etc or were there any in the past, or is the school built on former landfill for waste disposal?

Is there a watercourse that could bring in pollutants?

If the school is basically built on ground only disturbed by the builders then the most likely pollutants will be from the building.
This can provide a  source of chemical pollutants because many building products are alkaline (cement, plaster etc) so will change the soil acidity/alkalinity.

So there is something to look for.

Don't forget that you can test not only the soil itself but also the soil water.

 

Since you are studying Chemistry, you have presumably studied some chemical reactions.

Look at some of these, look up what what is in 'good soil' test your soil and water.

Look for lead, copper, iron, manganese ..........

The teacher said it is best to have something you can observe over time, so 10-14 days of observing will be fine. My school is built to be “environmentally conscious” and I am getting help from my chemistry teacher with the experiment and testing the pH of the soil before it is time for Spring Break. There is a lot of land pollution on school grounds and also a school pond so I’ll check that out, I just mostly needed help even coming up with an experiment with the soil over time because what if the soil near the building isn’t acidic? Idk, it probably is but it’s just a precaution