May!

Acid Rain— What's

Left Behind
By Rebecca May
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Table of Contents

Abstract 3

Background Research 4-7

Hypothesis & Variables 8

Materials 9

Procedure 10-11

Data Analysis & Discussion 12-13

Conclusion 14

Work Cited 15-16

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Abstract

In this experiment, I tested how effective different filters were in buffering the pH of
acid rain. I used vinegar and water to make an acid rain substitute, having the same pH of natural
acid rain, four. With this substitute, I filtered it separately through a charcoal, a plant with a root
system, and a clay soil filter that were placed in three 60 mL syringes. I then tested and
compared the different pHs of the filtered liquids by referring to a pH scale. To see how the acid
rain moves and filters through a root system, I used baggies to capture the transpiration of the
plant. I then measured its acidity levels with in order to conclude which filter buffers acidity the
best. I repeated this process three times, and took the average. I found that the clay soil filter had
buffered out the most acidity from the solution and that the charcoal filter buffered out the least
amount of acidity.
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Background Research

Acid Rain in the Environment

Rain is universal, with many positive effects on the environment. The definition of rain is

condensed moisture that falls from the atmosphere, giving life to the earth. It is vital for all living

organisms, but with certain pollutants it can be a source of destruction. What can be concluded

about precipitation's differing pH level in terms of acidity, its effect on the environment, and how

effective are various filters in buffering acid rain?

Acid rain is a type of precipitation found not only in liquid rain, but also in snow, sleet,

and hail. The formation of acid rain is linked to its pH, which stands for, "potential for

hydrogen." According to General Chemistry Online!, a pH reading is a measure of a substance's

hydrogen ion concentration, where it is measured using a pH scale runs that ranges from 0-14.

Zero on the pH scale is more acidic, where fourteen is more basic, or the least acidic on the scale.

To be considered as acid, the pH of acid precipitation must be below 5.0 on the pH scale, making

it more acidic than standard rainfall. The acidity rate, however, varies depending on geographical

locations. According to the Encyclopedia of Weather and Natural Disasters, acid rains forms

when water molecules come together with certain pollutants in the air. The water molecules and

pollutants go through chemical processes that produce different acids, justifying why the pH of

acid rain is so low on the scale. An example of this formation is when water, sulfur

dioxide(H5O2) or nitrogen dioxide(NO2), and oxygen(O) are added together they produce nitric

acid(HNO3). As the acids come together with water droplets, the acidic rain becomes what is
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known as, "wet deposition". Soon they would combine with dust, and the sulfur dioxide and

nitrogen oxide in the acid would be washed away. The acids then react with rainfall, which is

known as, "dry disposition." Acid rain can also be formed when volcanoes release sulfur dioxide,

and lighting strikes produce nitrogen oxide. The pH level in rain and its pollutants brought

together are responsible for the formation of acid rain.

With wet and dry disposition, and all other sources of acid rain, the environment has

been damaged. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency records that the most affected areas

of acid rain are in streams, lakes, and marshes. In these areas the acids not only contaminate the

aquatic animals occupying the area, but also the organisms who seek these bodies of water as a

water and food source. Some plants and animals are not able to live under conditions with acid

rain at all, and they quickly become deceased. According to airquality.org, the absorption of acid

rain in soil makes it nearly impossible to grow certain vegetation. They report that in the green

mountains of Vermont and in the white mountains of New Hampshire about fifty percent of

white spruce trees have died due to acid rain and its affects on the soil. The Encyclopedia of

Weather and Natural Disasters stresses the consequences of acid precipitation in lakes and

rivers, which includes many of the aquatic organisms that occupy areas of other bodies of water,

as in marshes. They tell that where acid rain is common, entire forests have been wiped out. In

certain areas in Europe, a new word been invented to express the extremity of forest death, which

express the consequences of acid rain absorption in soil.

The article, National Decentralized Water Resources Capacity Development Project

(NDWRCP) Research Project, explains how green roofs reduce levels of acidity, similar to how

acid rain can be buffered as it filters through different substances. NDWRC tells that green roofs
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are covered with about 40% plants in order to retain storm water. In an experiment, Robert

Berghage used two commercial green roofs to test their buffering ability against rain. They found

that both green roofs, however, had more similarities than differences. They were both able to

fairly neutralize acid rain in Central Pennsylvania. I believe that the plants on green roofs may

have something to do with the neutralizing the acid rain, as with my experiment with root

systems buffering acid rain.

According to omicsonline.org, by using a method called, "liming" we can neutralize

acid, similar to the buffering of pH levels with various filters and the neutralizing of acid rain

done by plants found in green roofs. Liming is made by mixing powdered limestone and water,

which makes a very basic solution. In an experiment Mulugojam Wondyfraw found that by

placing these expensive stone powders in lakes we can take out some of the lake's acidity. It is

because limestone is so basic, meaning less acidic, then acid rain that it "cancels out" acid.

Wondyfraw's findings counters acidity, as can some filters used for acid rain.

In another experiment by All Science Fair Projects, it was found that by increasing the

number of aquatic plants, the water's level of acidity is decreased. They did an experiment that

recorded the pH levels of an aquarium, adding more plants in each trial with a table. The level of

acidity went down because of the process of photosynthesis in each plant and with the increased

levels of carbon dioxide. As in the previous experiments, the plants act as a buffer to the pH or

acidity level. Similarity, it resembles the buffer of my different acid rain filters from my acid rain

pH experiment.

I will be conducting an experiment in order to test the effects of different filters in

buffering the pH of acid rain. I predict that if I place an acid rain substitute through a root system
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then I predict that it will absorb more of the acidity from an acid rain than with my other tested

filters. To see how the acid rain moves through a root system, I will also use baggies to capture

the condensation from the plant, and will measure its acidity levels. I will use pH paper to

measure the acidity of each filter's resulting liquid, and conclude which is the best filter that

buffers acidity. Each filter trial will be controlled in order to ensure that the acidity levels are

recorded correctly. For example, each will be put a syringe with a tube leading to a tray for each

type of filter. Each syringe will contain the same amount of each substance, and will be measured

in grams and I will be repeating the process three times for the most accurate results. In this

experiment my independent variable will be the multiple filters, such as clay, charcoal, and a root

system, and my dependent variable will be the acid solution.

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Hypothesis

If I place an acid rain substitute through a root system, then I predict that it will absorb more of

the acidity from the acid rain than with a charcoal, clay soil, and transpiration filter.

Experimental Variables
- The Independent variables are the different filters that I put my makeshift acid rain through

(charcoal, clay, root system, transpiration).

- The pH of the existing solution if filtered out, making it the dependent variable.

- The controlled variables are the acid rain mixture, the type of pH paper, and the amount that

the pH paper was dispersed in the filtered out liquid. Another controlled variable would be the

same-sized syringes, which were kept in the same area. Thee are the variables that are all kept

constant throughout the experiment.

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Materials

- charcoal pellets (enough to fill 60mL for each trial)

- clay soil (enough to fill 60mL for each trial)
- small potted plant (3)
- baggies & twist ties (3)
- acid rain solution
~vinegar
~water
- 60 mL syringe (3)
- cup to collect filtered liquid
- pH paper pack
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Procedure

1. Remove the inside suction tube of all three syringes, and place each into a corresponding cup

(pointed end downwards).

2. Then place a small piece of cotton into each end of the syringe in order for material to not

fall through.

3. Place a small plant with a root system, 60 mL of charcoal pellets, and 60 mL of clay soil into

their own syringe. Put each into its corresponding cup.

4. Line all filters and be sure that they are in a controlled environment, having the same

temperature and surroundings.

5. Make a label for the charcoal cup that says, "Charcoal Filter", a label for the clay soil's cup

that says, "Natural Clay Soil Filter", and make a label for the root system's cup that says,

"Root System Filter".

6. Place pH paper into the tap water and record its pH.

7. In order to make the acid rain substitute, add vinegar to water until it reaches the average pH

of acid rain, 4.0 (or below 5.0). Refer to a pH table that corresponds with your pH strips.

8. Record the solution's pH in order to find it's initial pH by using a pH strip. Refer to the pH

scale found with the strips.

9. Place the same amount of acid rain (60mL) into each syringe. Gradually let the solution filter

out before adding all 60mL, so that the syringe does not overflow. Allow time for each to

filter all the way through into the each cup.

10. In order to measure how the acid rain moves and filters through the root system of a plant in

transpiration, place baggies over the leaves of the root system filter.
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11. Use a twist tie to keep the condensation from escaping, and place the plant into direct

sunlight until the bag has enough water to collect.

12. Collect the condensation, and record its pH. Make sure that you place the pH strip into the

liquid for only a few seconds. Do not let the strip be in contact with the filtered out solution

for too long.

13. After allowing for the previous three pH filters to filter out the solution, place a pH strip in

each of the filtered out solution's cups.

14. Observe the color of each strip, and refer to a pH scale. Write your findings in your lab

notebook by making a bar graph.

15. Repeat this process two more times, and take the average pH levels of each objects's filtered

solution. (In order to repeat this trial, remember, to clean out each syringe and cup before the

next experiment, leaving it dry. This is to ensure that there are no leftover acid or water

remnants in the next two experiments).

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Discussion & Data Analysis

The p value from three of my filters are significantly different. The p value of both the

natural clay soil filter with the transpiration filter and the natural clay soil with the root system

filter both resulted in a p value of 0.211324865. The filter comparing the root system filter and

transpiration filter had a p value of 0.0188747757. Any p value below 0.5 is considered

significantly different. However, the charcoal filter was the only filter without any resulting

difference, making it have no significance. A problem in this experiment may have been that the

charcoal needed to be thicker, not in pellets, in order for it to fully filter through the charcoal.

This may have resulted as to why the acidity had not been as buffered as the other three filters.

Root System & Transpiration

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Natural Clay Soil & Root System

Natural Clay Soil & Transpiration

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Conclusion
I hypothesized that the root system filter would be the best at buffering the pH of an acid
rain substitute. My experiment did not support my hypothesis. Instead of the root system filter
being the most successful at filtering, the clay soil and transpiration filter were the most
successful. The root system filter and the charcoal filter, however, had been the least effective
buffer in my experiment. I might take this experiment further by controlling the amount of time
for each filtering process. This way all types of filters would be set on the same time scale. I
might also further experiment by testing different amounts and sizes of each filter, and testing to
see by how much one is more effective than the other. I would like to thank my mom, classmates,
and teachers for helping me along the way with this experiment and giving me guidance.
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Works Cited

"Aquatic Plants and Animals and the Acidification of Our Oceans." All Science

Fair Projects, www.all-science-fair-projects.com/print_project_1093_102.

Accessed 15 Nov. 2016.

Berghage, Robert, Dr., et al. "Quantifying Evaporation and Transpirationalwater

Losses from Green Roof Media Capacity for Neutralizing Acid Rain."

National Decentralized Water Resources Capacity Development Project

(NDWRCP) Research Project, 2007, www.ndwrcdp.org/documents/04-DEC-10SG/

04-DEC-10SG.pdf. Accessed 15 Nov. 2016.

Blackwell, Amy Hackney, and Elizabeth Manor. “Acid Rain.”, Encyclopedia of Weather and

Natural Disasters UXL Science in Context. Accessed 21 Oct. 2016.

"Effects of Acid Rain." U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 31 Mar. 2016, www.epa.gov/

acidrain/effects-acid-rain#ecosystems. Accessed 25 Oct. 2016.

“Impacts of Acid Rain on Soils.” Air Quality, www.air-quality.org.uk/16.php. Accessed 26 Oct.

2016.

Ramlall, Chandika, et al. “Effects of Simulated Acid Rain on Germination, Seedling Growth,

and Oxidative Metabolism of Recalcitrant-Seeded Trichilia Dregeana Grown in Its

Natural Seed Bank.” Plantarum 153.1. Academic Search Premier, web.a.ebscohost.com/

ehost/detail/detail?vid=4&sid=c0c3c4dd-b4b7-4c08-884e-158c61e53f62%40sessionmg

r4007&hid=4206&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3%3d#AN=99962280&db

=aph. Accessed 25 Oct. 2016.

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Senese, Fred. “What is pH?” General Chemistry Online!, 17 Aug. 2015, antoine.frostburg.edu/

chem/senese/101/acidbase/faq/what-is-pH.shtml. Accessed 24 Oct. 2016

Wondyfraw, Mulugojam. "Mechanisms and Effects of Acid Rain on Environment."

Journal of Earth Science & Climatic Change, 30 May 2014,

www.omicsonline.org/open-access/mechanisms-and-effects-of-acid-rain-on-

environment-2157-7617.1000204.php?aid=2702