The Peel Purifier

CONWAY 1.9 M&H

Question

What types of fruit

peels can absorb
metals in water?

Abstract
The main goal of this Experiment is to find out if fruit
peels can absorb metals in water. For example: Banana
peels, Orange Peels, and mango peels. I chose these
types of peels because they are highly available and
contain carboxylic acid that attracts the heavy metals in
the water. I believe that the mango peel and the orange
peel will be able to absorb the metals in the water
because it contains higher amounts of carboxylic acids
instead of the banana. So the first thing to do is to peel
the fruits, and add the peels in the water. Next you test
the conductivity and the PH levels on the Lab Quests,
last but not least, gather all of the results and paste it in
the data note book.

Hypothesis
If I use various types of fruit peels,
then mango, banana, and orange
peels will be able to filter water
because they contain carboxylic
acid.

Procedures
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
12)
13)
14)
15)
16)
17)
18)
19)

Gather all materials

Peel the fruits.
Chop the peels into small pieces.
Next place the chopped peels in the dehydrator and wait till 3 hours.
After 3 hours, grab the fruit peels out of the dehydrator and put it aside for later.
Next pour 3oz of tap water in the mason jar.
Next grab dirty water from lake and also pour 3oz. in a mason jar.
Test the dirty water and the clean tap water in the Lab Quest and test how the pH
levels.
Next test the conductivity of just the tap water.
Add 2 spoonful's of copper sulfate to the tap water in the cup.
Mix the solution until the water turns blue.
Now test the copper sulfate solution for conductivity and Ph.
Once you got the results, separate the chopped peels from fruit type.
Next add 1oz of the chopped fruit peel(only one type of fruit peel for example:
Banana, Mango, and Orange.) in each sample.
Put on a timer for 2 hours and wait.
After the timer has passed, take out the peels from the specimen, then transfer the
specimen in a test tube.
Next test the conductivity and pH of the water on the Lab Quest to see how many
metals have decreased in the water.
Repeat from step 2 to step 9, using the other peels.
Record the absorbance and the conductivity of the water and paste it on the data
table.

Variables

Independent variable: The types of

fruit peels that are going to be used
to purify the water.
Dependent variable: Amount of
conductivity and the pH of the water.
Controlled: tap water, volume of
water, amount of copper sulfate
added in water, the amount of time,
the mass of the fruit peel.

Materials

Banana
Mango
Orange
Copper sulfate
Timer
Lab Quest (Conductivity and pH probe.)
Test tubes
Data notebook
Camera
Tap water
Contaminated water (Lake water)
Knife
Safety goggles
Gloves
Mason jars
Dehydrator

Experiment
The peels are in a jar with the liquid.

Dehydrating the fruit peels for it

be dry.

Experiment

Testing the conductivity of the

samples with the LabQuest.

Testing the pH levels of the

samples with the LabQuest.

Experiment

Test results of the conductivity

of mango peels in lake water.

The pH result of mango peels in tap

water.

Conductivity Results
Unit of Conductivity: (mS/cm) = Micro Siemens
Trials

Copper
Sulfate(CS)

Tap Water

1.

29,702 (mS/cm) 5,612 (mS/cm)

5,220 (mS/cm)

2.

30,118 (mS/cm) 5,635 (mS/cm)

5,186 (mS/cm)

3.

30,297 (mS/cm) 5,646 (mS/cm)

5,164 (mS/cm)

Average

30,039 (mS/cm) 5,631 (mS/cm)

5,190 (mS/cm)

Trials

CS (Banana)

Lake Water
(Banana)

1.

32,171 (mS/cm) 3,021 (mS/cm)

3,279 (mS/cm)

2.

31,823 (mS/cm) 2,403 (mS/cm)

3,503 (mS/cm)

3.

32,070 (mS/cm) 2,392 (mS/cm)

3,121 (mS/cm)

Average

32,021 (mS/cm) 2,605 (mS/cm)

3,301 (mS/cm)

Tap Water
(Banana)

Lake Water

Conductivity Results
Unit of Conductivity: (mS/cm) = Micro Siemens
Trials

CS (Mango)

Tap Water
(Mango)

1.

26,078 (mS/cm) 922 (mS/cm)

967 (mS/cm)

2.

25,966 (mS/cm) 900 (mS/cm)

956 (mS/cm)

3.

26,078 (mS/cm) 922 (mS/cm)

967 (mS/cm)

Average

26,040 (mS/cm) 914 (mS/cm)

963 (mS/cm)

Trials

CS (Orange)

Lake Water
(Orange)

1.

27,780 (mS/cm) 742 (mS/cm)

1,068 (mS/cm)

2.

27,982 (mS/cm) 730 (mS/cm)

1,056 (mS/cm)

3.

27,993 (mS/cm) 730 (mS/cm)

1,056 (mS/cm)

Average

27,918 (mS/cm) 734 (mS/cm)

1,060 (mS/cm)

Tap Water
(Orange)

Lake Water
(Mango)

pH Results
Unit of Acidity: pH= Positive Hydrogen
Trials

Copper
Sulfate (CS)

Tap Water

Lake Water

1.

3.80 pH

4.72 pH

5.20 pH

2.

4.26 pH

4.83 pH

5.43 pH

3.

4.43 pH

5.04 pH

5.55 pH

Average

4.16 pH

4.86 pH

5.39 pH

Trials

Copper
Sulfate (CS)
Banana

Tap Water
Banana

Lake Water
Banana

1.

3.92 pH

5.11 pH

4.48 pH

2.

3.11 pH

5.43 pH

5.58 pH

3.

3.17 pH

4.74 pH

5.13 pH

Average

3.40 pH

5.09 pH

5.06 pH

pH Results
Unit of Acidity: pH= Positive Hydrogen
Trials

Copper
Sulfate (CS)
Mango

Tap Water
Mango

Lake Water
Mango

1.

3.33 pH

3.79 pH

4.10 pH

2.

3.47 pH

4.19 pH

4.05 pH

3.

3.49 pH

4.20 pH

4.03 pH

Average
Trials

3.43 pH
Copper
Sulfate (CS)
Orange

4.06 pH
Tap Water
Orange

4.06 pH
Lake Water
Orange

1.

3.32 pH

4.87 pH

4.84 pH

2.

3.53 pH

5.18 pH

4.56 pH

3.

3.62 pH

5.41 pH

4.42 pH

Average

3.49 pH

4.57 pH

4.60 pH

Conductivity Graph
35,000

Conductivity levels

30,000
25,000
Banana
Mango
Orange
Untreated

20,000
15,000
10,000
5,000
0

Copper Sulfate

Tap Water

Types of liquids

Lake Water

pH Graph
6

Conductivity levels

5
4

Banana
Mango
Orange
Untreated

3
2
1
0

Copper Sulfate

Tap Water
Types of liquids

Lake Water

Conclusion

In conclusion, my hypothesis was

correct because the conductivity of
the untreated liquids decreased
drastically which proves that some
metals were loss. This experiment
also proved that acidic fruits like the
orange and mango peels, decreased
the acidity of the liquids, not like the
banana, the acidity increased.

Works Cited
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Sept. 2015.
http://www.trueactivist.com/4-ways-to-filter-and-purify-water-with-fruit/
"Baguio Boy's Experiment Shows Banana Peel Absorbs Metals." Inquirer News Baguio
Boys Experiment Shows Banana Peel Absorbs Metals Comments. Web. 24 Sept.
2015.
http://www.survivopedia.com/banana-peel-water-filter/
"Fruit Peels Help Remove Heavy Metals and Purify Water - Daily Health Post." Daily
Health Post. 30 Apr. 2014. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.
http://www.chemguide.co.uk/organicprops/acids/background.html
"The Bizarre Use of Banana Peels for Your Survival Water." Survival Skills Survival
Guns Survival Guide. 5 May 2014. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/657085/baguio-boys-experiment-shows-banana-peel-absor
bs-metals
"An Introduction to Carboxylic Acids." An Introduction to Carboxylic Acids. Web. 24
Sept. 2015.
http://dailyhealthpost.com/fruit-peels-help-remove-heavy-metals-and-purify-water/

"Rules for All Projects." Student Science. N.p., n.d.Web. 25 Aug. 2015.
https://student.societyforscience.org/rules-all-projects