Prerna Ravinder

Lawton Chiles Middle Academy

7th Grade
Research Plan
A. Problem and Rationale: What is the effect of different types of fertilizers on the nitrate and
phosphorus content in groundwater?
B. Hypothesis: It is hypothesized that if fast release fertilizer is passed through the soil, the
groundwater below will get polluted faster with nitrates and phosphorus, because these nitrates
will sink into the groundwater faster than the soil can absorb them.
C. Procedure:
1. Put on latex gloves and safety goggles.
2. Clean one PVC pipe so there is no debris on it.
3. Cover the attaching end of the PVC pipe and valve with purple primer.
4. Cover the primer with PVC cement.
5. Push on the PVC pipe and the valve to make sure they stick together.
6. Cover the end of the valve with mesh to ensure that the soil doesnt fall out of the PVC
pipe.
7. Secure the mesh to the PVC pipe by tying a thin rope around it and knotting it 3 times.
8. Drill 4 holes on opposite sides of the PVC pipe, so that the pipe can be suspended with
the valve in the bottom.
9. Label the pipe P1.
10. Repeat steps 2 through 8 and label the second pipe P2.
11. Wait for 24 hours to ensure that the PVC cement is dry on pipes P1 and P2.
12. Mix 1305 grams of sand, 760 grams of soil, and 1965 grams of large pebbles, small pebbles,
and white stones together.
13. Pour mixture of sand, soil, and rocks into the PVC pipe P1 until it is 4/5th full.
14. Pass a thin rope through the holes 3 times for suspending the pipe.
15. Secure the PVC pipe on the 2nd rung from the top of a ten foot ladder.
16. Every hour for 10 hours pour 1500 ml of water through the open end of the PVC pipe to
continue compressing the materials, keeping the valve open. This would simulate the soil that
we have in the ground.
17. Close the valve.
18. Repeat steps 13-17 for pipe P2, and suspend the pipe on the same ladder.
19. Label the sample bottles WT1, WT2, WT3, WT4, WT5, P1WT1, P1WT2, P1WT3, P1WT4,
P1WT5, P2WT1, P2WT2, P2WT3, P2WT4, P2WT5, FT1, FT2, FT3, FT4, FT5, P1FT1,
P1FT2, P1FT3, P1FT4, P1FT5, P1FT6, P1FT7, P1FT8, P1FT9, P1FT10, ST1, ST2, ST3,
ST4, ST5, P2ST1, P2ST2, P2ST3, P2ST4, P2ST5, P2ST6, P2ST7, P2ST8, P2ST9, P2ST10.
20. Collect 5 samples of water WT1, WT2, WT3, WT4, WT5, before it goes through the pipes
P1 or P2.
21. Pour 1500ml of water through the open end of each of the pipes P1 and P2.
22. Wait for 3 days so the water will accumulate to signify groundwater.
23. Every hour, for a period of five hours, collect a sample of water using the valve after it has
passed through the pipe P1 (P1WT1, P1WT2, P1WT3, P1WT4, P1WT5).
24. Every hour, for a period of five hours, collect a sample of water using the valve after it has

passed through the pipe P2 (P2WT1, P2WT2, P2WT3, P2WT4, P2WT5).

25. Mix 60 ml of fast release liquid fertilizer with 4 liters of water.
26. Collect 5 samples (120 ml each) of fast release fertilizer mixture FT1, FT2, FT3, FT4, FT5
before it goes through the pipe P1.
27. Pour 4 liters of water into a bucket with 75 grams of slow release fertilizer crystals.
28. Collect 5 samples (120 ml each) of slow release fertilizer mixture ST1, ST2, ST3, ST4, ST5
before it goes through the pipe P2.
29. Pour 1500 ml of fast release fertilizer mixture through the open end of the pipe P1.
30. Every hour, for a period of five hours, collect a sample of the output using the valve after it
has passed through the pipe P1 (P1FT1, P1FT2, P1FT3, P1FT4, P1FT5).
31. Pour 1500 ml of slow release fertilizer mixture through the open end of the pipe P2.
32. Every hour, for a period of five hours, collect a sample of the output using the valve after it
has passed through the pipe P2 (P2ST1, P2ST2, P2ST3, P2ST4, P2ST5).
33. Close the valve on pipe P1 and pour 1500 ml of fast release fertilizer mixture through the
open end.
34. Close the valve on pipe P2 and pour 1500 ml of slow release fertilizer mixture through the
open end.
35. Wait for 2 days so the fast and slow release fertilizers percolate in the soil, to represent the
activity under the ground.
36. After 2 days, every hour, for a period of five hours, collect 5 samples (120ml each) of the
output using the valve from pipe P1 (P1FT6, P1FT7, P1FT8, P1FT9, P1FT10) and 5 samples
(120ml each) from pipe P2 (P2ST6, P2ST7, P2ST8, P2ST9, P2ST10).
37. Take all the samples to the laboratory to test for nitrates, total phosphorus, and pH (potential
hydrogen).
38. Dispose the soil rich in nitrogen & phosphorus, and any remaining water into flower pots,
which do not seep into the ground.
39. The water samples used for testing will be disposed by the wastewater lab compliantly.
D. Safety: Wear safety goggles and gloves while working with the PVC pipes, fertilizers,
soil and water.
E. Data Analysis: The data from testing of water samples for nitrates, total phosphorus and pH
from the laboratory will be recorded in a data chart. The averages of nitrates, total phosphorus
and pH from 5 trials for fast release, slow release fertilizers and their controls will be calculated
and recorded in a data chart. There will be one graph each with the average phosphorus
comparison, average nitrate comparison and average pH comparison for the fast release, slow
release fertilizers and their controls.