Take Home Lab 1st Nine Weeks
Scientist:_____________________
Teacher:______________________
Due Date:_____________________
The Big Dig
Background Information
We are members of a disposable society. We dump or landfill what we no
longer need. Just what happens to discarded trash after we have no need
for it? Contrary to what you believe, there is no "trash fairy." What happens then to that trash? The
problem is, maybe nothing at all. That's a dilemma. Our trash may remain in a stable state for years,
decades, or even millennia, maybe even forever. That's frightening.
Every year each household contributes waste products by using and consuming disposable products
and materials. Sometimes these things are recycled, like many paper, plastic and glass products.
Other times the items are re-used, like old tires that are chipped and used to build playground
surfacing materials. Some people even save kitchen scraps to add to a compost pile in their yard.
Everything else ends up in a landfill, the place where the garbage
man takes all of your trash. Landfills are huge piles of trash that
are often buried to help the waste products break down,
decompose or degrade. Products that decompose rapidly are
called "biodegradable materials." These products are good for the
environment because they will break down in the landfill and will
not leach harmful chemicals into the soil.
How do you know which products are biodegradable? Sometimes
products that are biodegradable will say so on the package. This
way a consumer can make an informed choice about which types
of products to buy. In this experiment, you can conduct your own survey of selected materials to
investigate if they are biodegradable or not in the soil. Which types of products are biodegradable?
How does this affect your choice as a consumer? Are there factors that increase the rate of
degradation in the landfills?
Problem: Is moisture necessary for decomposition of materials in soil?
Hypothesis: If moisture is added to a landfill, then materials will degrade___________ because
_____________________________________________________________________________.
Materials
2 “zipper baggies” quart size
2 straws
Compost or potting soil
Material (2 equal parts) to be tested for biodegradability (paper, chewing gum, packaging, newspaper, Styrofoam, foil,
grass, fruit, etc.) DO NOT use animal products as they will putrefy.
Water
Steps
1. Find the mass of the material to be tested
Sample 1 mass ________g
Sample 2 mass ________g
2. Put equal amounts of compost/soil in each baggie. Label one “water,” the other “no water.”
3. Place the item inside the bag on the soil so that the item is buried in the soil and may be easily
observed through the bag. Add 15 ml of water to the bag labeled “water.”
4. Insert a plastic straw at one edge of the bag, zip the bag closed so that the straw extends out of
one side of the bag to allow some air into the bag. Do not insert the end of the straw into the soil.
5. Place the bags in a drawer or box and leave in a warm location away from drafts and temperature
fluctuations. Bags should not be left in direct sunlight.
6. Observe and record results daily in your journal. Handle the bags with care so that the material
remains in good contact with the soil and also remains visible.
1
2
No degradation,
all material still
there
Material is
soft but
whole
3
Few
holes
4
Some
holes
5
More
holes
6
About half of
the material is
gone
7
Many
holes
7. Measure the mass of the material at the end of 4 weeks
8
Large tears,
material is
falling apart
9
Scraps of
material
left
10
Fully degraded,
no material
present
Sample 1 mass ________
Sample 2 mass ________
RECORD ALL INFORMATION IN JOURNAL PER LAB SHEET REQUIREMENTS
Questions for discussion. Write your answers n your journal and be ready to discuss in class.
1. Before beginning the experiment, what did you think your material would look like over time?
Should it degrade or not?
2. What kind of changes took place with your samples?
3. Is your material biodegradable? How do you know?
4. What is your material made of?
5. What do you think will happen to your material over the next 10 years?
6. Make a list of products that will stay stable in the environment and not degrade for a very long
time.
7. Make a list of things that you would not want to degrade (e.g. paints, clothing)
8. What did people do before plastics and disposables were available?
9. How could we minimize the use of disposables by reusing products and still maintain food
safety, hygiene, freshness, etc.?
10. Make a list of products that will outlive their usefulness.
11. Consider this, archeologists study the trash of previous cultures. What would your trash say
about you?
Extension: Begin a composting your waste. Involve your family in recycling, reusing and reducing!
Research online for more information.
http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/saving/recycling/solidwaste/landfiller.html