Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hi,

I have decided to work on the greywater experiment: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... p040.shtml. Along with comparing the effects of grey water and tap water on tomato plants I am thinking about comparing it to recycled grey water as well. Are there any ways that i could filter the water without making it too pure?

Thanks

PhantomUnicorn wrote:Hi,

I have decided to work on the greywater experiment: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... p040.shtml. Along with comparing the effects of grey water and tap water on tomato plants I am thinking about comparing it to recycled grey water as well. Are there any ways that i could filter the water without making it too pure?

Thanks

Hi PhantomUnicorn,

Does "recycled grey water" mean that the greywater is used again for washing in washing machines/sinks/bathtubs (greywater with more hygiene products added)? If so, then this recycled greywater should be tested (with caution, of course) without being purified, because with these variables, you can determine how much detergent/oil the plants can tolerate.

However, please read the cautionary statements at the top of the "Procedures." There is a mild chance that recycled greywater might be dangerous (especially because greywater shouldn't be kept for more than a day (or a few days, if treated with chlorine).

Hope this helped,

JSK

I think that you may have misunderstood because by using the term "recycled grey water" i was referring to the same type of grey water, just filtered out somehow. After that, I was planing to use the purified on some plants and compare them to plants with the unfiltered grey water and other plants with normal tap water.

PhantomUnicorn wrote:I think that you may have misunderstood because by using the term "recycled grey water" i was referring to the same type of grey water, just filtered out somehow. After that, I was planing to use the purified on some plants and compare them to plants with the unfiltered grey water and other plants with normal tap water.

Hey PhantomUnicorn,

Sorry about that, I understand now! To find a medium between greywater and tap water by filtering greywater, perhaps you could use coffee filters (or any porous material that could easily be found around the house that you will no longer use(old & thin sponge could work too!))!

Here is a link for filters made from coffee filters that you could potentially use to filter greywater (perhaps reduce the # of coffee filters suggested, however, to reduce the level of purity of the filtered greywater):
https://www.leaf.tv/articles/how-to-fil ... ee-filter/

Hope this helped,

JSK