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This hands on project with the leaky landfill will demonstrate
how pollutants migrate through the earth's soil layers and effect
the groundwater system. Because we can't see ground water, we make
models to demonstrate how it looks.
Landfills are areas, which have been, designated for dumping waste,
such as residential garbage, animal waste, nuclear waste, etc. These
landfills are lined to create a barrier between hazardous waste
and the ground.
Open areas of land such as the desert, woodlands, beaches, and
prairies are often littered with trash or become a site for abandoned
appliances, vehicles, tires, and large volumes of hazardous substances.
Materials Needed
| Items |
Quantity |
Description |
| Loaf
Pans |
2 per group
For landfills, with holes in bottom |
two for each
group |
| Black Plastic
Sheeting or Garbage Bags |
1 per group
For landfill liner, |
cut to fit
inside pans covering the bottom and sides |
| Kool-aid
(red or grape) |
1 packet
per group |
Mix with
sand in each loaf pan and demonstrate leachate |
| Sand |
To fill each
loaf pan |
for leaky
landfill demonstration |
| Water can
or water bottle |
1 per group
|
To create
rain on landfill |
| Water |
To create
rain on landfill |
|
| Cookie sheets |
1 per group
|
To contain
spills and leachate under landfills |
| Paper towels |
|
For clean-up |
| Groundwater
systems illustration |
1 per group
|
To demonstrate
groundwater characteristics |
Two students per group. Each group will have two aluminum
loaf pans per cookie sheet.
- Place a plastic liner inside one loaf pan; this will represent
a lined landfill.
- The loaf pan without the lining represents land not designated
as a landfill.
- Fill each loaf pan ¾ full with sand, which represents soil on
and within the earth.
- Kool-aid will be mixed within the sand of the lined loaf pan,
which represents pollutants.
- Water is added to both loaf pans to represent precipitation,
irrigation and groundwater.
After approximately one minute, lift up both loaf pans and notice
if there is any water residue on the cookie sheet. Yes/No?
- Sprinkle a moderate amount of kool-aid on the surface of the
loaf pan without the liner.
- Take a bamboo skewer and gently guide it through the soil layers
and apply enough pressure to puncture a small hole through the
plastic liner and the bottom of the loaf pan. Repeat this approximately
6-8 times.
- Apply water once again to both loaf pans to represent precipitation
and irrigation seeping down into the ground.
- After approximately one minute, lift up both loaf pans and notice
if there is any water residue on the cookie sheet. Yes/No? pen
discussion on demonstration.
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