Caring for the Environment: Testing Air Quality
INTRODUCTION
Breathing is crucial our human existence because we all need clean air to be healthy. People who
breathe unclean air are more prone to fatal side effects such as asthma, and other kinds of
respiratory diseases due to high number of particles (such as dust) and pollutants (such as smogs,
smoke, and air-borne chemicals). These sources of “dirt” in air are mainly caused by a lot of
factors such as manufacturing chemical plants, factories, and vehicles.
OBJECTIVES
This experiment will provide students with an example of how “clean or dirty” your surrounding is.
Students will have the opportunity to choose a location where they would like to examine the air
quality. The particles and pollutants present in air will be caught using paper materials and
petroleum jelly. The number of particles or pollutants caught in the set-up will then be counted by
the aid of a magnifying glass.
CHEMICALS NEEDED
Petroleum jelly (or commonly known as Vaseline)
MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT NEEDED
Graphing paper
Folder
METHODOLOGY
Air Pollution Collector Fabrication
1. Find six (6) areas in which you can hang several cut-out pieces of the folder. You can perform
this experiment at your home, yard or another area of your choice depending on where you would
like to examine how clean the air is. Record the description and observations of your chosen
sampling location.
2. Cut the graphing paper into several 3x3 inch squares.
3. Carefully paste the graphing paper over a folder. This is your specimen plate.
4. Punch a hole at the top of the specimen plate and tie the pieces of string, then make a knot.
(NOTE: Should you wish to mount the folder on the wall, cut an extra half inch outside of the
graphing paper. Place the specimen plate on the place of your choice. Use a strong adhesive so it
won’t fall during the duration of the experiment.)
5. Smear a thin line of Vaseline covering all the squares in the graphing paper.
6. Hang or mount the specimen plate over your chosen location.
7. Leave the specimen plates for seven days to collect particulates.
8. Examine the specimen plates after seven days by counting the number of boxes that were filled
with particulates. To quantify the number of particulates in the plate, use the formula below:
number of boxes containing particulates
% particulate= x 100
total number of boxes
REPORT SHEET
Caring for the Environment: Measuring Air Quality
NAME OF STUDENT: __________________________________ RATING: __________
CLASS SCHEDULE / INSTRUCTOR: _____________________ DATE PERFORMED: ________
LOCATION # 1
Location:
Description of location:
Paste picture of Specimen Plate (Day 7)
Calculation of % particulate:
LOCATION # 2
Location:
Description of location:
Paste picture of Specimen Plate (Day 7)
Calculation of % particulate:
LOCATION # 3
Location:
Description of location:
Paste picture of Specimen Plate (Day 7)
Calculation of % particulate:
LOCATION # 4
Location:
Description of location:
Paste picture of Specimen Plate (Day 7)
Calculation of % particulate:
LOCATION # 5
Location:
Description of location:
Paste picture of Specimen Plate (Day 7)
Calculation of % particulate:
LOCATION # 6
Location:
Description of location:
Paste picture of Specimen Plate (Day 7)
Calculation of % particulate:
GUIDE QUESTIONS
1. Of the six different locations you chose to run your experiment, which one had the highest
average number of particles per square?
2. How would your results change if you chose a different location to test your experiment? Do
winds have an effect on the results of the number of particles found on your squares/paper plates?
3. What would happen if you tested your experiment in an area with high levels of air pollution,
such as a large industrial city? Would there be more or less particles stuck to your squares?
4. What are some possible side effects from breathing in highly polluted air?
5. Discuss preventive measures that you think we can do to help clean the air.
