Investigating Virus Transport in Aquifers
Hard
We're going to investigate how physical and geochemical differences in aquifers can affect virus transport. We'll use quartz sand and bacteriophage virus PRD1 to create synthetic porous media and then study how the virus moves through the aquifer.
Hypothesis
The hypothesis is that virus transport properties are correlated to the hydraulic conductivity and geochemical heterogeneity of the porous medium.
Method & Materials
You will purchase quartz sand in eight well-sorted size fractions and coat the sand with desired percentages of ferric oxyhydroxides. Then, you will use the synthetic sand and bacteriophage virus PRD1 to conduct a series of column studies to determine local-scale transport parameters.
You will need quartz sand, ferric oxyhydroxides, and bacteriophage virus PRD1.
Results
The results of this experiment will help us understand how physical and geochemical differences in aquifers can affect virus transport. We will be able to use the observational findings to create a stochastic model of virus transport in aquifers.
Why do this project?
This science project is unique because it is testing a hypothesis that has not been tested before. It is also high-risk, as the results of the experiment will be used to create a stochastic model of virus transport in aquifers.
Also Consider
Experiment variations to consider include testing different types of viruses and different types of aquifers.
Full project details
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