Alex and Konrad's SRP 6 Rough Draft

FILTERING WATER OFF THE STREETS

Can water that has been contaminated with oils and dirt be filtered and used for drinking or watering plants?

Konrad Brayer and Alex Goodwin

Mr. Oz’s Physical Science

Sonoran Science Academy Davis Monthan

September 25, 2013

   

Southern Arizona is a barren desert, known for its sparse rainfall  averages.  Of the meager ten inches of rain Arizonans get a year, nearly half of it is wasted in urban  areas by running down streets into gutters where it cannot be salvaged.  Because water is so valuable, finding a way to harvest it from the streets,  will help  civilians all across southern Arizona have more water for important natural uses like watering plants and basic consumption.

The water that runs down streets is very toxic.Asphalt is used as a binder or seal for roads. It is what gives streets their color, and is extremely sticky alone. Asphalt contains high amounts of petroleum,sulfur,arsenic, and mercury. It is the biggest reason water off the street cannot be filtered and used for anything. (Environmental Protection Agency Nonpoint Source Control Branch, 2010) The other reason is that with cars driving on roads, our streets become covered in leaking oils and gases, as well as exhaust. Plus, our roadways are littered with trash and wastes.

Water is actually the cause of most of these toxins even coming out of the roads. When it rains, water acts as a plunger and sucks up the oils off the road. The cause, in part, is rain. Instead of changing the source, which would require every road to be dug up and replaced with a new substance, humans can easily filter the water AFTER it is collected from the streets.

Many attempts have been made to curb the damage done by lost water from urban runoff. In 1972, the Clean Waters Act was passed, starting a national campaign to prevent water pollution as urban runoff. As a result, the Arizona Department for Environmental Quality was formed and today they oversee the activities from the Clean Waters Act (Waters, et al., 2011). Along with Cochise and Maricopa, Pima county has

taken initiative and started public anti-water pollution campaigns like Clean Water Starts with Me and other water management movements (Waters, et al., 2011).

Other than city water management, everyday citizens can help as well. Small things like over irrigating, not littering, and washing cars at car washes rather than at home can make a big difference in the cleanliness of urban runoff.  However, while the efforts of citizens and city governments are beneficial, they come far  from solving the problem. The most effective way to solve the problem is to filter the water is to filter the urban runoff at the source.

Although water is being wasted by flowing down the streets, in many other places water is harvested whenever it rains. These gutters, most commonly found urban areas and surburban neighborhoods, filter water into cisterns and water barrels. This water is usable due to the fact that these “water catchers” have built in filters. A filter is a device that leaves out impurities and lets only one substance through. Most water filters are made of a charcoal or sponge-like material called sand blocks, an extremely rough fabric that only water can penetrate. These are normal filters, but is unlikely that they will work with streets containing oily runoff.

Water is an extremely valuable resource in Tucson. It is vital to the native plants, animals, and people. Much of this water is wasted in the city in a process called urban runoff, where water is lost by flowing down streets. In the areas of streets containing chemicals (Every where in the city with a paved street) with stronger dirts and oils, it will most likely require an entirely new type of filter to render this water usable for watering plants, or even drinking.

CITATIONS

Waters, S. et al. (2011). When it Rains it Runs Off: Runoff and Urbanized Areas in Arizona. Arizona Cooperative Extension. Retrieved from http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCwQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcals.arizona.edu%2Fpubs%2Fwater%2Faz1542.pdf&ei=ADEzUsbiELOl2AW_o4H4Dg&usg=AFQjCNGflIVfuFt7eFI99YTIYGBEiUOgqg&sig2=u7SDZ8ab17UI9M67cZIPGA&bvm=bv.52164340,d.b2I

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (2009). Arizona’s 2009 Annual Nonpoint Source Annual Report: Nonpoint Source Program July 1, 2008 – June 30, 2009. Phoenix, AZ: State of Arizona. Retrieved from Arizona Department of Environmental Quality website: http://www.azdeq.gov/environ/water/watershed/download/NSP_Annual_Report09-PA.pdf

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (2009). Fact Sheet: Fish Consumption Advisories – April 2009. Phoenix, AZ: State of Arizona. Retrieved from Arizona Department of Environmental Quality website:http://www.azdeq.gov/environ/water/assessment/download/fish-0409.pdf

City of Clarksville, IN (2009). What is Stormwater? Clarksville, IN: City of Clarksville. Retrieved from www.clarksvillesw.com/residents.html

DeFrancesco, Donna and Robyn Baker (2008). Landscape Watering by the Numbers. N.p.: Park & Co.

Environmental Protection Agency Nonpoint Source Control Branch (2010). USEPA Nonpoint Source Fact Sheets. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office. Retrieved from Environmental Protection Agency website: http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/facts/

Road Hazards

Every day, Tucsonans encounter dangerous road hazards all across the city. These hazards may seem like just road inadequacies, but they can have permanent damage in more ways than you think.
One common road hazard is the infamous pothole. Potholes are large crater-like holes in older streets that can cause cars to stall out or experience tire issues. Potholes most commonly are formed by road fatigue or ice wedging in winter months. I have experienced potholes in my time in areas around the University of Arizona.
Another common road hazard in Tucson and Arizona is roadkill. Roadkill is essentially killed animals that have been run over by other vehicles. These unsightly dangers can cars to swerve off the road and crash. I have experienced roadkill in Tucson, but usually more out of the center of town.
Finally, one hazard that is especially common in the Tucson area is the dust storm. Dust storms are large masses of floating dust caused by active winds. Dust storms impede driver vision to only several feet and can make driving difficult. Again, being a a native Tucsonan, I have experienced several intense dust storms.

SRP-4 Background Research Sources

 Hey everybody, it's Alex. If you didn't know yet, my friend Konrad and I are working on our science fair project together. If you're interested about his side of the project, visit him at ///////

Here are the sources for our project. They all come from the source with the URL at the bottom. The one on the top is the most vital to our project and has given lots of useful information. Also, all of the sources below it are from the first source

Waters, S. et al. (2011). When it Rains it Runs Off: Runoff and Urbanized Areas in Arizona. Arizona Cooperative Extension. Retrieved from http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCwQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcals.arizona.edu%2Fpubs%2Fwater%2Faz1542.pdf&ei=ADEzUsbiELOl2AW_o4H4Dg&usg=AFQjCNGflIVfuFt7eFI99YTIYGBEiUOgqg&sig2=u7SDZ8ab17UI9M67cZIPGA&bvm=bv.52164340,d.b2I

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (2009). 
Arizona’s 2009 Annual Nonpoint Source Annual Report: 
Nonpoint Source Program July 1, 2008 – June 30, 2009. 
Phoenix, AZ: State of Arizona. Retrieved from Arizona 
Department of Environmental Quality website: http://
www.azdeq.gov/environ/water/watershed/download/
NSP_Annual_Report09-PA.pdf

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (2009). Fact 
Sheet: Fish Consumption Advisories – April 2009. Phoenix, AZ: 
State of Arizona. Retrieved from Arizona Department of 
Environmental Quality website: http://www.azdeq.gov/
environ/water/assessment/download/fish-0409.pdf

City of Clarksville, IN (2009). What is Stormwater? Clarksville, 
IN: City of Clarksville. Retrieved from www.clarksvillesw.
com/residents.html

DeFrancesco, Donna and Robyn Baker (2008). Landscape 
Watering by the Numbers. N.p.: Park & Co.

Environmental Protection Agency Nonpoint Source Control 
Branch (2010). USEPA Nonpoint Source Fact Sheets. 
Washington, DC: Government Printing Office. Retrieved 
from Environmental Protection Agency website: http://

www.epa.gov/owow/nps/facts/

Here our vocabulary words cited below:

Runoff. 2013. In Dictionary.com Retrieved September 16, 2013 from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/runoff

Non Point Source Pollution. 2013. In United States Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved September 16, 2013 from http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/qa.html

Pesticide. 2013. In Dictionary.com. Retrieved September 16, 2013, from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pesticide?&o=100074&s=t

Sediment. 2013. In Dictionary.com. Retrieved September 16, 2013 from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sediment?s=t

Wetland. 2013. In SLAC. Retrieved September 16, 2013, from http://www-group.slac.stanford.edu/esh/environment/stormwater/p_definitions.htm

SRP Possible Research Question 3

Is there a way to make a fail-proof algorithm to solve a Rubix Cube? The purpose is to see if there is a way to solve a rubix cube using a formula rather than solving it randomly. This question is testable because the hypothesis can be easily proved or disproved if the algorithm works or not. There are also instructions that describe how to make these types of algorithms so there will be no indefinite answers. This is repeatable because others can follow the steps or use the algorithm to see if the hypothesis was proved or disproved. The question is specific because it completely describes the purpose of the idea, but is concise because it does not go in depth about the creation of the algorithm.This article led me to choose this: http://lar5.com/cube/downloads.html. This question should be tested because some areas of math are universal, and the algorithm for the Rubix Cube could be used in other areas of math like engineering.

SRP Possible Research Question 2

Does engaging in cell phone conversations affect reaction time? The purpose is to see if cell phone usage affects reaction time.This project is easy to test and repeat because testing the subjects for reaction time is straightforward and a cell phone and test subjects. This question is specific because it is only focusing on testing the reaction time with cell phones. It is concise because it is under 25 words long. This article led me to this question: http://www.usc.edu/CSSF/History/2004/Projects/J0312.pdf. This question could be tested because it could be substantial evidence to help stop texting and driving.

SRP Possible Research Question 1

Does a high stress situation affect test scores on high-intensity exams that require remembering and recalling figures from before? The purpose is to see if stress can effect difficult tests. This question is testable because the patients can be given the test, put under high stress,and then given a similar test. The results of the two tests would be compared. This is repeatable because the same tests can be taken and test subjects can be relatively easy to find. This question is specific because it includes all parts of a science question and puts details into the variables. The question is concise because it is under 25 words. This question was chosen based off of this article: Princeton University (2013, August 29). Poor concentration: Poverty reduces brainpower needed for navigating other areas of life.This article should be worked on because it could show if stress actually does affect test scores negatively.

Poverty Lowers Brainpower?

Believe it or not, but scientists at Princeton University have discovered that being in poverty can actually lower brainpower. Recent studies have shown that the intense mental stress from having to deal with surviving can distract people from thinking more creatively and even prevent them from using more inventive means to help them escape poverty. This finding was shown during an experiment involving two groups of people solving hypothetical financial problems that got progressively harder. The first group (the "poor" group) performed equally well on solving these problems compared to the "rich" group, but when the problems became severe, the poor group's results dipped. In India, a study justified the results of the previous experiment. A group of 464 sugar farmers took tests before and after harvest, where farmers are poor before the harvest but rich after it. When given a financial test similar to the rich/poor group tests, the overall results showed that the farmers post-harvest performed much better than pre-harvest. Based on the results, don't become poor! It could start something much worse than just a lower income.

Princeton University (2013, August 29). Poor concentration: Poverty reduces brainpower needed for navigating other areas of life.

1. How could these finding be applied to help people dealing with financial problems?
2. Is there any way to escape poverty once it has hit? According to the article, it sounds like there isn't much to do once it sets.
3. Is there any way to prevent slipping into the poverty mindset? If so, how?

Here is the voki presentation of this: http://www.voki.com/pickup.php?scid=8507831&height=267&width=200

Poor Concentration: Poverty Reduces Brainpower Needed for Navigating Other Areas of Life

Aug. 29, 2013 — Poverty and all its related concerns require so much mental energy that the poor have less remaining brainpower to devote to other areas of life, according to research based at Princeton University. As a result, people of limited means are more likely to make mistakes and bad decisions that may be amplified by -- and perpetuate -- their financial woes.

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Published in the journal Science, the study presents a unique perspective regarding the causes of persistent poverty. The researchers suggest that being poor may keep a person from concentrating on the very avenues that would lead them out of poverty. A person's cognitive function is diminished by the constant and all-consuming effort of coping with the immediate effects of having little money, such as scrounging to pay bills and cut costs. Thusly, a person is left with fewer "mental resources" to focus on complicated, indirectly related matters such as education, job training and even managing their time.

In a series of experiments, the researchers found that pressing financial concerns had an immediate impact on the ability of low-income individuals to perform on common cognitive and logic tests. On average, a person preoccupied with money problems exhibited a drop in cognitive function similar to a 13-point dip in IQ, or the loss of an entire night's sleep.

But when their concerns were benign, low-income individuals performed competently, at a similar level to people who were well off, said corresponding author Jiaying Zhao, who conducted the study as a doctoral student in the lab of co-author Eldar Shafir, Princeton's William Stewart Tod Professor of Psychology and Public Affairs. Zhao and Shafir worked with Anandi Mani, an associate professor of economics at the University of Warwick in Britain, and Sendhil Mullainathan, a Harvard University economics professor.

"These pressures create a salient concern in the mind and draw mental resources to the problem itself. That means we are unable to focus on other things in life that need our attention," said Zhao, who is now an assistant professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia.

"Previous views of poverty have blamed poverty on personal failings, or an environment that is not conducive to success," she said. "We're arguing that the lack of financial resources itself can lead to impaired cognitive function. The very condition of not having enough can actually be a cause of poverty."

The mental tax that poverty can put on the brain is distinct from stress, Shafir explained. Stress is a person's response to various outside pressures that -- according to studies of arousal and performance -- can actually enhance a person's functioning, he said. In the Science study, Shafir and his colleagues instead describe an immediate rather than chronic preoccupation with limited resources that can be a detriment to unrelated yet still important tasks.

"Stress itself doesn't predict that people can't perform well -- they may do better up to a point," Shafir said. "A person in poverty might be at the high part of the performance curve when it comes to a specific task and, in fact, we show that they do well on the problem at hand. But they don't have leftover bandwidth to devote to other tasks. The poor are often highly effective at focusing on and dealing with pressing problems. It's the other tasks where they perform poorly."

The fallout of neglecting other areas of life may loom larger for a person just scraping by, Shafir said. Late fees tacked on to a forgotten rent payment, a job lost because of poor time-management -- these make a tight money situation worse. And as people get poorer, they tend to make difficult and often costly decisions that further perpetuate their hardship, Shafir said. He and Mullainathan were co-authors on a 2012 Science paper that reported a higher likelihood of poor people to engage in behaviors that reinforce the conditions of poverty, such as excessive borrowing.

"They can make the same mistakes, but the outcomes of errors are more dear," Shafir said. "So, if you live in poverty, you're more error prone and errors cost you more dearly -- it's hard to find a way out."

The first set of experiments took place in a New Jersey mall between 2010 and 2011 with roughly 400 subjects chosen at random. Their median annual income was around $70,000 and the lowest income was around $20,000. The researchers created scenarios wherein subjects had to ponder how they would solve financial problems, for example, whether they would handle a sudden car repair by paying in full, borrowing money or putting the repairs off. Participants were assigned either an "easy" or "hard" scenario in which the cost was low or high -- such as $150 or $1,500 for the car repair. While participants pondered these scenarios, they performed common fluid-intelligence and cognition tests.

Subjects were divided into a "poor" group and a "rich" group based on their income. The study showed that when the scenarios were easy -- the financial problems not too severe -- the poor and rich performed equally well on the cognitive tests. But when they thought about the hard scenarios, people at the lower end of the income scale performed significantly worse on both cognitive tests, while the rich participants were unfazed.

To better gauge the influence of poverty in natural contexts, between 2010 and 2011 the researchers also tested 464 sugarcane farmers in India who rely on the annual harvest for at least 60 percent of their income. Because sugarcane harvests occur once a year, these are farmers who find themselves rich after harvest and poor before it. Each farmer was given the same tests before and after the harvest, and performed better on both tests post-harvest compared to pre-harvest.

The cognitive effect of poverty the researchers found relates to the more general influence of "scarcity" on cognition, which is the larger focus of Shafir's research group. Scarcity in this case relates to any deficit -- be it in money, time, social ties or even calories -- that people experience in trying to meet their needs. Scarcity consumes "mental bandwidth" that would otherwise go to other concerns in life, Zhao said.

"These findings fit in with our story of how scarcity captures attention. It consumes your mental bandwidth," Zhao said. "Just asking a poor person to think about hypothetical financial problems reduces mental bandwidth. This is an acute, immediate impact, and has implications for scarcity of resources of any kind."

"We documented similar effects among people who are not otherwise poor, but on whom we imposed scarce resources," Shafir added. "It's not about being a poor person -- it's about living in poverty."

Many types of scarcity are temporary and often discretionary, said Shafir, who is co-author with Mullainathan of the book, "Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much," to be published in September. For instance, a person pressed for time can reschedule appointments, cancel something or even decide to take on less.

"When you're poor you can't say, 'I've had enough, I'm not going to be poor anymore.' Or, 'Forget it, I just won't give my kids dinner, or pay rent this month.' Poverty imposes a much stronger load that's not optional and in very many cases is long lasting," Shafir said. "It's not a choice you're making -- you're just reduced to few options. This is not something you see with many other types of scarcity."

The researchers suggest that services for the poor should accommodate the dominance that poverty has on a person's time and thinking. Such steps would include simpler aid forms and more guidance in receiving assistance, or training and educational programs structured to be more forgiving of unexpected absences, so that a person who has stumbled can more easily try again.

"You want to design a context that is more scarcity proof," said Shafir, noting that better-off people have access to regular support in their daily lives, be it a computer reminder, a personal assistant, a housecleaner or a babysitter.

"There's very little you can do with time to get more money, but a lot you can do with money to get more time," Shafir said. "The poor, who our research suggests are bound to make more mistakes and pay more dearly for errors, inhabit contexts often not designed to help."

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Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by Princeton University. The original article was written by Morgan Kelly.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. A. Mani, S. Mullainathan, E. Shafir, J. Zhao. Poverty Impedes Cognitive Function. Science, 2013; 341 (6149): 976 DOI: 10.1126/science.1238041

Need to cite this story in your essay, paper, or report? Use one of the following formats:

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Princeton University (2013, August 29). Poor concentration: Poverty reduces brainpower needed for navigating other areas of life.ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 30, 2013, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­/releases/2013/08/130829145125.htm

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

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Research based at Princeton University found that poverty and all its related concerns require so much mental energy that the poor have less remaining brainpower to devote to other areas of life. Experiments showed that the impact of financial concerns on the cognitive function of low-income individuals was similar to a 13-point dip in IQ, or the loss of an entire night's sleep. To gauge the influence of poverty in natural contexts, the researchers tested 464 sugarcane farmers in India who rely on the annual harvest for at least 60 percent of their income. Each farmer performed better on common fluid-intelligence and cognition tests post-harvest compared to pre-harvest. (Credit: Image courtesy of Princeton University)

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Health & Medicine

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• Self image
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• Attribution theory
• Self-concept

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