======Bread Model of Ground Pollution======


<WRAP right box>
**Materials: **{{$demo.materials_description}}\\
**Difficulty: **{{$demo.difficulty_description}}\\
**Safety: **{{$demo.safety_description}}\\
\\
**Categories:** {{$demo.categories}}
\\


**Alternative titles:** Food Coloring Soil Pollution Model
</WRAP>

====Summary====                   
{{$demo.summary}}



====Procedure====  
  - Place slices of white bread upright in a tray or container to simulate soil layers.  
  - Drop one drop of dark food coloring onto the crust area of the bread to represent a pollution source.  
  - Using a pipette or dropper, drip a measured amount of water (rainfall) onto the food coloring spot.  
  - Repeat the experiment with different amounts of water to test how precipitation influences pollution spread.  
  - Measure how far the food coloring spreads across the surface and into the depth of the bread.  
  - Record observations for each trial and compare results.



====Links==== 
📄 Cheap & Easy Environmental Science Lab: Using Bread and Food Colouring to Model Ground Pollution! - The Roaming Scientist: [[https://www.theroamingscientist.com/post/cheap-easy-environmental-science-lab-using-bread-and-food-colouring-to-model-ground-pollution]]\\

📄 Groundwater Pollution - Guardians of the Environment: [[https://floridadeprecycle.org/docs/HS/HS_Bio_L1_Engage_Lab_Investigation.pdf]]\\

====Variations====
  * Use different bread types (white, whole grain, rye) to model soils with different porosity and permeability.  
  * Change the color of the pollutant to test visibility in different bread types.



====Safety Precautions====
  * Food coloring may stain skin, clothing, and surfaces—wear gloves and protect the workspace.  
  * Do not consume the bread once food coloring and water have been applied.




====Questions to Consider====
  * How does the amount of rainfall affect how far the pollutant spreads? (More rainfall carries the pollutant deeper and farther.)  
  * Which bread type best represents highly porous soil? (Whole grain bread, because it has more holes and absorbs faster.)  
  * What real-world situations could this model represent? (Chemical spills, fertilizer runoff, oil leaks, or pesticide contamination.)  
  * How does this experiment help explain why groundwater pollution is difficult to clean up? (Once pollutants seep into porous layers, they spread widely and are hard to remove.)