ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE PRESENTER ABSTRACTS
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE PRESENTER ABSTRACTS
Brentwood School
Ant’s Capability to Sequester Carbon Dioxide to Increase C02 Removal in the Environment
The steady increase in CO2 concentration in the atmosphere, primarily due to anthropogenic effects and deforestation, highlights the need for natural solutions to slow climate change. I aim to investigate the potential of ant colonies to sequester carbon through the creation of limestone, as suggested by Robert Dorn's publication. The research will focus on determining if CO2 concentration decreases in a formicarium, and the first step will be to explore the use of bioremediation of CO2 in the environment using ants. The findings of this study may provide insight into a natural method for carbon sequestration, potentially contributing to efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Viewpoint School
Aquatic Ecological Succession in Synthetically Softened Water Parameters
Residential ion-exchange water softener systems utilize negatively-charged polystyrene resin beads to replace magnesium and calcium cations with sodium cations, therefore reducing hard mineral deposits in home installations. This process decreases the General Hardness (GH) of solution while increasing the sodium concentration, presenting potential risks to aquatic fauna’s ability to properly osmoregulate. Existing information about these risks remains anecdotal. This study aims to assess the effects of artificial water parameters on aquatic life by tracking the earliest stages of ecological succession in variable conditions, where the rate of species’ appearance is correlated with the favorability of those conditions. It was hypothesized that the artificially softened tap water would show delayed development of aquatic life due to its synthetic water conditions and elevated sodium content that are not typical of natural environments. Three uncovered containers were placed outside for an eighty-five-day period, and the development of life was assessed by three marker phenomena: colonization by Nitrosomas and Nitrobactor bacteria, which are responsible for nitrogen processing in aquatic environments; the appearance of photosynthetic algaes; and the appearance of Dipteran larvae, which were used to indicate the success of multicellular fauna. Water quality data, including Carbonate Hardness (KH), GH, pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate concentrations, was collected, along with observations. The study noted unusually high pH and KH values. The results of this study did not reveal statistically significant differences between the succession of life in artificially softened and municipally available water sources.
Archer School for Girls
Textiles Reaching Out Miles: How Washing your Clothes Pollutes the Environment with Microfibers
Objectives
My objective is to discover what fabric is the most environmentally damaging and whether a Cora Ball, a microfiber filter, prevents microplastic pollution during the washing process, as 35% of microplastic pollution comes from textile usage.
Materials and Methods
I cut 4 fabric types (polyester, rayon, nylon, and cotton) to 8 4in. by 4in. squares. For each fabric, I washed 4 squares separately with the Cora Ball and 4 squares without. For each group, I filled a 5 gallon bucket with the released water. I used a vacuum filtration system to extract microfibers in the water. Prior to filtration, I measured the masses of the filter paper. After filtration, I measured the filter paper final mass and used a microscope at 20x to collect photos of the microfibers on the filter paper.
Results
Polyester had the highest average mass of emitted microfibers at 0.0207 g (cotton: 0.0190 g, rayon: 0.0130 g, nylon 0.0070 g, control group: 0.0048 g). The Cora Ball had an average 64% reduction in mass (polyester: 95%, cotton: 86%, rayon: 56%, nylon: 21%, control group: 64%). Rayon had the highest average visible microfibers at 60 (cotton: 57, polyester: 46, nylon 28, control group: 16). The visible microfibers decreased an average 56% with the Cora Ball (cotton; 73%, polyester: 84%, nylon 60%, control group: 62%).
Conclusion
The Cora Ball effectively decreased microfiber amounts during washing. Polyester and rayon had the most microfibers measurements, suggesting that microfiber pollution primarily comes from synthetics.
Notre Dame High School
Comparative Analysis of Water Treatment Methods and Filtration Membranes for Water Sustainability: Identifying Priority Implementation Regions
Access to safe and clean water is a principal human right and a critical factor for attaining water sustainability. With more pollutants entering water worldwide and increasing water scarcity, the necessity for practical water treatment methods has become a priority. This study executes a comparative analysis of numerous biological and physical filtration/membrane treatments to assess the strengths and weaknesses in the context of water sustainability. A larger focus is placed on how these membrane and filtration technologies can be applied on a large scale against wastewater, agricultural runoff, local lakes and rivers, as well as filtration plants rather than domestic home use. The research involved a comprehensive literature review of public reports, research articles, and case studies including traditional and new, advancing technologies. The examination considered the environmental impact, economic cost, scalability, efficiency, energy consumption, sustainability, and other unique factors of each technology method. The study analyzed and charted fourteen promising water treatment practices. Based on the results, the study determined priority areas for implementing distinct water treatment methods based on their specific characteristics, pros, and cons. This review presents insight for NGOs, policymakers, and water management operations and companies to make educated decisions on designating relevant water treatment systems for different regions based on their individual water conservancy resources and challenges. It also highlights the need for further innovation and research regarding the further development of system applications to address global water challenges.
Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy
Remediating Triclosan from Our Wastewater: New Methods to Keep Our Ocean Safe
Triclosan is a common antibacterial ingredient in pharmaceutical and personal care products. Triclosan makes its way into our oceans when products containing triclosan are washed down the drain. Triclosan is a persistent pharmaceutical pollutant that harms organisms in marine ecosystems and degrades into dangerous compounds. Current wastewater treatment facilities are ineffective at removing triclosan from wastewater. Our research aims to study new removal methods of triclosan by studying different combinations of bioremediating agents to improve the overall triclosan removal efficiency. These agents are: the immobilized form of microalgae strain (Chlorella pyrenoidosa and Scenedesmus quadricauda), and the clay montmorillonite in combination with cationic surfactant Cetrimonium bromide (CTAB). We leveraged the fact that the removal efficiency of the clay and the CTAB is dependent on the pH of the surrounding solution, and that both agents perform differently in the presence or absence of light. Our results suggest that both agents are efficient bioremediators of triclosan based on their abilities to reduce concentrations of triclosan in wastewater within 0 hours to 96 hours. Our work is unique because no other research groups have observed the efficiency of immobilized microalgae as a triclosan remediator, nor have they observed what effect clay and CTAB can have together on the concentration of triclosan in a solution.
Archer School for Girls
Sweltering Soil: Counteracting Heat and Water Stress in Agriculture Using Hygroscopic Materials
Objectives
My objective was to find how to improve soil moisture retention and how this could impact agriculture for areas with high heat damage. To achieve this I tested the hygroscopic materials; glycerine, dimethyl sulfoxide, and table salt, on broccoli and lettuce to find which would improve the soil water retention.
Materials and Methods
My project used 3 different types of hygroscopic materials; dimethyl sulfoxide, and table salt. For all of the groups, I used regular potting soil. The seeds for both the broccoli and lettuce were pre-germinated for 2 weeks in a petri-dish prior to being placed in the dirt. The dosage of the hygroscopic material was decided; 15 g Table Salt, 15 ml Glycerine, and 15 ml dimethyl sulfoxide. Once placed into the potting soil, the plants were given their first dose of the hygroscopic material and watered with 50 ml of water. Every 2 days the liquid hygroscopic materials, glycerine and dimethyl sulfoxide were re-added and the measurement using a soil meter monitor with a 1-10 point range was taken.
Results
My experiment found that the addition of glycerine, dimethyl sulfoxide, and table salt killed both the broccoli and lettuce plants but retained the water in the soil better than the control groups.
Conclusion
In conclusion, my control group was the only group that didn’t kill the plant, disproving my hypothesis. Now I know that due to the lack of natural crop growth substitutes we must focus on solving the root problem.
Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy
One Strain Solving Two Problems: Removing Harmful Nutrients in Wastewater and Harvesting Lipids for Biofuel with Immobilized Microalgae
Microalgae is an applicable solution for the removal of nutrient contaminants (such as nitrogen and phosphorus) that pollute bodies of water. While microalgae can remediate these contaminants when implemented in wastewater treatment, the cultivation of the microalgae is costly. To address this economic obstacle, we maximized the cost-effectiveness and removal efficiency of the microalgae treatment with immobilized Chlorella pyrenoidosa and Scenedesmus quadricauda, highly efficient and adaptable strains, and the addition of a plant hormone. After nutrient removal, we used the remaining microalgae content to address an additional problem: emissions from conventional transportation fuel. The resulting increase in biomass and lipid yield from the debeaded microalgae has the potential to create a biofuel alternative, and hence, decrease the cost of wastewater treatment. The data we achieved for nitrate-N was promising; the nitrate-N levels in full-strength wastewater decreased from 35.5 mg/L to 3.8 mg/L in 7 days and the nitrate-N content in 25% wastewater (with the same beads/flask and zeatin concentration) decreased from 9.9 mg.L to 1.4 mg/L in 2 days. While the ammonium-N did not reach nutrient starvation, the full-strength wastewater removed ammonium-N from 26.6 mg/L to 5.7 mg/L, reaching near-starvation levels (< 2 mg/L). The phosphorus removal data is still being processed. The lipid yield data was inconclusive due to the samples not reaching nutrient starvation levels (2 mg/L of nitrate-N, 2 mg/L ammonium-N).
Gretchen Whitney High School
The Effect of Fertilizer on Levels of Dissolved Oxygen
This research project was designed to discover the effects of fertilizers on dissolved oxygen levels by monitoring the growth of algae and algal blooms. Excess fertilizer causes eutrophication, which leads to increased algae growth. This results in algal blooms and a decrease in dissolved oxygen. I wanted to explore which types of fertilizers of the same NPK would create the greatest algae growth and lowest dissolved oxygen levels. I hypothesized that the sample with liquid fertilizer would have the lowest dissolved oxygen. To test this, I put hair algae, or Bryopsis, in four beakers: one control beaker with no fertilizer and three others with liquid, granular, and spike fertilizers. I made observations over the course of three weeks with the Vernier Dissolved Oxygen Probe to measure the dissolved oxygen levels for each sample. Finally, I compared the graphs of dissolved oxygen to reach a conclusion. I rejected my hypothesis because, among the fertilizer samples, the spike fertilizer had the lowest dissolved oxygen. I later looked at how dissolved oxygen changed over the course of a few days to test when the algal blooms were at their peaks. I am continuing my project by testing the effects of warmer temperatures and acidic pH levels on dissolved oxygen using liquid fertilizer. I want to explore how differences in aquatic conditions due to climate change will impact dissolved oxygen levels in the future.
Archer School for Girls
Breathe With Ease; Assessing the Efficiency of HEPA Air Filters
This experiment aims to test the efficiency of a HEPA filter overtime. To do so, my experiment tested the ability of a HEPA filter to filter candle smoke over the course of three trials. My experiment simulated air pollution using the smoke from a lit candle. The HEPA filter was cut into three sections, labeled filters A, B, and C, and each underwent three trials of filtering the candle smoke for 2 minutes. After each trial, PM measurements were taken from just above the filter and recorded. Photometer measurements were also taken of each filter before and after the three trials. All of these recordings allowed for the filter’s overtime efficiency to be tested. All filters (A, B, C) showed an increase in PM measurements over the course of the three trials. The photometer measurements, which tested the integrity of the filters, dropped drastically after the filters underwent three trials. These results aligned with my hypothesis, which stated that the integrity and overall efficiency of a HEPA filter would degrade with use. It remained shocking to see the dramatic effects on the filters after only three trials.
Archer School for Girls
Global Worm-ing: The Effects of Increased Temperature on Lumbriculus Variegatis
Objectives:
My objective was to explore the effects of climate change. I did this by keeping 10 California blackworms in 8 different temperatures (16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, and 30 degrees celsius) in a water bath for 20 minutes before finding their pulses to see if the worms’ pulses would increase with the temperature. These temperatures were used to simulate the temperatures of water now and in the future where blackworms live, based on the effect of climate change.
Methods:
To achieve the temperatures (16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, and 30 degrees Celsius), blackworms were put in capillary tubes in petri dishes placed in a water bath. After 20 minutes, they were taken out of the bath and viewed with a digital microscope to see their pulse rates.
Results:
The worms in temperatures 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, and 30 degrees Celsius had average pulses (bpm) of 6.1, 7.7, 6.4, 6.6, 7.2, 9.4, 11, and 10.5, respectively. The worms in 16 and 18 degrees moved significantly less than those in temperatures 28 and 30. Although the worms’ pulses did not increase with heat linearly, they did generally increase.
Conclusion:
This information is relevant as it provides more information about the effect of heat increase on aquatic organisms, as well as how pulse rate correlates to movement; more experiments highlighting the effects of global warming may encourage others to create more change to help the environment.
Archer School for Girls
Using Homemade Magnetite Ferrofluid to Extract Microplastics from Water
Objectives
Microplastics are an increasing problem, polluting our oceans and drinking water. It is estimated that the average human consumes 114,000 microplastics each year, and that amount is growing. Magnetite ferrofluid has been proven to be efficient at extracting microplastics from water, but is costly and not widely available. This experiment investigated the efficiency of a more cost effective version of magnetite ferrofluid, composed of synthesized magnetite and vegetable oil.
Methods
The most common types of microplastics were tested (PET, HDPE, PVC, LDPE, PP). A 5 g/L microplastic suspension was created with each plastic and tested in twenty milliliter batches with homemade ferrofluid created with a ratio of 0.5 grams of magnetite and 2.5 milliliters of vegetable oil. The suspension was observed under a microscope before and after extraction. The microplastics were counted using photoshop.
Results
The investigation found the homemade ferrofluid was an average of 93.73% effective. The range of the efficiency rate over the different types of plastic was 8.64%, meaning the efficiency rate varies slightly based on the plastic. The method was 97.05% effective on LDPE plastic, 96.00% on HDPE, 95.62% on PVC, 91.59% on PET, and 88.41% on PP plastic.
Conclusion
This more cost effective version of magnetite ferrofluid shows great potential in the removal of microplastics from water from domestic to industrial levels. This method being more widely available than regular ferrofluid will ultimately lead to a greater removal of microplastics worldwide.
Archer School for Girls
Plastic Eating PETase
Objectives:
My objective was to see if the enzyme PETase (found naturally in the bacteria Ideonella sakaiensis) could break down PET plastic over 4 or 8 weeks. The purpose of my project is to find a method to reduce plastic pollution.
Methods:
I used an E. coli bacteria transformed with the gene that produces the enzyme PETase (created by Beckham and Johnson at Addgene)1. The transformed E. coli was exposed to a 2cm x 1cm rectangle of PET plastic. In my experiment, I had 3 groups. Experimental groups 1+2 contain PET plastic exposed to the transformed E. coli in LB broth: group 1 with lysed cells and protease cocktail applied, group 2 with neither procedures. The control contains PET plastic and LB broth. After the 3 groups were set up, half of each group were incubated for 4 weeks, half for 8 weeks.
Results:
The results are the average change in mass of each rectangle and if bubbles/holes formed in the plastics’ surface. Results: after 4 weeks, both experimental groups decreased -0.0003g, and control decreased -0.0005g. After 8 weeks, experimental 1 (lysed) decreased -0.0006g, experimental 2 (not lysed) decreased -0.0001g, and the control decreased -0.0002g. Bubbles/holes were formed on both experimental groups after 8 weeks, minimal bubbles were formed on the control.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, my results support my hypothesis of experimental 1 (lysed) after 8 weeks reducing the most, however all groups reduced in mass, so I reject my hypothesis.