Lyla Curtis

Abstract:

In this experiment, I studied the effectiveness of different types of hand sanitizer (Alcohol based, Alcohol based w/ Fragrance, and non-alcohol based). This is important because the hand sanitizers we use every day might not be killing any bacteria at all. If you don't sanitize your hands with hand sanitizers that work, you could get bacterial infections like pneumonia. The CDC recommends that if there is not soap and water available then people should use alcohol (ethanol or isopropanol) based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. The objective of this study was to determine how well different types of hand sanitizer kill bacteria. My hypothesis was if alcohol based, non alcohol based, and alcohol based w/ fragrance hand sanitizer is used then alcohol based hand sanitizer will work the best because the CDC knows more about alcohol based products more that any non alcohol based products. This was researched by Plating non pathogenic K12 E. coli in a petri dish, then putting each type of hand sanitizer on a sterile disk and placing them on the plated bacteria, lastly measuring the zone of inhibition. My Data Suggests that alcohol based hand sanitizer works the best because it had the largest zone of inhibition.

Awards Won: National Association of Biology Teachers Award; U.S. Metric Association Award