2: Plastic Degradation Using Chemical Catalysts

Atinuke Balogun, Adaku Iheme, Anu Shofuleji

Plastic waste is responsible for massive pollution, and addressing the urgent need for sustainable solutions to combat plastic pollution is the main focus of this research. It focuses on analyzing various catalysts for plastic degradation. Can substituted salicylaldehyde, Salen ligands, or Salen metal complexes effectively break down plastics?  To synthesize each catalyst, a series of reactions were conducted, followed by isolation through purification using distillation or recrystallization. The resulting compounds underwent thin-layer chromatography or melting point analysis. Using these two methods helps to verify the identity of these compounds by comparing the experimental melting points and Rf values with known values. Once the purity of the products was verified, the Salen ligand was used as a catalyst to break down plastic. To test its effectiveness a Spec-200 UV-visible spectrophotometer was used.  Results show that when the solution was tested without the absorbance was lower than solutions containing that catalyst. In conclusion, substituted salicylaldehydes, Salen ligands, and Salen-metal complexes have been successfully synthesized through various reactions and purification methods. These catalysts hold promise for potential application in breaking down plastics. Future work will involve testing the efficacy of these catalysts on the degradation of plastic materials.

4: Salicylic acid, the bridge to a cleaner future

Jared Hansen

Our world is always in the pursuit of scientific discoveries, from creation of insulin to the synthesizing of components to break down plastics

we are always working on ways to make a better future. Yet many just see results I took on the task of accumulating data on what was created during the synthesis of such compounds. Scientists always ask the larger questions but many never have time to examine the in between.

6: Enzyme-Catalyzed Degradation of Plastics Using 1-Naphthol: Towards Sustainable Remediation

Zaire Allen and Mia Mendoza 

Plastic pollution poses a significant environmental threat, necessitating better solutions for remediation. In this study, we explore the potential of 1-naphthol as a sustainable and accessible agent for plastic dissolution, by use of a catalytic enzyme. Through enzymatic degradation, we aim to address the persistent challenge of plastic waste accumulation, building off of a new approach towards environmental sustainability. The present research aims to help advance the current methodology of plastic dissolution, contributing to the global effort towards a cleaner and greener future.

8: Green Chemistry: Breaking Down Plastics With 2-Naphthol

Nathan Houghtelling, Emeely Jauregui, Julian Lopez, Emily McCutcheon, Dennis Gravert

Plastic pollution is an environmental concern that continues to grow, demanding innovative strategies for sustainable management. This study serves to synthesize a salen-metal catalyst and investigate its efficiency in plastic degradation. The synthesis of our metal catalyst involves the Reimer-Tiemann reaction for salicylaldehyde formation, imine synthesis for salen ligand formation, and salen-metal complex formation. Subsequent quantitative analysis utilizing thin-layer chromatography, infrared, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy techniques were employed. Testing for metal-complex efficiency was done using a spectrophotometer. Such screening for reactions and method optimization were conducted to reveal successful outcomes for our synthesized catalyst specialized in breaking down plastics. Our findings show a viable approach to environmentally friendly plastic degradation and sustainable waste management.  

10: Emerging Methods in the Removal of Agricultural Bi-Product

Alzeah Sedeno, Ashely Jimenez, Evan Perez and Ivan Elizondo

Excess nitrogen from agricultural and industrial runoff is a significant source of pollution in large bodies of water like the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The removal of nitrate from these bodies of water is a significant challenge. The aim of this research is to test bio-peels, such as pumpkin and avocado, as cost-effective and renewable adsorbents for water purification. We exposed both peels to an aqueous solution between 0.01257 and 0.01274 mol/L of ammonium nitrate, which is similar to local environmental conditions. Nitrate was measured using API Freshwater testing kit followed by absorbance on a Spectronic 200E. Although we expected the pumpkin rinds to adsorb nitrate better due to its thicker peel, avocado peels reduced nitrate more significantly from a high concentration to a lower concentration. Future studies will evaluate the effectiveness under different conditions, varying including pH and ammonium nitrate concentrations. These preliminary findings suggest avocado peels could be used as an effective bio peel for water purification in the future.

12: Combating Pollution: Synthesizing Catalysts to Degrade Polyesters 

Juliana Dantes-Enriquez and Madison De Ocampo

Plastics being left behind in the ocean isn’t a new concept, yet it’s still an ongoing problem. With the rise of biodegradable plastics and upcoming technologies offering hope for marine life, plastic remains a large threat to aquatic health. This study showcases how there is a potential for a specific molecule, phenols, to degrade plastics. To understand how this can be done, the phenol must be put through a series of reactions to be in a sufficient state to degrade plastics. In this study, a Reimer-Tiemann reaction is performed for a substituted phenol to react and become a substituted salicylaldehyde. We then react said product with a substituted diamine to create a Salen Ligand. Lastly, the product is reacted with a metal salt to create the final product, a Salen-metal complex catalyst. This catalyst will then accelerate the reaction that breaks down the chains of the polyesters that make up a plastic water bottle. With this, the catalyst we have produced hopefully may be the answer to a more efficient solution to combat plastic pollution by degradation.

14: Investigating the Effects of Trichoderma on Brachypodium Plants at Different pH Levels 

Sarah Khan

Soil pH is an essential factor in plant growth and depends on environmental conditions and irrigation practices; both of which have contributed to acidity damage in plants. In recent years, it has been discovered that Trichoderma harzianum fungi have beneficial effects on plant growth and pathogen resistance. To test whether T. harzianum can protect plants against acidity damage, brachypodium plants were grown in EcoFAB chambers with varying pH conditions, in the presence or absence of T. harzianum. Root length and plant stalk length measurements were recorded for four weeks. It was found that the microbes have a positive effect on the plant stalk height, while root lengths on average either remained the same or shrank. While the microbes may promote growth in the plant stem itself despite an acidic environment, it is unclear whether the roots themselves were damaged or protected from the acidity. The results may be interpreted that the roots themselves were made more efficient, discarding the need to grow larger, or imply a more parasitic relationship where T. harzianum takes from the roots composition in order to provide the growth-promoting products on the plants themselves. With this study as a baseline, future research direction encourages looking at possibly using Trichoderma in soil with low pH, and looking at possible partner microorganisms that work

with Trichoderma to improve plant growth.

16: WAGNS: A Study of X-Ray and Infrared Variability in Active Galactic Nuclei 

William Lee

Active galactic nuclei (AGN) are supermassive black holes accreting gas at galactic centers. Studying AGN helps in understanding black holes and galaxy formation. AGN typically emit corresponding amounts of X-ray and infrared, but many AGN emit different amounts of these wavelengths. This project aims to determine whether this difference is because of structure or viewing angle.

1000 AGN were selected from a source list provided by Stephanie LaMassa and collaborators. Infrared observations of each source, taken over a decade, were obtained from the Near Earth Object Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE) archive, and the standard

deviation of the observations was calculated for each source as an indicator of variability. Sources were classified as X-ray bright or dim, and the mean standard deviation of each set was calculated. The mean was also calculated for the top 5%, 10%, and 20% of sources sorted by

signal-to-noise ratio. A T-test and 95% confidence interval were run to check for a statistical difference in mean variability.

For the whole sample, the X-ray bright set’s observation standard deviations had mean 0.40 ± 0.13, while the X-ray dim set’s observation standard deviations had mean 0.35 ± .08. The P-value was 5.82 × 10―12  and the 95% confidence interval was (.03, .06). Because the confidence interval lies within the standard deviation of the observation standard deviations, there is not convincing evidence of a statistical difference in mean variability. Thus, the difference in X-ray and infrared emission is likely due to viewing angle.

18: The Effect of Differently Charged Dyes on Adsorption Capacity

Madison Martin, Holly Williams, Janessa Lopez, Angelo Reyes, Estefany Mendoza, Ysabel Garcia-Bonds, Darion Mehrabadi, Ali Khan

Many commonly used dyes are toxic and nonbiodegradable in water, which represent a cancerous threat to health and the environment. There is a demand for cost-effective and locally available methods to deal with the annual release of billions tons of wastewater pollutants from sources such as industrial textile production. This study tested whether positively or negatively charged dyes can be adsorbed using the bio adsorbents Daucus carota pomace (DCP) and Labeo rohita bones (Rohu). The carrots were juiced to obtain pomace which was air-dried then soaked in H₂O₂ while the fish bones were boiled in deionized water for 1 hour. Both then dried in an oven at 80°C for 24 hours. DCP has been shown to be an effective bioadsorbent with Crystal Violet (CV) dye, so this study further tested CV alongside Tartrazine (TZ), Allura Red (AR), and Methylene Blue (MB). CV and MB are cationic while TZ and AR are anionic. The preliminary results suggest that CV was most effective at being adsorbed by both the DCP and Rohu with max percent dye removal at 49% and 65% respectively. Cationic dye and agricultural wastes have oppositely charged receptors on the surface, so they get adsorbed easily whereas anionic dyes and agricultural wastes have similarly charged receptors and clash. An interesting continuation of this work is to manipulate the receptors of the waste and dyes to explore, such as through pH or temperature, the effect of the charges further. 

20: To Shave or Not to Shave (Kiwi and Rambutan)

Vanzelle Cabinta, Jeantelle Evangelista, Lucero Martinez, Dani Ortiz-Ama, and Dolly Panugaling

Every year, tons of untreated wastewater containing dyes from various industries enter our water systems or get used directly for irrigation. Our study aimed to see how effective kiwi and rambutan peels were at absorbing methylene blue (MB) dye from water, and how their hairs affected their absorption capacity. Using biological materials as economical biosorbent alternatives may increase the ecological efficiency of traditional methods. Kiwi and rambutan were chosen as the most economical biosorbent options due to their high consumption. The peels were prepared by being soaked in NaOH and rinsed in water. The peels were then cut in half with one side kept normal with hair, and the hairs of the other side were cut. We then left the peels to bake for a day. To test their absorption, we ran a test for each peel by adding them into 100 mL of 6.00M MB dye, and recorded their absorbance every five minutes using a spectrophotometer. We expected that the absorbance of MB dye will decrease over time as the active sites become saturated with dye molecules. In the end, we found that the hairless fruit peels had the highest percent removal, specifically hairless kiwi, and both rambutan peels did not function as an effective biosorbent.

22: Multi-Step Synthesis Reaction Using 2-Naphthol To Atomize Polystyrene Plastics

Jenna Cyr, Caden Hellesto, Jesse Martinelli, Marisol Wortham

Polystyrene, created in 1839 by Eduard Simon, quickly became one of the most commonly used and developed plastics in the world. While this plastic has its uses, polystyrene constitutes a vast portion of the global plastic waste, giving rise to a significant environmental challenge both on land and sea. Due to the increase in plastic use during our day-to-day lives, pollution from these products has grown severe, with major consequences for wildlife, such as death by ingestion or entanglement. In the process of our research, we have enacted a systematic approach of synthesis to engineer a molecule capable of interacting with and atomizing these specific forms of plastic. Using 2-naphthol, our synthesis begins with the Reimer-Tiemann reaction, where we place an aldehyde functional group onto the molecule ortho to (next to) a hydroxy (alcohol) group. The product obtained from the Reimer-Tiemann reaction, 2-hydroxynaphthaldehyde, was then combined with ethylenediamine and cobalt (II) nitrate to produce a metal catalyst that will function to dismantle the molecular structure of the polystyrene plastic. The molecule synthesized has been confirmed throughout the experimental process using various spectroscopic methods such as NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) Spectroscopy along with analytical techniques such as TLC (Thin Layer Chromatography). The functionality of the catalyst has also been tested using a Spec-200 UV-Visible Spectrophotometer where results confirmed the ability of the catalyst to deconstruct the polystyrene plastic more efficiently when compared to control tests.

24: Nitro-Fun: How Microbial Mischief Makes Plants Lose Their Nitrogen Mojo

Trinity Zapata, Abdullah Lanval, Honeymiel Montecillo, Danh Nguyen

Nitrogen is one of the most crucial and essential components that play significant roles in a plant’s developmental processes and overall health, additionally improving a plant’s yield and quality. Stunted growth, yellow leaves, delayed flowering, and fruit developmental issues are all symptoms of nitrogen deficiency." To address the lack of nitrogen problem in plants, we use Rhizobium leguminosarum, a general type of soil bacteria that can make chemical processes to convert nitrogen from the air into a usable form of nitrogen that the plant can use. To do that, we used legume powder inoculant to provide the plant's Rhizobia bacteria with nitrogen. There will be many growth media such as normal growth media (NGM) without nitrogen, NGM with microbes (1.4 g/L), NGM with nitrogen (1650 mg/L), and NGM without nitrogen to investigate the effect of microbes on plants. We use EcoFAB to mirror the plant's normal growing environment and avoid contamination from outside. During data collection for analysis, our focus will be on key phenotypes including root mass, root-shoot ratio, and the number and coloration of plant leaves. These parameters are crucial Indicators that effectively signify nitrogen deficiency. In the end, group C (NGM -N2 +Microbes) shows significant shoot and root growth compared to groups B and C meaning that Rhizobia bacteria did help provide nitrogen to the plant without the need for nitrogen at the beginning from the NGM. 

28: Kelp as a Viable Aid in the Remediation of Ocean Acidification

Jose Chavez, Elriana Styles, Mehria Rahimi, Jose Zepeda-Lopez

The acidification of the ocean is a huge issue with very drastic consequences that will not only effect the ocean and its inhabitants but all of us as well. In a process known as ocean acidification, the higher-than-normal CO2 concentration in the atmosphere reacts with surface

water, releasing H+ ions, thus lowering pH. We hypothesize that kelp (species:Egregia menziesii) can reduce acidity in water samples of varying pH levels. The purpose of this experiment is to see if kelp could be aviable tool in reducing the oceans pH level. We simulated

ocean water by mixing distilled water with sodium chloride to reach the salinity of the ocean (35 ppt) and HCl to reach our desired pH levels. We then added 0.1g of kelp to the differing levels of pH water and monitored their affect over time. Our preliminary results indicate that the kelp did indeed reduce pH levels. On average, across all four pH level water samples, the kelp's removal of H+ ions was 68.61%. With the highest percent removal occurring in water with a pH of 3 with a removal percentage of 76.89%. Kelp was least efficient in water with a pH of 5 only having a percent removal of 59.14%. These results demonstrate that the kelp's ability to raise water pH levels is promising, affirming its viability as a solution for remedying ocean pH levels.

28: Creating a Catalyst to Aid in Plastic Degradation

Rehanna Karimi and Scarlett Bates

We started off our experiment by following the CURE project guidelines given to use by Professor Gravert. Our initial goal was to create a catalyst to aid in plastic degradation. The reaction started with a reaction between 2-Naphthol, NaOH, water, ethanol, and chloroform that resulted in a precipitate. After then adding HCl and ethyl acetate we got the solution to form separate layers. We then performed a

TLC plate with ethyl acetate as our solvent to compare the top layer of our new solution with 2-Naphthol. Our results however were not ideal as our dots had been moving too quickly and messily up the TLC plate. This then led us to our decision to use 4mL of hexane and 1mL of ethyl acetate as our solvent instead of just ethyl acetate. This worked perfectly as we got clear results that showed a small presence of

2-Naphthol in out solution. We then moved on to adding ethylendiamine, ethanol, and iron III nitrate. We refluxed our solution and obtained a catalyst for plastic degradation.

30: P. Crassipes & A. Filiculoides Responses to pH Variations in Solutions

Naw Shanyda Soe, Megan Hines, Alzeah Sedeno, Professor Alicia Bird 

Aquatic ecosystems worldwide face significant challenges due to the proliferation of invasive species and environmental changes, including alterations in pH levels. Understanding how native and invasive aquatic plants respond to pH fluctuations is crucial for effective management and conservation efforts. This study investigates the differential effects of pH on Mosquito fern (Azolla filiculoides) and Water Hyacinth (Pontederia Crassipes) both from the Big Break Regional Shoreline in Oakley, San Joaquin River, California. The experimental setup involved growing our aquatic plants at three different water pH levels: acidic ( range of pH 5-6), neutral (range of pH 6-7), and alkaline ( range of pH 7-8). Water pH was checked frequently for pH levels and possible evaporation over a 4-week period. At regular intervals plant height, biomass, and leaf area were assessed to check growth responses under the different pH conditions. Preliminary results indicate significant differences in the growth patterns of the invasive and native aquatic plant species in response to pH variations. Water Hyacinth exhibited optimal growth in neutral pH conditions, with a relative growth rate of 0.1005 with increased biomass accumulation and vigorous vegetative growth. Mosquito fern displayed tolerance to a wide pH range but exhibited suppressed growth under acidic conditions. These findings underline the importance of considering pH dynamics in the management and control of invasive aquatic plants, as well as the ability for our native plants to survive harsh fluctuation in their habitat.

32: Fish Scale and Chitin Adsorption of Methylene Blue 

Nathan Aranda, Jesus Boscan, and Nicholas Coppa

Methylene blue (MB) is a dye pollutant in ocean waters and is representative of multiple harmful pollutants in the water. Fish scales are an abundant resource that are discarded in mass by fishing industries (2), however, fish scales have been demonstrated to be a source of bio-adsorption (1). Chitin is an effective bio-adsorbent with a high adsorption capacity that can be extracted from fish scales after a lengthy process (2). Our objective was to determine if the % removal through adsorption of methylene blue is greater using chitin rather than fish scales. Chitin was extracted from scales of tilapia and Labeo Rohita using HCl, NaOH, and a laboratory oven. The scales of both fish were dried separately without treatment to also be used as bio adsorbents. All prepared bio adsorbents were placed into a stock of methylene blue where the %transmittance was measured every five minutes over 60 minutes or until a clear plateau of data was reached. Results show that the % removal of chitin for both fish had outperformed that of the scales. Results also showed that % removal was lower with a smaller mass of both chitin and scales, however, chitin still performed better than scales at a lower mass. Kinetics for all trials showed a pseudo-second order kinetic model, which aligns with previous findings (3). From the results gathered, it can be concluded that chitin is a better bio-adsorbent over scales when used at the same mass.

34: Absorption of Methylene Blue Dye Through Banana Peel Purification Methods

Noah Chayce, Grace Hamilton, Anagha Mukunda, Sara Olah, Donna Rainey, Prakrti Sharma​

Methylene Blue dye, commonly used in large quantities in textile industries, widely used in microbiology, and used in our healthcare system. This dye is very important in numerous medical applications, in small regulated amounts. Said findings support the effective rates of photodynamic therapy with MB in various types of cancers, but in high concentrations is known to be very detrimental to animals, plants and even fatal to humans due to it polluting the environment found in bodies of water. Effects such as heart rate and reproductive ability were shown in Studies of Aquatic organisms that had exposure to MB. By using banana peels, which are conventionally a form of waste, as a biosorbent, it provides a low cost, renewable resolution to this issue. Banana peels have a high absorption rate which makes them a very useful and ideal biosorbent for Methylene blue dye. The study we conducted sought to find which out of the 3 different purification methods the banana peels were treated with yielded the best results in regard to measuring the absorption capacity of Methylene Blue dye. Trial 2 yielded the best results with a percent removal at just above 60%, trial 3 was second best with just under 70% removal, and trial 1 came in last with about 60% removal. While the methods for each trial remained very consistent, the different types of solutions the peels were exposed to played a part in absorbency. Overall the results and research conducted from the fruit peels are essential for our future to eliminate pollutants from our waterways.​