2: It's Turbidity Time
Angelica Duenas, Haren Kaur, Ryan Lohmeier
With increased pollution rates it is more important than ever to preserve our local ecosystems. Our research aims to determine if increasing plant cover will lead to clearer waters. We tested the turbidity of the water in the local slough and the delta at Big Break Regional Shoreline and calculated percent coverage of plants for each. Our findings from the slough indicated a slight positive correlation between turbidity and percent plant cover, whereas we found a negative correlation in the Delta (3.74 NTU, 0% cover and 3.47 NTU, 96.78% cover). The tides significantly impacted our results as they play a large part in turbidity levels. Our results were not entirely conclusive due to the fact that the delta data supported our hypothesis while the slough data led us to reject it. Theoretically, our research could be applied to other aquatic locations to reduce turbidity pollution in the waters and keep the ecosystem clean and thriving. While turbidity can be really important to its ecosystem by carrying nutrients, in large quantities, it can end up blocking sunlight from the plant life in the water. This completely obstructs the aquatic plants’ access to their food source.
4: Degradation of Plastic Using Lanthanum Catalyst
Lisseth Contreras, Hazel Reyes
Plastic Pollution harms the Environment and human Health. We hypothesize that a lanthanum catalyst will improve the process of degrading plastic water bottles (PET). To create a lanthanum metal catalyst, we have 3 key steps: adding an Aldehyde, creating a Salen ligand using ethylene diamine, and creating a Salen metal complex by adding Lanthanum. To test this catalyst, we will use pieces of Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and react them with NaOH, a solvent, and our catalyst. If our experiment is successful, TLC analysis will demonstrate the lanthanum catalyst to be the most active in terms of spotting, which will indicate new compounds. In the future, we believe testing should be done to determine how lanthanides compare to other metals as catalysts.
6: Environmental Influences on Orb-Weaver Spider Web Placement at Big Break
Charity Cooke & Erin Peixoto
Orb-weaving spiders are ecologically important due to their role in controlling insect populations and maintaining ecosystem balance. Orb-web structure and function were influenced by various factors dependent on the local environment of an orb-weaver population. Orb-weavers displayed high plasticity in selecting and positioning their web attachment sites, constructing webs on diverse plant types. Our study aimed to determine whether plant specificity, plant type, and plant density were significant factors influencing web placement and structure in the local orb-weaver population at Big Break Regional Shoreline. We found that the heights of the webs exceeded 1m, attachment sites were highly variable,and there was no significant correlation between plant diversity and web abundance, aligning with with flexible web-building behavior. All sample plots had variation in plant diversity and had an average diversity index of 53.2%. This suggests that environment factors, such as rain and habitat variability, significantly influence orb-weaver spider web locations and structures.
8: Eriochrome Black T Removal by Repurposing Fruit waste
Joshua Kelly, Ramin Rooshen
Water Pollution from Eriochrome Black T (EBT) is an environmental hazard as it is a harmful dye. We tested the use of fruit waste- kiwi peels, pineapple leaves, and orange peels as bio adsorbents for removal of EBT from water. The data showed that kiwi peels were the most effective due to their fibrous structure and hydroxyl groups. Pineapple leaves has negligible effectiveness while orange had zero effectiveness going as far to have negative effects. Through analysis of the data of EBT adsorption by kiwi peels seemed to strongly follow a zero-order kinetic model with an R2 of .9631 With this kiwi peels are shown to be a cost- effective, eco-friendly solution to water pollution demonstrating value in further research across pollutants.
10: Will 1-Naphthol Save The World From Plastic?
Brandon Khuu, Gabrielle Clavido, Khwaja Siddiqi, Nikamarie Fernandez
This research project focuses on the synthesis of a novel compound while using a starting material, which would be, 1-Naphthol, through a series of chemical reactions and analytical techniques, including filtration, distillation, and thin-layer chromatography (TLC). The primary objective is to develop a compound with the potential to break down synthetic polymers commonly found in plastic materials. By exploring the relationship between molecular structure and polymer degradation, this study aims to contribute to sustainable solutions for plastic waste management. In addition to finding a sustainable solution, we plan on finding the most time efficient way as well, meaning a novel compound that degrades the plastic as fast as possible.
12: Owl Pellets Of Tyto alba As Bioindicators For Heavy Metals
Madalynn Delauter, Jose Chaves, Yilin Chen, Mariana Maravilla, Gizelle Tirado
Contra Costa County is home to many diverse ecosystems in which owls play a vital role as predators. Owls help manage rodent and insect populations, preventing crop damage and the spread of diseases, and maintain high biodiversity in their habitats. The purpose of this study is to use owls, specifically their pellets, as indicators of heavy metals in the environment. Owl pellets serve as an excellent bioindicator of toxic metal contaminants due to owls' wide hunting ranges and diverse diets. Tyto alba pellets were collected from two distinct ecoregions (suburban and rural sites) and analyzed for toxic metals using ICP-MS (Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry). We found that both the rural (Black Diamond Mines Regional Park) and suburban (Big Break Regional Shoreline) samples had only trace amounts of copper, iron, and zinc, and there was no significant difference in metal concentrations between the two sites. Of the 3 heavy metals tested, iron was the most significant contaminant (1200 ug/uk rural and 1100 ug/uk suburban). The other metals tested were not detected during ICP-MS analysis. We were not able to determine toxic thresholds as this is the first research of its kind in the region.
14: Effects of Soil Microbial Diversity on Brachypodium Distachyon Growth
Brandon Cerda, Alene Guzman, Anagha Mukunda, Daniella Van,Jill Bouchard
Preserving earth's plant biodiversity is crucial in protecting our ecosystems and ultimately supplying important necessities for humans, livestock, and wildlife. Plant growth is dependent on many factors in the environment such as light, water availability, nutrients, and soil composition. Interestingly, within the soil exists a community of microorganisms that play important roles in soil health, nutrient recycling, and overall plant growth. For our study, we explored how different types of soil isolated from different locations in Brentwood would impact plant growth. We hypothesized that the different soil samples would contain a different makeup of microorganisms and would thus impact growth of a small grass plant called Brachypodium distachyon differently. To test our hypothesis, we grew B. distachyon hydroponically using soil filtrates made from soil samples isolated from local areas as follows: low soil sample from a recreational area, medium soil sample from a neighborhood, and high soil sample from a home garden. Images were taken weekly to track the root and shoot length which were analyzed using a software program ImageJ. We also tested the biodiversity found in the low, medium, and high soil samples by taking swabs of the samples and streaking them across agar plates to see what microorganisms would grow. Our data suggest that B. distachyon grown in soil filtrate from medium diversity regions grew more than low and high diversity regions when comparing their root length. Shoot length was however longer in the lower diversity regions. Our data from streaking the medium soil sample on the agar plates suggests that this sample has the most microorganism biodiversity and correlates with increased root length but not shoot length. Future studies should focus on looking into the types of microorganisms and nutrient levels in the medium and low soil samples to determine more specifically the factor(s) in the soil leading to increase root and shoot growth of B. distachyon.
16: Comparing Pineapple Wastes for Adsorption of Methylene Blue Dye
Eliana Garcia-Ortiz, Jessica Lopez, Angel Rivera, Kaylin Saunders, Isaac Campos
How does the adsorption capacity of pineapple differ for the peel, leaf, and core when adsorbing methylene blue dye?
The decision to test the adsorption capacities of different parts of a pineapple (core, crown, peel) of Methylene Blue Dye, is because MB dye is cancer causing and harmful to the environment and the use of pineapple as a bio-adsorbent of MB dye has mainly been limited to the crown and peel used as activated carbon powders, or PineAC.
18: Synthesis of Propofol & Its Analogs
Patrick Cruz, Darion Mehrabadi, Nolan Sharkey
Propofol is a commonly-used drug in hospitals around the world for anesthesia prior to surgical procedures & its importance cannot be stressed enough. To synthesize propofol cost effectively, we compared many research articles and procedures in order to devise a method utilizing the Sandmeyer & Friedel-Crafts reactions. With these articles we were able to do extractions, distillations, NMR spectroscopy, and thin layer chromatography to purify and evaluate our product. During the Friedel-Crafts alkylation, analogs of propofol were also synthesized, and yields of propofol & its analogs ranged from X% to Y%. Further research would have investigated the ability of the synthesized propofol & its analogs on fruit flies.
20: From Peel to Purity: An Infrared Spectral Analysis of Orange Peels before and after Methylene Blue Removal
Naw Shanyda Soe
The textile industry's discharge of methylene blue (MB) into wastewater causes environmental and health risks. While orange peel has been studied as an adsorbent, little research has examined its spectral changes after the adsorption process with methylene blue. My research compared the infrared (IR) spectra of the original peels and with the final peels after the MB adsorption experiment was complete. I found significant shifts, particularly in the alcohol (-OH) functional group region, showing an interaction of MB molecules with orange peel through hydrogen bonding. This demonstrates that the MB toxicity was trapped in the orange peel and got removed from water. Therefore, orange peels have the potential as a low-cost and eco-friendly adsorbent. My work also lays the foundation for optimizing preparation methods and adsorption durations to enhance dye removal efficiency.
22: Walnut Shells as a Biosorbent for Methylene Blue
Violet Le, Madina Hazheer, Jocelyn Alvarez, Christopher Blubaugh, Girlie Sison
Methylene Blue (MB) is a common pollutant worldwide that negatively impacts both human and environmental health. Due to its stable structure, it is very difficult to remove from water sources. This study aims to find a way to remove MB from water using walnut shells for adsorption. Walnut shells are one of the most produced nuts worldwide, with their shells making it to be a large contributor to landfills. This makes walnut shells the perfect adsorbent to test since it is already readily available. Walnut shells have been tested as biosorbents before, but only once converted into activated carbon, an expensive and tedious process that not many have access to. Therefore, we conducted all of our trials with raw walnut shells to see if the process was necessary. The shells were cracked open and washed with deionized water. Half of the shells were left to soak in a 0.1M solution of NaOH, while the other half were left alone. Both batches were heated at 88℃ for 24 hours. We tested the effect of initial dye concentration, shell treatment, and shell mass on the amount of MB adsorbed. What we found was that the best conditions for maximum percent removal were an initial concentration of 1.0 mg/L, a shell mass of 0.4 grams, and a shell treated with 0.1M NaOH. The highest percentage removal was 84.6%, suggesting that whole walnut shells might be a good option for an accessible method to use for MB removal.
24: Exploring New Worlds: My Experience with NASA’s Community College Aerospace Scholars (NCAS)
Sheryl Madlangbayan
The idea of humans walking on Mars is no longer just science fiction—it’s a goal within our reach, and our generation has a role to play in making it happen. I was drawn to this challenge through NASA’s Community College Aerospace Scholars (NCAS) program, where I joined a team of students to simulate a real Mars mission. Our main objective was to build a rover equipped with all the necessary scientific instruments and communication technology and to land it safely on Mars. This would allow us to explore the Amazonis Quadrangle, identify resources that could support future astronauts, and search for signs of past or present microbial life. We used current and emerging rover technologies to plan our mission, applying engineering concepts to solve real-world space challenges.
26: IndigoGoGo: Investigating Citrus Waste as Natural Adsorbent of Indigo Carmine Dye
Katie Chu, Natalia Flores, Michael Moran, Brianna Reyes, Shwe Yee(Abigail) Thinn, Mentor Prof. Corey Spainhower
Do you own a pair of blue jeans? If you do, I ask you to take a moment to think about what materials and dyes are used to give that signature fashion blue we all wear. 5-indigodisulfonic acid sodium salt, also known as Indigo Carmine, is one of the most popular dyes that are largely used in the textile industry. The dye is used in a variety of products such as pharmaceutical supplies, medicine-related procedures, cosmetics, food dye, and denim jeans. While the dye has beneficial factors for clinical diagnostic purposes, the fashion industry is also responsible for a significant amount of water pollution that leads to aquatic and public health risks (Castillo-Suarez, 2023).
28: Multistep-Synthesis Reaction Using 2-Naphthol ToProduce a Salen Ligand
Ysabel Garcia-Bonds, Estefany Mendoza, Veronica Avila Contreras
This research examines the successful multistep synthesis of a naphthalene-based Salen ligand utilizing 2-naphthol as the starting organic material. The synthetic pathway centered on two key transformations: a modified Riemer-Tiemann formylation reaction and a subsequent diamine condensation. In the first critical step, 2-naphthol was selectively formylated using chloroform under basic conditions to produce 1-hydroxy-2-naphthaldehyde. This reaction proceeded via a dichlorocarbene intermediate that selectively attacked the first carbon position of the naphthol ring. The second key transformation involved condensation of the purified aldehyde with ethylenediamine (1:2 molar ratio) in refluxing ethanol, producing the target H2 Salen ligand. Reaction conditions such as temperature, base concentration, and duration significantly influenced both the product yield and the site of molecular transformation. This two-step synthetic procedure demonstrates an efficient approach for incorporating extended aromatic systems into the Salen framework, providing access to ligands with enhanced photophysical properties for potential applications in molecular recognition and sensing.
30: Reactivity & Product Analysis of Salicylic Acid as a Substituted Phenol in the Reimer-Tiemann Reaction
Sara Olah, Jesus Quintero, Jonathan Ryan, Brianna Wolf, Dennis Gravert
The Reimer-Tiemann reaction is a well-established organic transformation that generates ortho-formylated phenols using chloroform and a strong base. In this study, salicylic acid (2-hydroxybenzoic acid), a naturally occurring phenol, serves as the substrate to investigate the regioselectivity and reactivity influenced by its hydroxyl and carboxylic acid groups. The electron-donating hydroxyl group directs the formyl group predominantly to the ortho position, while the carboxylic acid affects the reaction’s electrophilic aromatic substitution pathway. The primary product, 5-formylsalicylic acid, demonstrates how aromatic ring substitution alters the Reimer-Tiemann reaction outcome. This research highlights the role of electronic effects in substituted aromatic systems and positions salicylic acid as a valuable model for studying electrophilic functionalization in phenolic compounds. We hypothesize that by carefully optimizing reaction temperature and reagent concentrations, we can achieve a higher yield of the target compound, 5-formylsalicylic acid.
32: Dragon Fruit vs. Fish Scales: A Comparison of Methylene Blue Adsorption
Arielitzy Vieyra, Anthony Poole, Isabel Garcia, Dylan Connelly, Richard Dunn, Briana Aguilar
Methylene blue, a synthetic dye commonly used in the textile industry is frequently discarded in bodies of water leading to significant environmental harm. Its presence disrupts aquatic food webs, reduces sunlight penetration, impairs oxygen replenishment, and threatens aquatic biodiversity. Conventional water treatment methods for methylene blue are often costly and insufficient for dye removal. Adsorption, a physico-chemical treatment process, offers an alternative by removing contaminants by capturing contaminants through their attachment to adsorbent surfaces. In this study, we explore the use of two biomaterials– dragon fruit peels and chitin from salmon fish scales– as low cost alternatives. Our findings support shifting away from conventional treatments towards adsorption-based methods that can provide a cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution for industrial dye pollution.
34: Growth of cyanobacteria in different salinity levels
Edgar Sanchez, David Udeh, Darion Mehrabadi, Ahmon Embaye
In recent years, the proliferation of blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) in the Bay Area Delta has become a growing concern, exacerbated by climate change .Rising salinity levels are believed to influence cyanobacterial growth, but the specific effects remain unclear. To investigate this, we measured the growth of cyanobacteria (Anabaena sp.) at four different salinity levels: 0 ppt (control), 10 ppt, 20 ppt, and
30 ppt. BG-11 growth medium was added to the samples, and absorbance readings were collected regularly to monitor growth. After 360 hours, the 0ppt sample had a final absorbance of 2.5 ABS, 10 ppt had 0.1745 ABS, 20 ppt had 0.1375 ABS, and 30 ppt had 0.053 ABS. This means that our control group (0 ppt) had the most growth. Our findings could be used in the future in order to tackle issues like
cyanobacteria blooms or help prevent the decline of cyanobacteria in the Delta.
36: Different Roasts Adsorption of Crystal Violet dye
Marwa Opeyany, Nada Gheit, Sara Shafi
This project tests different coffee roasts—light, medium, and dark—adsorption capacity of Crystal Violet, a synthetic dye, from water. Coffee beans are naturally porous, with roasting changing their structure, we thought that may impact their adsorption capacity.
We guessed lighter roasts would work better because they have more pores and are less broken down by heat. After boiling the beans to remove oil, we tested how much dye they absorbed over time. Our results showed that roast level does make a difference, and lighter roasts worked best. In the future, we want to try used coffee grounds and test how changing the shape of the beans affects dye removal. This could help find simple, eco-friendly ways to clean dye from water.
38: Effect of Saponification and Esterification on Lemon and Orange Peel's Ability to Adsorb Methylene Blue
Ty Bustillos, Olivia Furlong, Emma Pasic, Matthew Radliff
Methylene Blue (MB) is a pollutant that presents complex challenges due to its appearance in water. Bioadsorbents can be efficient in filtration and can be modified to be more effective. Dried, saponified and esterified were the three treatment groups for each fruit. The control groups were the dried orange and lemon peels. The saponified peels were soaked in sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and the esterified peels were soaked in hydrochloric acid (HCl) following saponification. A 1.20 mg/L MB solution was used for all 6 treatments that underwent spectrometric analysis over a 60-minute period with readings taken every 5-minutes. After 60-minutes, the pH levels were recorded. The esterified lemon (ELP) and esterified orange peels (EOP) achieved the highest MB removals, with 84.38% and 65.12% maximum percent removals, respectively. The esterified peels' also had the lowest and most acidic final pH levels, which points toward alternative adsorption mechanisms since lower pH typically reduces adsorption. Perhaps the esterification process enhanced the surface chemistry of the peels and increased the active site availability, making them more successful in MB adsorption. The pseudo-second order kinetic model was the best fit, which reinforces that chemical bonding and/or ion bonding, also known as chemisorption, was involved. An increase of polarity could also be a key in the effectiveness of adsorption based on the introduction of ester functional groups. The findings illustrate the significant enhancement of adsorption capabilities through esterification and highlight the importance of considering multiple mechanisms of adsorption.
40: The Effect of Different Ripeness Levels of Banana Peels on their Adsorbance Capacity
Diana Gutierrez, Brianna Wolf, Destiny Avalos, Hannah Frazee, John Melham
Banana (Musa sapientum) peels are a commonly used bioadsorbant that has high potential to eliminate the major ecological issues regarding water contaminants. The ripeness of the banana peel causes changes in composition that is predicted to affect how efficiently it can adsorb cationic as well as anionic dyes such as methylene blue and Allura Red AC. We created two sets of peel preparation for each ripeness level using a strong base and a strong acid. The absorbance of dye solutions treated with the prepared banana peels over the course of one hour was monitored to measure the adsorbance of dye. We found the highest adsorbance in cationic methylene blue to be underripe peels and ripe peels for anionic Allura Red AC dye. Our lowest adsorbance was observed in overripe peels in both cationic methylene blue and anionic Allura Red AC. We found a correlation between the effectiveness of the banana peel as an adsorbent and the prevalence of hydroxide groups in the composition of each ripeness level. Unfortunately, this shows overripe as the least effective adsorbent, making bioremediation with banana agricultural waste low in practicality.
42: Bird Diversity and Habitat Preference at Big Break
Bishoy Badrous, Disha Begari, Jordan Wilburn, Julian Baires, Natalie Poon
Our group conducted a survey of bird habitat preference at Big Break Regional Shoreline in Oakley, California, and observed birds from the dock by the delta for roughly an hour each visit. We used binoculars and a phone camera to observe the birds directly, and a bird guide to identify the birds. Our research question was simple: what niches of a habitat do birds prefer? Which birds are found inland, or on the shoreline, or in shallow water? We found that Egrets prefer to be near the shoreline standing and waiting for prey to swim by. Black-Crowned Night Herons, Great Blue Herons, and Cape Cormorants favored the shallow water. Smaller birds such as Myrtle Warblers, Black Phoebes, and Tree Swallows often fly above the water's surface, but also remain inland in the trees. Red-Shouldered Hawks and Ospreys were often seen flying high above the open water, diving down to get food. American Coots were also seen along the shoreline, while occasionally being over in the open water. These observations suggest distinct habitat preferences, which can be indicators of the ecosystems health and provide insight into the species distribution and coexistence. Gathering this information can help us understand the local birds' habitat preferences and helps support efforts to protect the surrounding ecosystem.
44: A Step Toward Plastic Breakdown: Exploring the Reimer-Tiemann Reaction
Brenda Maya, Jazmyn Montes Limon, Karlo Pineda
We are investigating the potential of 2-Naphthol and Salicylaldehyde in breaking down plastics into biodegradable forms. This research highlights both the challenges and opportunities in addressing plastic pollution, a global crisis harming marine ecosystems and human lifestyles. Using the Reimer-Tiemann Reaction, we developed catalysts for plastic degradation. One reaction involved refluxing 2-Naphthol with chloroform at 60–70°C for 45–60 minutes to create an intermediate for testing plastic breakdown. Another reaction involved combining salicylaldehyde with manganese (II) sulfate and ethanol, monitored through thin-layer chromatography. The sensitivity of 2-Naphthol required precise conditions to form intermediates, while salicylaldehyde's success depended on changing through key steps to produce an effective catalyst. By refining these methods, we aim to create a sustainably sourced catalyst to transform plastics into biodegradable materials. This research marks progress toward tackling plastic pollution and advancing solutions for a healthier planet.
46: Adsorption of Crystal Violet with Lemon Peels as an Adsorbent
Zakiya Adams, Ryleigh Cooper, Mick Dostalik, Taylor Henley
Water pollution has become a global crisis, in particular the dumping of dyes has drastically risen in recent years, the increase in textile manufacturing contributing to tons of dye-containing wastewater a year. These dyes have catastrophic effects on the environment, disturbing ecosystems, disrupting the food chain, and adversely affecting both animals and humans who encounter the contaminated water. It is of the utmost importance that affordable pollutant removals are made accessible, currently large-scale operations to clear dye polluted water are costly and often inaccessible. Bio-adsorbents offer an affordable alternative, in our research we aim to see if dried lemon peel can serve as an effective adsorbent for the known carcinogenic dye, Crystal Violet. Our group hypothesized the dried peels soaked in sodium hydroxide would be more effective than the unsoaked peels. This is in part due to how sodium hydroxide converts some of the peels functional groups into their salt forms, resulting in more negatively charged sites, allowing for the positively charged Crystal Violet to potentially have more bonding sites. We prepared two peel groups, one just dried, the other soaked in sodium hydroxide and dried. Our prepared standard solutions were read for initial absorbance in the Spectronic 200, the absorbance of both peels in our solutions were monitored over about an hour-long trial, allowing us to investigate lemon peels efficiency at adsorbing Crystal Violet. Our results showed a higher percent removal for the peels not soaked in sodium hydroxide, the averaged percent removal being 40.47% (soaked) compared to 44.70% (unsoaked) with the neutrally prepared peels. We reject our hypothesis, as the results showed that the non-soaked peels were more effective at removing crystal Violette dye from water. This experiment highlights how bio-adsorption can be a cost-effective and accessible alternative for current water purification treatments.
48: Salinity Gradient Effect on Worm Distribution
Charlotte Adams, Aariah Clark, Jio Linsangan, Kaylin Saunders, Grant Sims
We are studying how two different earthworm populations respond to soil salinity gradients. One group is farmed red earthworms, the other group is wild worms collected from Big Break Regional Shoreline in Oakley, CA. This study is significant since climate change and sea level rise are increasing soil salinity, especially in low-lying areas like the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta. By understanding how local earthworm populations react to salinity gradients, we can learn more about which populations may continue supporting soil health under changing environmental conditions. We created a salinity gradient in two soil-filled bins. One half of each bin was moistened with fresh water, the other with a sea salt solution. We placed 10 red worms in one bin and 10 wild worms in the other. Over several days, we observed and recorded worm distribution across the gradient to determine their salinity preference or tolerance. We found that wild worms mostly avoided the saline side, averaging +7.5 inches toward freshwater. Farmed worms were more evenly spread, averaging +3 inches, possibly due to better initial health. Understanding how wild and domestic worms respond to increased soil salinity can inform soil conservation efforts, guide ecological restoration, and help prepare agricultural systems for future environmental challenges. If native worms tolerate salt better, they may be key in sustaining soil health in a changing climate!
50: Adsorption of Methylene Blue Dye in Calamansi Peels
Jayna Abad & Leslie Cruz
The presence of synthetic dyes such as Methylene Blue (MB) in aquatic environments poses serious environmental risks due to their toxicity and persistence. This study investigated the use of dried Citrofortunella microcarpa peels as a low-cost, natural biosorbent for removing MB dye from water, with the aim of improving water quality and contributing to sustainable solutions in the Philippines. Citrofortunella microcarpa peels were skinned, dried for 30 minutes, and tested against four concentrations of MB dye in both freshwater and saltwater conditions. The saltwater was prepared using sodium chloride (NaCl), mimicking saltwater conditions.4 Using 0.19 - 2.0 grams of dried peel, we evaluated adsorption efficiency through spectrophotometric analysis over time. Results showed that calamansi peel effectively adsorbed MB dye across all concentrations, with saltwater conditions generally enhancing adsorption efficiency especially at lower concentrations. At 2 mL/250 mL MB dye, freshwater removed 84.40% dye, while saltwater removed 87.70% dye. However, at higher concentrations (8 mL/250 mL and 11 mL/250 mL), adsorption efficiency decreased in both environments, more notably in saltwater. These findings suggest that salinity can influence biosorption and that calamansi peels may serve as a sustainable option for dye removal in both freshwater and saltwater environments.
52: Exploring Soil Microbiomes: Their Impact on Brachypodium distachyon Growth and Development
Tochi Onyeador, Rebecca Keel, Warrington Arreguin, And Amara Parker
This study examined how soil microbiomes influence the growth of Brachypodium distachyon, a model grass species. Soil samples were collected from farmland, backyard, and trail environments and analyzed using EcoFabs, tools that simulate plant root growth. Plants were divided into three treatment groups (Farmland, Backyard, and Trail) and a control group. Each treatment group received its respective soil filtrate, while the control group received only water with a standard growth medium. Growth was measured by root and leaf length and survival rates. The results showed that farmland soil promoted the highest growth and tallest plants due to its beneficial microbial community and nutrient-rich environment. Trail soil also supported growth, likely due to high nitrogen levels, while backyard soil showed mixed results. The control group had the least growth, highlighting the importance of soil microbes for plant development. The study concluded that farmland soil contains the most beneficial microbes for Brachypodium, with nitrogen-fixing bacteria and specific microbial colonies playing key roles. Future research should focus on the role of farmland-specific bacteria and nitrogen-fixing microbes in enhancing plant health and growth.
54: Reimer-Tiemann Reaction
Yisilayin Xielinnisha, Evelyn Castaneda, Emely Sanchez
The Reimer-Tiemann reaction is a classic organic synthesis reaction that introduces an aldehyde group (-CHO) into phenolic compounds under basic conditions using chloroform (CHCl₃). This reaction involves nucleophilic attack by a carbon species formed from CHCl₃ in the presence of strong base, leading to the formation of aromatic aldehydes. In this experiment, we applied a modified version of the reaction to synthesize 2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde from 2-naphthol. The experiment was carried out twice, with significant improvements observed in the second trial.
56: Abundance of Azolla filiculoides on Dissolved Oxygen
Carissa Bondoc, Caleb Easiley, Quintin Ngo, Lauren Parodi, Brianna Wolf; Briana McCarthy
Mosquito fern, or Azolla filiculoides, is an abundant species at Big Break Regional Shoreline, floating on the water’s surface forming a cover. It is a unique species due to its historic and symbiotic relationship with cyanobacteria, allowing it to fix atmospheric nitrogen and double its entire mass in just 1.9 days. Previous research has also discovered larger amounts of Azolla yielding lower concentrations of dissolved oxygen (DO). This study aims to build on that research and investigate this strange, counterintuitive relationship Azolla has with DO concentrations. We grew varying masses of Azolla (2g, 6g, 10g, 14g) in Delta water over a 20 day period and tested their DO levels throughout. The highest mass of Azolla yielded the lowest concentration of DO (average of 6.206mg/L) as opposed to the lowest mass yielding the highest concentration (average of 6.592mg/L). This is likely due to the larger covering of Azolla on the surface allowing less oxygen to diffuse into the water. This finding is significant in understanding the role of Azolla in carbon dioxide capture and biodiversity. Azolla exerts a lot of ecological duality as it may be an efficient carbon sink but decreases biodiversity in the waters it resides in.
58: Investigating the Effects of the Antibiotic Cephalexin on Brachypodium distachyon Growth and Development
Rubi Aguilar, Mia Loredo Gonalez, Keisha Lopez, Byanca Paniagua, Jill Bouchard
For generations, antibiotics have been a useful source in health treatment and prevention of bacterial infections, dramatically reducing death from infectious diseases. Antibiotics can also be found naturally in soil and can enter soil through various sources, including human and animal waste, wastewater treatment, and agricultural practices. Several studies have found positive impacts of antibiotics on plant growth, including germination, and their corresponding soil microbial communities. However, these antibiotics can persist and may lead to effects on plant growth, soil microorganisms, and the development of antibiotic resistance. This study focuses on investigating the effects of varying concentrations of the antibiotic Cephalexin on growth and development of Brachypodium distachyon, a small grass plant typically used to study biofuels. In our study we used fabricated ecosystems (EcoFABs) to study the interactions between plants grown hydroponically with the addition of Cephalexin in low (200 Nanograms per liter), medium (500 Nanograms per liter), and high (1,000 Nanograms per liter) concentrations. Each week for 4 weeks, we took images of roots and shoots of each plant and analyzed them using ImageJ, an image processing program. We found that B. distachyon exposed to moderate levels of Cephalexin had increased shoot growth compared to control and low and high concentrations of antibiotic. Interestingly, we noticed that in all concentrations tested microorganisms were present, especially in the higher concentration. Based on our data, we can conclude that moderate levels of Cephalexin may promote plant development, particularly shoot growth, but excessive exposure could be detrimental. These results underscore the potential ecological effects of antibiotic presence in soil and water systems. Future studies should focus on further investigations into the long-term impact of antibiotic exposure on plant health, microbial resistance development, and whether similar effects are observed across different plant species and environmental conditions