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Water Pollution Science Fair Project

Detergent Concentration and Plant Survival

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Detergent Concentration and Plant Survival | Science Fair Projects | STEM Projects
Can even a small amount of detergent kill a plant? Many household detergents contain chemicals that may harm living organisms. This project tests how different detergent levels affect Brassica rapa (a fast-growing plant related to turnips). You plant seeds in 64 pots and divide them into four groups. One group gets plain water. The other three receive water mixed with detergent at three strengths: 25 percent, 6.25 percent, and 1.56 percent. You water them daily for 21 days. Every plant that received any amount of detergent died. Only the plain-water group survived.

Hypothesis

The hypothesis is that higher concentrations of detergents will kill Wisconsin Fast Plants.

Method & Materials

You will dig small holes in the center of each pot, drop WFP seeds into the hole, cover the seeds with soil, label the pots, mix detergents with water, water the plants with different concentrations of detergents, and record the status of the plants every day.
You will need 2 planter 36 packs, 180 Brassica Rapa seeds, 1 bag of fertilizer, 5ml Water per plant per day, 1 bottle of Tide, 1 25ml graduated cylinder, 3 gallon jug, 9 quarts of water, 1 ruler, and 1 recording paper.

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Results

The results of the experiment showed that any plant not in the control group died. This indicates that detergents can be dangerous to plants, and that consumers should be aware of the potential risks.

Why do this project?

This science project is interesting because it shows the potential dangers of detergents on plants, which is something that many people may not be aware of.

Also Consider

Variations of this experiment could include testing different types of detergents, or testing different types of plants.

Full project details

Additional information and source material for this project are available below.

Related video

These videos explain the science behind this project and demonstrate key concepts used in the experiment.
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