Comparative Analysis of PM2.5 Particulate Matter Collection on Central Valley Crop Leaves Based on Leaf Surface Area

Overview

Air pollution is a major problem in the Central Valley, especially during wildfire season when smoke increases levels of PM2.5, which are tiny particles that can harm people and plants. Plants can help clean the air by trapping these particles on their leaves, but it is not clear which plants are the most effective. The purpose of this project was to find out if leaf size affects how much PM2.5 is collected. The hypothesis was that larger leaves would trap more particles because they have more surface area. To test this, four leaves (two large and two small) were exposed to smoke in a smoker for 24 hours. Every two hours, the leaves were rinsed with distilled water over filter paper to collect the particles. The filters were dried and weighed to measure the amount of PM2.5 collected. A control group was also tested in normal air. The results showed mixed outcomes. After 24 hours, one large and one small leaf collected similar amounts of PM2.5, but in normal air, larger leaves collected more. This suggests that both leaf size and environmental factors affect particle capture. This project shows that plants may help improve air quality, but placement and conditions are also important for accurate data collection.

Competition history

• CSEF 2026 Earth & Environmental Sciences (Track 2) (Junior Division) · Entry J-09-11

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