fairfolio
Saved Projects

The Effects of Petroleum-Based Fuel Oils on Aquatic Bryophytes

CSEF · 2018 Toxicology

Charlotte E. Myers · Temecula Preparatory School, Winchester, Riverside County

Overview

Objectives/Goals The objective of this experiment was to determine the petroleum-based fuel oil that has the most negative effect on the growth of aquatic bryophytes. Methods/Materials The materials used in this experiment include gasoline, butane, kerosene, twelve 10-centimeter sprigs of hornwort, two agriculture lights, plastic containers, and a ruler. To perform my experiment, I measured and compared the growth rates of sprigs of aquatic plants submersed in different varieties of fuel oil over a period of ten days. Results The results of this experiment clearly showed that kerosene stunted the process of photosynthesis in aquatic bryophytes most severely. I found that the natural growth rate of nonvascular hornwort is approximately one millimeter per day. However, plants submersed in kerosene decreased in height dramatically due to partial detachment of the central stem caused by an inability to photosynthesize. The plants affected by gasoline and butane also showed signs of minimized photosynthesis, including a reduction of chlorophyll and leaf loss, but were more pronounced in the plants impaired by kerosene. Conclusions/Discussion My results allowed me to attain my objective, as I discovered that kerosene is the most dangerous fuel oil to aquatic bryophytes. This experiment provides a better idea of the impacts of oil spills on marine environments. Scientists may be able to more accurately assess the urgency and danger of an oil spill. Standards and regulations regarding the safe transportation of oil across the ocean can be improved and data about the environmental impacts of these oils can be updated with the research from my experiment.

Summary statement

By measuring and comparing the growth rates of aquatic bryophytes submersed in different varieties of petroleum-based fuel oil, I determined that kerosene most severely inhibits photosynthesis in aquatic plants.

Help received

I designed and performed my experiment independently, but I received assistance from my parents in obtaining my materials and from my biology teacher in explaining the scientific method. I also discussed aquatic bryophytes with employees at an aquatic plant retailer.

Competition history

  • CSEF 2018 Toxicology · Entry J2213

Resources

Related projects

Closest projects by meaning, across every fair and year in the corpus.

Browse more like this

Source: California Science & Engineering Fair public projects

Save projects to your library

Sign in with Google to keep track of projects you find interesting, organized into folders. An account also raises your daily allowance for “Has this been done?”, and lets you create a key for the MCP server with a much higher limit than anonymous use. Browsing stays public.

Continue with Google