The Effect of Lemna minor and Azolla ssp. on the Phytoremediation of Simulated Biomedical Waste

School Name

Spring Valley High School

Grade Level

11th Grade

Presentation Topic

Botany

Presentation Type

Non-Mentored

Abstract

Despite the fact that there has been much research conducted on removing various contaminants from bodies of water, there has been a significant increase in, specifically, biomedical waste contamination that current methods of decontamination are not sufficient enough for. These wastes, containing traces of blood, are typically disposed of by hospitals, which can pose many health risks to the environment if it were to contaminate water sources. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficiency of two aquatic plants, Lemna minor and Azolla caroliniana, on the removal of simulated blood. It was hypothesized that if Lemna minor and Azolla caroliniana were placed in a solution of albumin, glucose, and Lactated Ringer's solution for a period of two weeks, then Lemna minor would result in a lower absorbance reading on a spectrophotometer at the conclusion of the study because Lemna minor has been proven to have great potential to remove contaminants. Approximately 10 grams of each plant was exposed to the simulated blood for two weeks; concentrations of each of the following substances were measured three times during the duration of the experiment. The results of the MANOVA tests suggest that there was a significant change in the concentration of these three substances that were used to simulate blood from biomedical waste (p < .001). Thus, it was concluded that there is sufficient evidence to suggest there is a difference in the removal of albumin, glucose, and Lactated Ringer’s solution when phytoremediation by Lemna minor and Azolla caroliniana plants.

Location

RITA 281

Start Date

3-23-2024 9:30 AM

Presentation Format

Oral and Written

Group Project

No

COinS
 
Mar 23rd, 9:30 AM

The Effect of Lemna minor and Azolla ssp. on the Phytoremediation of Simulated Biomedical Waste

RITA 281

Despite the fact that there has been much research conducted on removing various contaminants from bodies of water, there has been a significant increase in, specifically, biomedical waste contamination that current methods of decontamination are not sufficient enough for. These wastes, containing traces of blood, are typically disposed of by hospitals, which can pose many health risks to the environment if it were to contaminate water sources. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficiency of two aquatic plants, Lemna minor and Azolla caroliniana, on the removal of simulated blood. It was hypothesized that if Lemna minor and Azolla caroliniana were placed in a solution of albumin, glucose, and Lactated Ringer's solution for a period of two weeks, then Lemna minor would result in a lower absorbance reading on a spectrophotometer at the conclusion of the study because Lemna minor has been proven to have great potential to remove contaminants. Approximately 10 grams of each plant was exposed to the simulated blood for two weeks; concentrations of each of the following substances were measured three times during the duration of the experiment. The results of the MANOVA tests suggest that there was a significant change in the concentration of these three substances that were used to simulate blood from biomedical waste (p < .001). Thus, it was concluded that there is sufficient evidence to suggest there is a difference in the removal of albumin, glucose, and Lactated Ringer’s solution when phytoremediation by Lemna minor and Azolla caroliniana plants.