The Effect of Polycarbonate Microplastics on the Mortality Rate of Artemia franciscana

School Name

Spring Valley High School

Grade Level

10th Grade

Presentation Topic

Environmental Science

Presentation Type

Non-Mentored

Abstract

The world is facing the immense issue of microplastics accumulating in the environment. When microplastics enter the environment, they can cause damage to the base of food chains, tiny invertebrates that support all life above them. As more and more large plastics break down into microplastics, the amount of life that they can affect increases. This project was focused on finding the effects of a specific type of microplastic, polycarbonate, on a relatively unexplored marine environment, salt lakes. Polycarbonate is commonly used in products such as automobiles, eyewear, medical devices, and electronics. With all of these applications, its use, and subsequent formation of microplastics, are constantly growing. Salt lakes are fundamental ecosystems that support many birds, fish, and other crustaceans. At the base of these lakes are brine shrimp, or Artemia franciscana. By testing how microplastics affect brine shrimp, a better understanding of the effect that human pollution has on this important ecosystem can be achieved. The Artemia franciscana were exposed to concentrations of 25 mg/25 mL, 50 mg/25 mL, and 75 mg/25 mL of polycarbonate microplastics. After 24 hours, the mortality was observed. The results of the Chi-square test revealed a p-value of 0.03. With the mortality rate increasing as the concentration of polycarbonate microplastics increased (0.03<0.05). This suggests that there is a correlation between the mortality of the Artemia franciscana and the increase in polycarbonate microplastics. When assessing the data, it can be reasonably concluded that there is sufficient evidence to suggest that there is a difference in the mortality of Artemia franciscana exposed to polycarbonate microplastics in relation to those not exposed to polycarbonate microplastics.

Location

RITA 152

Start Date

3-23-2024 10:00 AM

Presentation Format

Oral and Written

Group Project

No

COinS
 
Mar 23rd, 10:00 AM

The Effect of Polycarbonate Microplastics on the Mortality Rate of Artemia franciscana

RITA 152

The world is facing the immense issue of microplastics accumulating in the environment. When microplastics enter the environment, they can cause damage to the base of food chains, tiny invertebrates that support all life above them. As more and more large plastics break down into microplastics, the amount of life that they can affect increases. This project was focused on finding the effects of a specific type of microplastic, polycarbonate, on a relatively unexplored marine environment, salt lakes. Polycarbonate is commonly used in products such as automobiles, eyewear, medical devices, and electronics. With all of these applications, its use, and subsequent formation of microplastics, are constantly growing. Salt lakes are fundamental ecosystems that support many birds, fish, and other crustaceans. At the base of these lakes are brine shrimp, or Artemia franciscana. By testing how microplastics affect brine shrimp, a better understanding of the effect that human pollution has on this important ecosystem can be achieved. The Artemia franciscana were exposed to concentrations of 25 mg/25 mL, 50 mg/25 mL, and 75 mg/25 mL of polycarbonate microplastics. After 24 hours, the mortality was observed. The results of the Chi-square test revealed a p-value of 0.03. With the mortality rate increasing as the concentration of polycarbonate microplastics increased (0.03<0.05). This suggests that there is a correlation between the mortality of the Artemia franciscana and the increase in polycarbonate microplastics. When assessing the data, it can be reasonably concluded that there is sufficient evidence to suggest that there is a difference in the mortality of Artemia franciscana exposed to polycarbonate microplastics in relation to those not exposed to polycarbonate microplastics.