Window Cleaners Effects on Euglena AlgaeJohn Wearden

Grade 9Central Catholic High School

Include any chemical used as a cleaning product intended for use on a surface

May include chemicals that are potentially toxic

May runoff and harm organisms

Long term effects, unclear

Window Cleaners

Eutrophication

Caused by an overabundance of nutrients in an ecosystem

No limiting factor on algae populations

Uncontrollable growth takes up resources for other organisms-oxygen

Limits biodiversity

Can occur naturally

Active Ingredients2-Hexoxethanol Chemical Formula C8H18O2, coalescing agent, can cause depression and kidney failure, severe irritant

Ammonium Hydroxide Chemical Formula NH4OH Can cause breathing complications if inhaled

Windex

Active IngredientsAmmonia NH3, if inhaled can lead to lung damage and death

Glycol Ether Can cause severe liver and kidney damage, as well as fatigue, lethargy, and anorexia with chronic exposure.

Giant Eagle Window Cleaner

Active Ingredients

Acetic Acid - CH3COOH, mild irritant

Green Shield

AlgaeLarge diverse group of simple, and usually autotrophic organismsBasis of the aquatic food chainUsed as as a bio-indicator for aquatic environments

Algal - like protistSurvives in both fresh and salt waterPerforms photosynthesis and endocytosisBecomes dormant in negative conditionsNo cell wallCommon experimental model

Euglena gracilis

Flagellated, unicellular green algaeCommonly found in fresh waterGenerally light sensitiveCommon experimental modelNo cell wall

Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

To determine the effects various window cleaners have on algaeTo examine the effects of window cleaners on algal population density

Purpose

Null Hypothesis: The window cleaners will not significantly affect algal or survivorship

Alternative Hypothesis: The window cleaners will significantly affect algal survivorship

Hypothesis

micro pipette (1000µL)tips for micro pipette30 test tubes (borosilicate 13x100mm)4 tube racks45 mL euglena gracilis45 mL chlamydomonas reinhardtii84 mL spring water90 mL of soil water7 mL Windex window cleaner7 mL Giant Eagle window cleaner7 mL Green Shield window cleanerCarolina spectrophotometerwax paperlarge window

Materials

Procedure

1. Created a stock solution of 10% and 1% for each window cleaner.2. Window cleaners, algae, spring water, and soil water were used to create the following solutions.

1% .1% .01% .001% and 0%.

Solution Table

0 .001 .01 .1 1

Algae 1 1 1 1 1

Variable 0 .05 .5 .05 .5

Spring Water

3 2.95 2.5 2.95 2.5

Soil Water 1 1 1 1 1

Procedure (continued)

3. Tubes were placed in racks recieving equal sunlight from the same window.4. Every other day absorbance reading were taken using a spectrophotometer set at 430nm.

Statistical Analysis

ANOVA

Compares variation within groups to variation between groups. If a p-value is less than the alpha .05 it suggests that the null hypothesis can be rejected.Dunnett’s Test

Compares each experimental group to the control group individuallyEach experimental group is then compared to t-crit value of 3.5

Day 6: P-value .002Day 14: P-value .003above alpha .05

Day 6: P-value .0001Day 14: P-value .018above alpha .05

Day 6: P-value .006Day 14: P-value .173above alpha .05

Day 6: P-value .568Day 14: P-value .003above alpha .05

Day 6: P-value: .004Day 14: P-value: .006above alpha .05

Day 6: P-value .544Day 14: P-value .868

Dunnett’s TestEuglena Windex

EuglenaGiant Eagle

EuglenaGreen Shield

Chlamydomonas Windex

Chlamydomonas Giant Eagle

Chlamydomonas GreenShield

Day 6 4.37285 sig 3.49276 sig 2.60912 (did not have an alpha of .05)

3.38217 sig (did not have an alpha of .05)

Day 14 5.67261 sig 3.28561 sig (did not have an alpha of .05)

4.30152 sig 3.26012 sig (did not have an alpha of .05)

Alpha: 3.05

ConclusionAccept the alternative hypothesis for the Windex cleaner and Giant Eagle cleaner.

All were determined as having significant long term effects.

Reject the alternative hypothesis for the Green Shield cleaner

None were determined to have significant long term effects

Limitations and Extensions

LimitationsThe growing period occurred during the middle of December, different effects may rise with more sunlight

ExtensionsFurther chemicals can be isolated to determine which causes the effect or which combination causes the effect.More diverse species could have been used to better model an ecosystemMore replicates could be used to nullify any outliers

References

http://www.epa.gov/http://www.windex.com/http://www.gianteagle.com/http://www.ewg.org/http://www.britannica.com/http://www.nlm.nih.gov/