Environmental Contamination Report (LOEL Lab): SafeStep 7300 Extreme Ice Melter

Environmental Contamination Report: SafeStep 7300 Extreme Ice Melter

Sasha, Sofia, and Matt A.

Introduction:

Hypothesis: 

The LOAEL of contaminant ice melter on Triticum aestivum will be 0.5%.

Null hypothesis: 

Triticum aestivum will not survive with levels of calcium chloride above 0.5%.

Materials:

-Safe Step 7300 Extreme Ice Melter

-Hard Red Wheat Sprouting Seeds

-Water

- Potting Soil

-Planting Container

-Mortar Pestle

Method:

In this lab, we estimated the Lowest Observed Adverse Effect Level on the Hard Red Wheat seeds when planted in soil and watered in a solution of water and calcium chloride.  We estimated that this level would be at 0.5%.  Since that percentage seemed too low to have an adverse effect on the plant, we also planted some wheat that we would water with solutions of 10%, 20%, and 50%.  In addition to using solutions contaminated with Safe Step’s de-icing salt, we also planted wheat seeds in soil and watered them using a traditional, pure tap water solution (the controlled section).  

For each wheat “section” (the controlled and the treated seeds), we repeated the experiment 2 more times in order to have 3 trials in order to lock in the results gotten for each trial row.  

Conclusion

It was clear that our plants did not survive passed a 1% concentration of water-dissolved Ice Melter solution.  At 2.5% and 5% concentrations, there was no plant growth of the seeds and only minor seed germination.  The 0.5% and 1% sprouted slightly, but Winter Break came around before we were able to see any significant growth.

Results

Control: Full Growth

0.5%: few sprouts, smaller than control group

1%: very few sprouts, tiny in height

2.5%: No Growth

5%: No Growth

Masses (grams) Height (of tallest from each group/inches)

control: 1.76 control: 4.75

0.5%: 1.35 0.5%: 5.25

1%: 0.81 1%: 3.75

2.5%: N/A 2.5%: N/A

5%: N/A 5%: N/A

References

SafeStep 7300 Extreme Ice Melter

Making the solutions:

5%- as is

2.5% 250 mL of 5% solution 250 mL added H2O

1% 100 mL of 5% solution 400 mL added H2O

0.5% 50 mL of 5% solution 450 mL added H2O

Watering Schedule:

Day 1: 15 mL

Day 2: 15 mL

Day 3: 5 mL

Day 4: no water

Day 5: no water

Day 6: 10 mL

Day 7: 10 mL