AlgaSolve: Dose-Dependent Control of Freshwater Harmful Algal Blooms Using Microencapsulated Hydrogen Peroxide- Year 3 Study
Environmental Studies- Grade:
- 12
- Teacher:
- Alfred Santos
Harmful algal blooms (HAB’s) are a fast-spreading hazard across the U.S. These blooms are responsible for major damages to the economy, health, and environment of many Americans. In this research, I focused on finding a targeted concentration of H2o2 depending on the severity of algal blooms. First, I diluted the 12% concentration of H2O2 into 2 other concentrations (0.3%, 6%). Secondly, I diluted 10ml of each concentration on 65ml of distilled water. Then, I microencapsulated the concentrations by adding 0.75g of sodium alginate in 10ml of distilled water, waiting for it to thicken up and add it in 75ml of water. I also dissolved 20g of calcium chloride in 600ml of distilled water and placed it in a cold bath. To finish up the microencapsulation process, I collected the prepared solutions and using a syringe I dropped them into the calcium chloride solution, creating algicide beads. Ten milliliters of algicide beads were added to 100ml of spirulina. Mg-11nutrient medium was added to simulate real-world aquatic conditions, and a heat pad was used to maintain temperature between 25-27°C. Results were measured using a Vernier Go Direct UV-vis spectrophotometer. After analyzing the results of the experiment, data gathered demonstrated that a controlled, low dose H2o2 treatment like 0.3% can mitigate harmful algal blooms more safely, whereas a higher dosage like 6% may cause a more rapid, necrotic-like cellular disruption. The 0.3% concentration is fit for moderate HAB’s, as it reduces bloom growth while avoiding excessive DNA damage observed at higher concentrations. In contrast, a higher concentration like 6% was more effective at rapidly suppressing algal growth, making it ideal for severe bloom cases. However, this concentration caused significantly more cellular damage, indicating that it should be reserved for situations where aggressive intervention is necessary.
Great project. Thank you for sharing your work. Working on a project over several years shows your knowledge and interest in your research topic.
This looks great! I can see that you really put in the work to understand the processes at work and took a lot of time to work out the best solutions. I think you’re really on to something here.