Daphnia./U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Aug. 13, 2003
Environmental Effect of Road De-Icers
Effects of Road De-Icers on Vegetation and Water Quality
Kurt Martin Dahlstrom, 14, Hillsboro, N.D.
Second Place, Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge, 2002
Project background: In a previous science fair project, Kurt created an effective de-icer. This time, he decided to test the effect of different road salts on vegetation and water quality and determine whether some de-icers are less toxic to vegetation and water life than others.
Tactics and results: Kurt obtained a variety of chemicals commonly found in de-icers and tested their toxicity on lettuce seeds and Daphnia (a freshwater crustacean). He treated the lettuce seeds with a solution to reduce other factors (like a fungus) that might produce a variable in the germination rate. Then, he placed lettuce seeds in different petri dishes containing the various chemicals. Similarly, he placed the Daphnia in petri dishes with differing chemical solutions.
Kurt observed the lettuce seeds and Daphnia after a period of time and concluded that calcium acetate was the least toxic on lettuce and the least inhibiting on the Daphnia's activity. Calcium chloride, which is used on roads in Minnesota, performed well in the Daphnia experiment but not with the lettuce. Kurt found that the most toxic de-icers on both vegetation and water life were magnesium chloride and sodium chloride.
NEWS: Top Middle School Scientists Advance to the Semifinals
of the 5th Annual Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge.
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