Effects of Antifreeze on Plants
Effects of Antifreeze on Plants
Krista Perry
Paulding County High School
Mr. Pederson
6th and 7th Period
Honors Biology
1
Effects of Antifreeze on Plants
Table of Contents
Table of Contents………………………………………………………………………….1
Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………2
Introduction…………………………………………………………………………..…3–5
Materials & Procedures……………………………………………………………………6
Results…………………………………………………………………………………7-11
Conclusion/Discussion………………………………………………………….……12-13
References………………………………………………………………………………..14
Appendix………………………………………………………………………..……15-17
2
Effects of Antifreeze on Plants
Abstract
Effects of Antifreeze on Plants
Antifreeze is killing the environment and no one is conducting research on it. The
objective of this experiment is to discover how hurtful the effects are. The results of this
project can help us find a solution to prevent hurting the environment. People can see the
truth about their antifreeze. The hypothesis states if one plant is watered with ½ cup of
water and water four plants with either ½ teaspoon, 1 teaspoon, 1 ½ teaspoon, or 2
teaspoons of Zerex® Original Antifreeze/Coolant in addition to ½ cup of water every
other day, then the plant that receives just water and the plant that receives water and a ½
teaspoon of antifreeze will be the only plants that will grow throughout the experiment.
To conduct the experiment, five pots, a type of plant, antifreeze, and measuring cups are
needed. After planting the seeds, different amounts of antifreeze will need to be poured
on each plant. Plant A, B, and C started to grow, but Plant B and C died on Day12.
Plants D and E never started growing. When B and C started to grow, even though the
plants were watered with antifreeze, it made new questions arise. Is a little okay or does
it all add up? This experiment could be repeated with different plants to see if the results
are the same.
3
Effects of Antifreeze on Plants
Introduction
Most people cannot imagine a time where motor vehicles did not exist. They are
great from getting from one place to another. However, a motor vehicle will need some
maintenance now and then and plenty of products have been made to keep your car
moving. One of these products is antifreeze. Even though it is helping humans, is it
helping the environment? There is a lack of research about antifreeze’s affects which is a
problem. Every problem needs a solution, so a new experiment was set up.
To begin, antifreeze is made from a substance called ethylene glycol. Ethylene
glycol is actually metabolized in plants, but how? Plants have a hormone called ethylene.
It is a very important and very strange due to its gaseous state. Inside plant cells, it is
turned into ethylene glycol where it is broken down again. People believe it cannot harm
a plant because it is already present in its cell, but that is false. Ethylene glycol does not
regulate or stimulate growth and is deadly in large doses (How Does Ethylene Glycol
Affect Plants?, 2012).
There are some known effects of antifreeze that affect more than plants. If
antifreeze is poured into a stream, it could affect more than a couple of organisms. First
off, it lowers oxygen levels in the water. This kills the aquatic life that is present.
Animals that live in this area will be drawn to the antifreeze’s sweet taste (Antifreeze
FAQ’s, 2012). The antifreeze will go with the water through the water cycle which
means it could end up in the groundwater. If it is not treated, anyone may drink it. Also,
it starts to affect the plants that take up the water with the antifreeze.
4
Effects of Antifreeze on Plants
Though different plants need to absorb different amounts of antifreeze before the
plants die, it has been shown that the plants all display similar symptoms. The antifreeze
will first stunt the growth of the plants. Then, the antifreeze will slow down or even stop
the plant’s reproductive cycle. Finally, the plants will die (Does Antifreeze Affect Plant
Growth?, 2012). Another reason why it is so deadly is because it dissolves into the
water. This changes the solute concentration to a much thicker solute. This makes it
harder for the plants to get water for transporting nutrients (How Does Ethylene Glycol
Affect Plants?, 2012).
There have been some biologists who have seen the importance of this experiment
and taken action. One experiment is testing the effects on poplar trees. The biologist
documented that the trees suffered a 28% decrease in growth when the groundwater had
10 grams of antifreeze in each liter of water (Does Antifreeze Affect Plant Growth?,
2012). Poplar trees were tested by another biologist and that biologist recorded that the
trees exhibited lower levels of stem growth (How Does Ethylene Glycol Affect Plants?,
2012). Another experiment was conducted with small potted plant, Arabidopsis
Thaliana. These plants suffered a 50% decline when they were watered with 40 grams
per liter (Does Antifreeze Affect Plant Growth?, 2012). It was also recorded that the
plants had a severe reduction in root growth when the antifreeze was as low as 10 grams
per liter. Other plants such as radishes, lettuce, ryegrasses, and a few others have been
tested. They also display the same symptoms (How Does Ethylene Glycol Affect
Plants?, 2012).
When conducting an experiment, one must know what category of science it is, so
they know where to publish the results. This experiment falls under biology. Biology is
5
Effects of Antifreeze on Plants
the study of life and this project is all about life, too. It shows osmosis, how plants grow,
the water cycle, and many other things that can be related to biology.
The purpose of this experiment is to study the effects antifreeze has on plants. It
seems to be under researched and under tested, so another experiment was needed.
People need to know the facts about what they are doing to the environment. The
experiment will include Zerex® Original Green Antifreeze/Coolant, Shultz Seed Starter
Plus, and Gaillardias. The results have already been made about the outcome due to the
research. If you water one plant with ½ cup of water and water four plants with either ½
teaspoon, 1 teaspoon, 1 ½ teaspoon, or 2 teaspoons of Zerex® Original
Antifreeze/Coolant in addition to ½ cup of water every other day, then the plant that
receives just water and the plant that receives water and a ½ teaspoon of antifreeze will
be the only plants that will grow throughout the experiment.
6
Effects of Antifreeze on Plants
Materials & Procedures
If a scientist would want to test the effects of antifreeze on plants, then there is a
simple, yet helpful experiment. First, the scientist would need to gather all the equipment
need (See A1). This would be five pots or any container that can hold plants, three packs
of Gaillardia seeds, measuring cup with cups and teaspoons, Shultz Seed Starter Plus
potting soil, Zerex® Original Green Antifreeze/Coolant, and a notebook to record data.
It is important to remember that antifreeze is very deadly and should be used with
caution. After gathering the materials, label one pot as Plant A, one pot as Plant B, one
pot as Plant C, one pot at Plant D, and one pot as Plant E. Next, fill each pot with ten to
twelve seeds and Shultz Seed Starter Plus. Approximately, the same amount of potting
soil should be used for every pot. The fourth step is to water each plant with ½ cup of
water. This will be repeated every other day. The second to last step is the dangerous
one. Each plant will now be watered with its necessary amount of antifreeze every other
day. Plant A is watered with no antifreeze. Plant B is watered with a ½ teaspoon of
antifreeze. Plant C is watered with 1 teaspoon of antifreeze. Plant D is watered with 1 ½
teaspoon of antifreeze. Plant E is watered with 2 teaspoon. When pouring the antifreeze
in the pots, make sure you pour it everywhere, not just in one spot. Also, any additional
antifreeze should be put back into the bottle or disposed of properly. Data should be
taken and recorded every single day (See A2).
7
Effects of Antifreeze on Plants
Results
At the end of the experiment, the final results were recorded. Plant A, the control,
grew throughout the entire experiment. It never slowed or stoppped. Plant B started
growing at the same time as Plant A and it grow two sprouts. On Day 12, it was
discovered that Plant B had died. Plant C started growing with the other two plants too,
but it died on Day 12 with Plant B. It seemed to take seven days for the antifreeze to
affect the Gaillardia at that amount of antifreeze. Plant D and Plant E never started
growing. John McDoland, a biologist at Georgia Tech, helped this experimenter
understand some of the results that could happen (See A3). One of his predications came
true, but the hypothesis was proven false. However, the experiment proves that
antifreeze has a negative affect on plants. The affects start to take place later than this
experimenter hypothesized.
8
Effects of Antifreeze on Plants
Days
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9
Day 10
Day 11
Day 12
Day 13
Day 14
Day 15
Day 16
Day 17
Day 18
Day 19
Day 20
Day 21
Day 22
Day 23
Amount of Sprouts (Plant A)
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
2 Sprouts
2 Sprouts
3 Sprouts
3 Sprouts
3 Sprouts
4 Sprouts
4 Sprouts
4 Sprouts
5 Sprouts
5 Sprouts
6 Sprouts
6 Sprouts
6 Sprouts
7 Sprouts
8 Sprouts
8 Sprouts
9 Sprouts
10 Sprouts
Days
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9
Day 10
Day 11
Day 12
Day 13
Day 14
Day 15
Day 16
Day 17
Day 18
Day 19
Day 20
Day 21
Day 22
Day 23
Amount of Sprouts (Plant B)
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
1 Sprout
1 Sprout
2 Sprouts
2 Sprouts
2 Sprouts
2 Sprouts
2 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
Days
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9
Day 10
Day 11
Day 12
Day 13
Day 14
Day 15
Day 16
Day 17
Day 18
Day 19
Day 20
Day 21
Day 22
Day 23
Amount of Sprouts (Plant C)
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
1 Sprout
1 Sprout
1 Sprout
1 Sprout
1 Sprout
1 Sprout
1 Sprout
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
Days
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9
Day 10
Day 11
Day 12
Day 13
Day 14
Day 15
Day 16
Day 17
Day 18
Day 19
Day 20
Day 21
Day 22
Day 23
Amount of Sprouts (Plant D)
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
9
Effects of Antifreeze on Plants
Days
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9
Day 10
Day 11
Day 12
Day 13
Day 14
Day 15
Day 16
Day 17
Day 18
Day 19
Day 20
Day 21
Day 22
Day 23
Amount of Sprouts (Plant E)
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
0 Sprouts
These are all my charts from throughout the experiment. As you can see, Plant D
and E showed no sign of growth. My control continued to grow throught the entire
experiment. Plant B and C were both starting to grow, but at day 12, they both died.
Amount of Sprouts (Plant A)
12
10
8
6
Amount of Sprouts
(Plant A)
4
2
0
Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day
1
3
5
7
9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23
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Effects of Antifreeze on Plants
Amount of Sprouts (Plant B)
1.2
1
0.8
0.6
Amount of Sprouts
(Plant B)
0.4
0.2
Day 23
Day 21
Day 19
Day 17
Day 15
Day 13
Day 11
Day 9
Day 7
Day 5
Day 3
Day 1
0
Amount of Sprouts (Plant C)
1.2
1
0.8
0.6
Amount of Sprouts
(Plant C)
0.4
0.2
0
Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23
Amount of Sprouts (Plant D)
1
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
Amount of Sprouts
(Plant D)
Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23
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Effects of Antifreeze on Plants
Amount of Sprouts (Plant E)
1
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
Amount of Sprouts
(Plant E)
Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23
These are all the line graphs for every individual plant. Plant A continues increasing
throughout the experiment. It stays constant for a little bit. Plant B starts with an
increase, but shows how it quickly declined. The same thing happened with Plant C. It
did not have as big of an increase, but after staying the same for six days, it went back to
0 again. Plant D and E had no growth at all, so they remained on 0 the entire time.
12
10
Amount of Sprouts
(Plant A)
8
Amount of Sprouts
(Plant B)
6
Amount of Sprouts
(Plant C)
4
Amount of Sprouts
(Plant D)
2
Amount of Sprouts
(Plant E)
0
Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23
This graph shows how all the plants compare to one another.
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Effects of Antifreeze on Plants
Conclusion/Discussion
At the end of my experiment, my hypothesis was proven false. I hypothesized
that Plant A and Plant B would grow throughout the entire the experiment. This was not
the case. Plant A did grow the entire experiment, but not Plant B. It started to grow, but
died. My prediction is that too much ethylene glycol reached the plant’s seeds and it
died. My research said that too much ethylene glycol is deadly (How Does Ethylene
Glycol Affect Plants, 2012), but I thought that the little amount would not affect it.
Obviously, those little amounts of antifreeze add up. I did not expect that Plant C would
grow at all, but it proved otherwise. The other two plants did not grow at all, but that was
not surprising because a lot of antifreeze was going into that small area and few seeds.
The results could have been swayed by a few events that happened throughout the
experiment. During the time I conducted the experiment, fall had just started. It was a
little colder than the needed temperature to grow plants. Also, it rained a couple days of
my experiment. I’m afraid the plants might have gotten too much water on some days
when they should not have.
To fix these problems, the experiment could be conducted inside where it is a
controlled environment. Also, more plants should be used. Therefore, more results and
data would be collected. Other plants could also be tested, so there would be more
research for the public to see the effects of antifreeze. Another way to get more data is to
use different types of antifreeze. In this experiment, Zerex® Original Green
Antifreeze/Coolant was used. Would the results change if we used Prestone? What is we
used sunflowers or another plant? Are there areas that may be affected by antifreeze that
can be studied? These unanswered questions need to be tested in future experiments.
13
Effects of Antifreeze on Plants
Overall, I reached the same conclusion as with the experiments with the poplar
trees and Arabidopsis Thaliana (Does Antifreeze Affect Plant Growth?, 2012).
Antifreeze does not have good affects. It is killing many plants daily; with the
environment already being affected by fossil fuels and global warming increasing daily,
antifreeze is not helping. All antifreeze companies have to meet certain qualifications.
The company that sells Zerex says it is, “patented low silicate formula that uses the
highest quality virgin ethylene glycol”, but it does not mention anything about whether or
not it is good for the environment (Zerex® Original Green Antifreeze/Coolant, 2010).
Zerex also meets the ASTM specifications (Zerex Original Green Antifreeze/Coolant,
2011). If it meets all of these qualifications, then I believe the qualifications should be
changed. I have learned that antifreeze has negative effects, so perhaps our standards
should be raised. Also, people should be notified about how damaging some misplaced
antifreeze may be. That little bit of antifreeze that is poured outside may affect tons of
autotrophs or the nearby animals.
14
Effects of Antifreeze on Plants
References
Antifreeze FAQ's. (2012). Retrieved from: http://www.eco-freez.com
Does Antifreeze Affect Plant Growth? (2012). Retrieved from: http://www.ehow.com
How Does Ethylene Glycol Affect Plants? (2012). Retrieved from: http://www.ehow.com
Paiz, J. M., Angeli, E., Wagner, J., Lawrick, E., Moore, K., Anderson, M.,… Keck, R.
(2012). Reference List: Author/Authors. Retrieved from:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/06/
Zerex Original Green Antifreeze/Coolant. (2011). Retrieved from:
http://www.valvoline.com/pdf/Zerex_Original_Green.pdf
Zerex® Original Green Antifreeze/Coolant. (2010). Retrieved from:
http://www.valvoline.com
15
Effects of Antifreeze on Plants
Appendix
Materials (A1)
Five pots or any container that a plant could grow in
Three packs of Gaillardia seeds
A measuring cup (Needs measurements in cups and teaspoons)
Shultz Seed Starter potting soil
Zerex® Original Green Antifreeze/Coolant (Antifreeze is a deadly chemical. It
should be disposed of properly and not poured out onto the ground.)
A notebook to record data
The independent variable is the amount of antifreeze put on each plant.
The dependent variable is the amount the plant grows.
Procedures (A2)
1) Gather the materials and label the containers to prevent confusion. The
plant that receives that receives ½ cup of water and no antifreeze is labeled
Plant A (the control), the plant that receives ½ cup of water and ½
teaspoon of antifreeze is labeled Plant B, the plant that receives ½ cup of
water and one teaspoon of antifreeze is labeled Plant C, the plant that
receives ½ cup of water and 1 ½ teaspoon of antifreeze is labeled Plant D,
and the plant that receives ½ cup of water and two teaspoons of antifreeze
is labeled Plant E.
16
Effects of Antifreeze on Plants
2) Put ten to twelve seeds with the Shultz Seed Starter potting soil in each
container. The same amount of dirt should be used for each container.
3) Water every plant with ½ cup of water. This will be repeated every other
day.
4) Water Plant B with ½ teaspoon of antifreeze.
5) Water Plant C with one teaspoon of antifreeze.
6) Water Plant D with 1 ½ of antifreeze.
7) Water Plant E with two teaspoons of antifreeze.
8) Repeat step three through seven every two days.
9) Record and take pictures when change occurs.
Emails (A3)
From: "Becky Perry" <[email protected]>
To: "john mcdonald" <[email protected]>, "jeffrey skolnick"
<[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2012 7:19:59 PM
Subject: I need help on a project. Please Help!!!
Hi, I'm a 9th grader from THE Paulding County High School. I have to do an experiment
for my honors biology class. One of the requirements was to email a professional to get
there opinion. My project is the effect of different amounts of antifreeze on plant
growth. I have my controll plant that i water with 1/2 cup of water every two days. I also
have four other plants that are watered with either 1/2 tsp, 1 tsp, 1 1/2 tsp, or 2 tsp and 1/2
cup of water every two days. My hypothesis is that the plant that receives water and the
plant that receives 1/2 tsp of antifreeze and 1/2 cup of water will grow in my two month
experiment. I figured that the 1/2 tsp of antifreeze would be diluted with water, so the
plant would still be able to grow. I would greatly appreciate your opinion on what you
think will happen and what you think of my experiment. Also, if you could think of any
other experiments similar to mine, it would be very helpful :) Thank you and have a
great day! :)
17
Effects of Antifreeze on Plants
This is John’s response.
Becky,
You should not confuse your hypothesis with your guess as to what will happen in the
experiment(s).
From what you have described, you hypotheses might be
1. Plant growth is negatively affected by antifreeze in the environment.
2. That there is a threshold concentration of antifreeze that must be passed before
negative effects on plant growth will occur.
3. Antifreeze has no effect on plant growth.
Next ask yourself what would be your predictions of your experiments based on each of
these hypotheses. If your experiments are inconsistent with one or more of your
predictions, you have falsified your hypothesis-i.e., proven it is false.
Sounds like a good experiment. Good luck.
JM