Student Research Reports

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The purpose of this project was to find out if spider plants (Chlorophytum comosum) were to be more or less sensitive with water upstream and downstream of the Smithville Wastewater Treatment Plant. The hypothesis was that the water from upstream will affect the spider plant positively while water collected downstream of the Treatment Plant will affect the spider plant negatively. My research question: Are spider plants positively or negatively affected from water collected upstream and downstream of the Wastewater Treatment Plant? There were twenty spider plants separated into two different groups, one for water collected upstream and the other water collected downstream of the treatment plant. The data did not support the hypothesis. The plants were under observation for twenty-one days. Eighteen of the plants decreased in mass, not mattering if they were watered with water from upstream or downstream of the water treatment plant. Only two plants increased in mass, which occurred because of root growth. The data shows the plants’ mass were not affected by the water types, though the plants watered with water from upstream of the plant seamed to wilt faster. Other relevant research can be done in the future such as using indicator fish species such as are used at the Ashland Water Treatment Plant.