DIVISION OF COMPOSTELA VALLEY-SCIENCE
RESEARCH DESIGN TABLE
Research Question:
What is the efficacy of cogon (Imperatacylindrica), Amoreseco (Chrysopogonaciculatus)
and Korean Grass(Zoysiatenuifolia )in absorbing mercury from soil?
Hypothesis
Cogon (Imperatacylindrica), Amoreseco (Chrysopogonaciculatus) and Korean
Grass(Zoysiatenuifolia ) have the capacity in absorbing mercury from contaminated soil.
Independent
Variable/s
Cogon
(Imperatacylindrica),
Amoreseco
(Chrysopogonaciculatus)
and Korean Grass
(Zoysiatenuifolia )planted
No. of Trials
(Replicates)
Background Questions
1. Where to get the grass samples?
2. How to plant the grass samples in pots? How depth will I
plant the grasses? How much soil to use in every planting
pot? What will be the size of pots to use?
3. How much fertilizer will I apply to each pot to ensure plants
growth?
4. What type of fertilizer to use?
5. How often will I water the plants to ensure its growth?
3 trials per treatment
Dependent Variable
Quantitative
Amount of Mercury content
absorbed by
cogon (Imperatacylindrica),
Amoreseco
(Chrysopogonaciculatus)
and Korean Grass
(Zoysiatenuifolia )
Constants
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Area where soil samples are taken /Type of soil sample
Amount of water applied
Amount of fertilizer applied to ensure plants growth
Size of planting pots
Planting depth of grasses
Mass of soil sample in planting pots
Exposure to sunlight
Size and quality of pots (identical)
Qualitative
Color of plants
Experimental Groups
and Control Groups
Control
Group
Experimental
Group #1
Experimental
Group #2
Experimental
Group #3
Grasses in
pots with
uncontamina
ted soil
Cogon Grass in
pots with
uncontaminated
soil
Amoreseco
Grass in pots
with
uncontaminate
d soil
Korean Grass
in pots with
uncontaminat
ed soil
Identification of Site
Preparation of Soil Samples
Preparation of Plant Samples
Preparation of Planting Pots
Experimentation
THE RESEARCH PLAN
Research Title: A Comparative Study on the Potential of Imperata cylindrica (Cogon)
Chrysopogona ciculatus (Amoreseco) and Zoysiatenuifolia (Korean Grass) for
Phytoremediation of Soil Contaminated with Mercury
Division: -------Proposed Start and End Date : January 1, 2016 – September 15, 2016
A. Problem Being Addressed:
The costly procedures of mitigating mercury from gold mine tailings is a major
factor that hinders the desire to rehabilitate affected areas. Various alternative methods
of sequestering the mercury from gold mine tailings are found to be too ambitious for a
province to achieve. With these, the researchers desire to determine if grass species
cogon (Imperatacylindrica), Amoreseco (Chrysopogonaciculatus) and Zoysiatenuifolia
(Korean Grass)can be utilized in the phytoremediation of mercury-contaminated soil.
B. Goal
To
determine
the
efficacy
of
cogon
(Imperatacylindrica),
Amoreseco
(Chrysopogonaciculatus) and Korean Grass (Zoysiatenuifolia)in absorbing mercury from
soil.
C.1 Procedures
Identification of Site
The researchers will secure the permission from the provincial and local
government to have an access on the small scale mining area in Brgy. Kingking,
Pantukan, Compostela Valley.
B. Preparation of Soil Samples
Soil samples will be collected from the surface up to 20 cm deep, will be air-dried
for 2 weeks and will be grounded to pass through a 2 mm sieve (Muddarisna,
Krisnayanti,Utami&Handayanto, 2013). The soil sample will be analysed using the Atomic
Absorption Spectroscopy to determine the mercury content in the sample.
The planting pots that will be used will be commercially bought polyethylene bags
that can hold 15 kg of previously analysed soil samples.
C. Preparation of Plant Samples
Cogon, amoreseco and Korean grass plant samples will be collected in
Kigngking, Pantukan, Davao del Norte. The plant samples will be propagated asexually
D. Experimentation
Each plant species will be propagated in the prepared soil pots. There will be three
treatments: T1= cogon grass, T2 = amorseco, T3= Korean grass and 3 replicates for
each treatment. A control set-up will be prepared as well– soil sample only.
To ensure plant growth, all pots will receive organic fertilizer (vermicast) and will
be watered regularly. The researchers will make sure that exposure to sunlight will not
be a limiting factor.
After 12 weeks, the roots and shoots of the plant samples will be analysed
separately. This will be done to determine its capacity to absorb mercury from soil and
translocate the same to the shoots.
C.2 Risk and Safety
Intel ISEF Risk Assessment Form for Hazardous chemicals will be filled in. The
researchers will seek approval from the Institutional Review Board. Exposure even in
small amount will cause serious health problem since it has serious effects on nervous,
digestive and immune system, kidneys, skin and eyes (World Health Organization, 2016).
Proper handling of the samples with the assistance of a qualified scientist shall be taken
into consideration.For ensuring safe handling of samples and to preventdust inhalation
during the homogenization of the soil sample, a hood constituted of clear plastic sheets
will be utilized.
C.3 Data Analysis
The researchers will use descriptive statistics – mean. Laboratory analyses results
of the soil samples before and after the treatments will be compared. Plant roots and
shoots analyses results will be compared in terms of Biological Accumulation Coefficient
(BAC), Biological Concentration Factor (BCF), and Translocation Factor (TF) of plant
species for mercury.
D. Bibliography
Muddarisna, N., Krisnayanti, B.D.,Utami, S.R. andEkoHandayanto (2013). The
potential of wild plants for phytoremediation of soil contaminated with mercury of
goldcyanidation tailings. IOSR Journal Of Environmental Science, Toxicology
and Food Technology (IOSR-JESTFT), 4(15), 15-19.
Van Loan, A.N, Meeker J.R, Minno M.C (2005) Cogon grass. Retrieved 16 June,
2016 from http://www.invasiveplants.net/biologicalcontrol/pdf/28Cogongrass.pdf
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (2016). STUDY FINDS A
LOWCOST ALETERNATIVE FOR REMEDIATION OF MERCURY
FROM CONTAMINATED SOIL. Retrieved
from:http://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/supported/centers/srp/phi/archives/remed
iation/mercury/index.cfm
Paz-Alberto, A.N, Sigua, G (2013). Phytoremediation: A Green Technology to
Remove EnvironmentalPollutants. Retrieved from: http://file.scirp.org/pdf
/AJCC_2013032716221151.pdf
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2007). Treatment Technologies for
Mercury in Soil, Waste, and Water. Retrieved
from: https://clu-in.org/download/remed/542r07003.pdf
Israel, C.D, Asirot, J.(2002). Mercury Pollution Due to Small-Scale Gold
Mining in the Philippines: An Economic Analysis. Retrieved
from: http://dirp4.pids.gov.ph/ris/rps/pidsrp0202.pdf