Design Proposal
Saint Catherine Academy
#6 Hutson Street. PO Box: 1891
Belize City, Belize
Tel: 501 -223-1758/4908
Email: administration@sca.edu.bz
Teacher:
Mrs. Aldarita Marin
Group Members:
-Xiaoqing Zhao
-Isake Perez
Design Proposal
Problem Statement and Significance of the Problem
During the rainy season, our school compound and the surrounding areas flood. This leads to a major
outbreak in mosquitoes creating both a disruptive and uncomfortable learning environment. It also
facilitates the spread of mosquito carrying diseases.
Objectives of the Project
To develop an environmentally friendly and safe system that repels mosquitoes away from the
school.
Proposed Solution
How do mosquitoes detect the presence of humans?
Female mosquitoes have nerve cells called cpA neurons that have a receptor to detect carbon dioxide.
This enables them to sense the expired air of humans.
M.D.O.S (Mosquito Destruction Obstruction System)
A. To plant mosquito repelling plants strategically around the school compound which discourage
mosquitoes from visiting the compound because of the aromas given off by these plants. These are
the list of the following plants which will be grown around the school.
These plants emit strong aromas which mask the scents of the carbon dioxide produced by the
students.
1. Lemon Grass
2. Hierba Buena/ Yerba Buena ( Mint Family)
3. Catnip
4. Basil
5. Marigold
Design Proposal
B. To create an environmentally friendly and affordable mosquito repellants which can be used by the
students, and sold by the school to generate revenue for the school?
Procedures to extract oil from plants (Steam Distillation)
1. Steam is first generated in a boiler, and then sent through the bottom of another vessel wherein the
plant material is kept. (As the steam rises through the plant material, it softens and releases the
essential oils that are present in "sacs" in the plant material.)
2. The essential oil rises along with the steam and is sent through a tube that is kept cool with running
water.
3. As the steam and essential oil cool, they condense into a liquid mixture of oil and water.
4. The oils and water are left to settle and then collected and separated. Because of the difference in
density of the oil and water, the oil floats above the water or sinks to the bottom.
(The water left behind is floral water)
Procedures to making Mosquito Repellant
1. using a 250 ml volumetric flask, fill it with 100ml of distilled water.
2. Add 112.5ml of ethanol then 37.5 ml of essential oils.
3. Shake well.
C. to utilize the other uses of the plants grown to generate an income for the school, and to maintain
the M.D.O.S
PLANT
Hierba Buena
USE
Oil
Herbal Tea
Dried Leaves
Floral Waters
BENEFITS
Yerba Buena tea used as for headaches, stomach aches, swollen gums and
tooth aches.
Has an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effect on the skin. Soothes the
skin after sunburns or razor cuts. Gently cleanses and tightens the pores of
the oily skin. Moisturizes the skin and improves its general condition.
Used as a mosquito repellant
Lemon Grass
Herbal Tea
Anemia ,Anti-inflammatory and anti-septic ,Low risk Bacterial or fungal
Design Proposal
Floral Water
Oil
Catnip
Basil
infection , Lowering risk Diabetes, Weight loss ,Skin health ,Balsamic
action, Digestive health, Gastritis or Heartburn, High cholesterol, Nervous
system.
Floral Waters
Used as a Mosquito repellant.
Oil
Used in aromatherapy for its relaxing properties.
Herbal Tea
Basil is used for stomach spasms, loss of appetite, intestinal gas, kidney
Essential Oil
Dried Leaves
Floral Water
conditions, fluid retention, head colds, warts, and worm infections. It is
also used to treat snake and insect bites.
Women sometimes use basil before and after childbirth to promote blood
circulation, and also to start the flow of breast milk. Some people use it as
a gargle. In foods, basil is used for flavor.
Marigold
Essential Oil
Floral Water
Herbal Tea
Treatment of minor burns, treatment of allergic reactions, eczema and
bruising, treatment for plantar lesions, in getting rid of an oily complexion
naturally, lycopene present in marigold is also known to lower the risk of
heart disease. The antioxidants present in marigolds are also known to
protect the eyes from macular degeneration and cataracts. Marigolds are
also known to help against digestive inflammation in the form of duodenal
or gastric ulcers. Also used to treat painful mouth and stomach ulcers, to
stimulate the lymphatic system and thereby minimize the swelling as well
as cleanse the body of toxins. To minimize the dermatitis, effective in
healing vaginal infections, bladder infections, healing of stitches post child
birth as well as haemorrhoids, in healing scabies and warts.
Design Proposal
The Algorithm
Purpose : To determine the mass of leaves needed to make a specific quantity of the essential oils for
each plant used.
Var
Plant : string
Quantity_Oilproduced ,Mass_Leaves: real
Begin
Print ‘Enter the plant you wish to use’
Read Plant
Print ‘Enter the mass of leaves used’
Read Mass_Leaves
If Plant= Hierba Buena
Then Quantity_Oilproduced= Mass_Leaves *x
Else If Plant= Lemongrass
Then Quantity_Oil Produced= Mass_Leaves*y
Else If Plant= Catnip
Then Quantity_OilProduced= Mass_Leaves*z
Else If Plant= Marigold
Then Quantity_OilProduced=Mass_Leaves*a
Else If Plant=Basil
Then Quantity_OilProduced=Mass_Leaves*b
End If
End If
End If
End If
End If
Print ‘ The Quantity of oil produced is’ , Quantity_OilProduced , ‘ milliliters , for ‘ , Mass_Leaves, ‘ grams
of ‘, Plant, ‘leaves’
End.
The Competition
Off and other insect repellants and bug sprays being sold at stores are packaged in aerosol spray
cans. These cans are thin-walled steel pressure vessels pressurized with one of several
hydrocarbon propellants. Partially empty spray cans may be regulated as hazardous wastes
because they contain ignitable or chlorinated solvents. Aerosol cans are expensive and have
greater environmental consequences. Carbon dioxide, propane, and butane are commonly used
aerosol propellants. These are “greenhouse gases” that contribute to global warming and smog
formation. Pressurized cans present additional environmental concerns. If punctured, contents
may be released so forcefully that injuries could result. Extreme temperatures may cause cans
Design Proposal
to rupture, and moisture may cause them to rust, resulting in a release of the contents with
potential to harm the air, water or land. Pressurized cans sent to a landfill present safety
concerns during compacting, and fire hazard becomes more acute if container contents are
vacated using an aerosol-puncturing device for the purpose of disposal.
Resources Needed
RESOURCES
ACQUIRING
COST ($US)
Containers/ Pots
Old recycled buckets
0
Plant/Seeds
Yerba Buena, Catnip, Lemon Grass, Eucalyptus:
Marigold, Basil,
SCA Garden Club, Soil , Water
Science Majors of SCA /Science
Club, Laboratory
School Resources
0
Fertilizer
Decomposed leaves after being used for the extraction of
the essential oils
0
Ethanol
Produced by the school.
0
Essential Oil Bottles
Purchase, and then create a program where people can
bring back the little bottles to get the essential oils at a
cheaper price.
$7/12 bottles
Spray bottles for insect
repellant
Purchase, and then create a program where people can
bring back the little bottles to get the essential oils at a
cheaper price.
$8/4 Bottles
Tea Bags
Purchase
$4/100 tea
bags
,
$10 (total)
Time Table
Task
Plant and Place Herbs Around Classrooms
Performed By
SCA Garden Club
When
Month 1
Harvest The leaves of the Plants and distill
the leaves to make first batch of oil.
Leave some leaves to dry to make tea
Science Students of SCA
Month 4
Design Proposal
Make the Tea
Tea Club of SCA
Two Weeks
after Month
4
Package ,Label ,and Start Distribution of
Products
Science Students of SCA
Month 5
Use of STEM
S- Using the knowledge of biology, and chemistry to successfully grow healthy plants able to sustain the
,,, MDOS, and to understand the health benefits of these plants.
T- Creating an algorithm which can calculate the amount of leaves needed to make a specific quantity of
……the essential oils for each plant used.
E- Planning the layout and distribution of the plants to facilitate maximum growth, and coverage of the
......natural repellants to minimize the wastage of resources.
M- Cost comparison of homemade insect repellant versus purchasing the off repellant.
Community involvement and Community Impact
The gardening club of Saint Catherine Academy will be in charge of the planting, and growing of the
plants. The science majors of Saint Catherine Academy will be in charge of the harvesting the plants and
flowers for the extraction of oil, and floral water. The tea would be made by a Tea Club students on
work scholarship for SCA. The cohesion of the school body will keep the MDOS running and constantly
improving. This will help to teach the students of Saint Catherine Academy a valuable trade which can
be utilized later on in their live. Also a properly functioning and running MDOS system will ultimately
help to decrease the mosquito population and create a comfortable and constructive learning
environment for SCA students to excel in all endeavors.
References
http://www.stuartxchange.com/Yerba.html
http://www.stretcher.com/stories/980625b.cfm
http://www.naturallivingideas.com/14-reasons-why-witch-hazel-should-be-in-every-home/
http://chemistry.about.com/od/healthbeautyprojects/a/naturalinsectrepellent.htm
http://chemistry.about.com/od/healthbeautyprojects/a/naturalmosquitorepellent.htm
http://wellnessmama.com/2565/homemade-bug-spray/
http://www.saps.org.uk/secondary/teaching-resources/839-extracting-oil-from-plants-gcse
http://www.edenbotanicals.com/extraction-methods
http://www.motherearthnews.com/natural-health/natural-mosquito-repellentszm0z12jjzhun.aspx?PageId=3#ArticleContent
http://www.doityourself.com/stry/mint-a-natural-insect-repellent#b#ixzz3HJCAHISS
Design Proposal
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=85
http://www.quinessence.com/flower_water.htm
http://juicing-for-health.com/basic-nutrition/healing-vegetables/health-benefits-of-lemongrass.html
http://www.livestrong.com/article/505179-benefits-of-eucalyptus-tea/
http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Yerba_buena.html
http://infohouse.p2ric.org/ref/32/31985/Aerosol_Cans.htm