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Smoke the Plants
Austin Jackson
5/9/12
2nd Period
Smoke the Plants
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Smoke the Plants
Purpose: How will the chemicals in cigarette smoke affect plants ability to grow?
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Hypothesis: If you smoke Cigarettes around household plants then they will have
a dramatic decrease in their life expectancy.
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Smoke the Plants
Research:
Plants are very similar to humans and animals. They need nutrients to grow
and if they don’t get these essential nutrients then it will be unable to begin/finish
the growth process. In cigarettes there are 4,000 different chemicals, including rat
poison, lighter fluid and embalming fluid. Carbon Monoxide can actually help
plants according to plant specialists. “Carbon Monoxide is able to be converted by
the plant into carbon dioxide, which the plant can use readily for photosynthesis.”Ehow Demand Media INC. Ehow also adds, “In general, however, most chemicals
released during smoking contaminate the soil and air surrounding the plant to such
a degree over time that the plant eventually cannot absorb sufficient amounts of the
nutrients needed to sustain itself and to grow.”
In order for plants to grow they need many microorganisms. It is even said
that these microorganisms produce enzymes and hormones that encourage plant
growth. What cigarette smoke will do is it will damage or kill the microorganisms
If these microorganisms are reduced in number or are killed off altogether, the
plant will not receive the enzymes and hormones that the microorganisms produce
and thus won't be able to grow as well.
Plants contain stomata, which are part of the plant's respiratory system. The
stomata ARE at least partially responsible for the plant's absorption of CO2 and the
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way plants convert glucose to use as food. Smoking can leave a residue on plants
that effectively plug up these stomata which essentially cause the plant to "choke"
and to starve. Plant growth thus is slowed because the plant cannot get what it
needs for photosynthesis to take place.
Repeated exposure to the chemicals in smoke thus may hinder plant growth
and health on the molecular level. How? According to Ehow’s Science Experts
“Like humans and other animals, plants cells are made up of proteins, enzymes and
other components. Chemicals have an impact on the stability of these components,
including the plant DNA. The chemicals can break down molecular bonds, for
instance, or they can cause mutations in the genetic material.”
In conclusion plants have many factors that keep them alive- Factors that
include microorganisms, stomata and many more. These factors can be clouded by
the chemicals found in cigarettes. The smoke can stop nutrients from reaching the
plant.
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Smoke the Plants
References
Thomas, R. (2011, December 11). How does cigarette smoke affect the growth of
plants?. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4937678_cigarettesmoke-affect-growth-plants.html
Thibodeaux's, Wanda Marie. "How Does Cigarette Smoke Affect theGrowth of
Plants? |
GardenGuides."
Garden Guides, Your Guide to Everything Gardening
. Web. 15 Aug.2010.http://www.gardenguides.com/75654-cigarette-smoke-affectgrowth- plants.html
Xoxvalenxox. (2012, January 3). How does cigarette smoke affect plant growth.
Retrieved from http://www.scribd.com/doc/48005787/How-does-cigarette-smokeaffect-plant-growth
Malley, K. (1998, December 11). The smokey situation. Retrieved from
http://jrscience.wcp.muohio.edu/nsfall98/FinalArticles/TheSmokeySituation.html
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Materials List
9 Winston Brand Cigarettes
1 Aspelenium Ladyfern (Dryopteridaceae)
Clock/Timer
A Ruler
A Journal/Notebook
A Pencil
A Temperature Controlled Room
An ashtray
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Procedure
1. Take the plant and put them in the temperature controlled room. (The Plants
may sit on the floor/ground)
2. Set the temperature of the room to 78 degrees Fahrenheit
3. Get the Pack of Cigarettes
4. Take 3 of them out
5. Light all 3 cigarettes at the same time
6. Put the lit cigarettes in the ashtray
7. Check and make sure that all materials are safely contained
8. Leave the room
9. The next day measure the amount of drooping with the ruler (Measure the
drooping {how the leaves fall /hang down/lay})
10.Record results in the notebook/Journal using the pencil
11.The next day repeat steps 3-8
12.Then Record Results in the journal
13.The Next Day repeat steps 3-8
14.Then record the results in the journal
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Amount of Drooping in the Plants (CM)
1s t Plant /1st Trial
1st Plant 2nd Trial
1st Plant 3rd Trial
2.5 Cm
1.25 Cm
0.1 Cm
3
Drooping of Plants in Cm
2.5
2
1.5
Drooping in Plant
1
0.5
0
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day of Trial
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Data:
From this experiment we found that as the days increased, the amount of drooping
decreased. The line graph goes straight down showing how the amount of drooping
went straight down until the plant was completely dead.
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Conclusion:
The chemicals in cigarette smoke were tested to see how they would affect plants.
The plants were put into a temperature controlled room. 3 cigarettes were lit a the
plants were left with the cigarettes. The smoke filled the room. As the results say,
the amount of drooping in the plants, normally caused by malnutrition, decreases
as the plant dies more and more. In the beginning the plant was fresh and new so
the amount of drooping was extremely noticeable. While the plant began to droop
it also began to die; making the drooping less and less noticeable, since the plant
looked dead anyway. What caused the plants to die? As our research says that the
chemicals clogged the stomata, causing the nutrients to pretty much get stoped
from reaching the plants.
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Application:
This information can help smokers resolve issues with the air. We already know
that the smoke can cause issues with the air. So, from this experiment we know
that it also affects the plants. This information can help stop smokers from
smoking now knowing that they are not just affecting the air, but the plant too. If
they know that they are affecting the plants maybe they will be more likely to stop
smoking.
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Revisions:
I could have done more trials and plants. Perhaps I would have had better data in
doing that.