The Effect Of Oil Spills On Plants
I.
II.
III.
Question
1. Oil spills are disastrous to both animals (Fish, Sharks, and Etc.) and plants in the water.
So if I oil placed is placed in the water, then what will happen to the color and length of
the plants?
Purpose (Application)
1. Allah (SWT) says in the Quran: “We even provided you the shade of clouds and sent
down to you Al-mama (sweet dishes) and Al-Salwa (Quills meat) Saying “Eat of the
Good things, we have provided for you” in spite of these favors your forefathers violated
our commandments. However by violating our commandments, they did not harm us, but
they harmed their own soul.” This ayah talks about how one should take care of the
plants, because they (the plants) themselves are part of both: an ecosystem, and a food
chain/web. If they are dying from the oil spills, then the plants will become a limiting
factor in the ecosystem. Then this will start to make fishes and other organisms die out of
starvation, becoming another limiting factor to society, which will then destroy many
food chains. Then the ecosystem will die out and will affect the human communities as
well as others. This will then hurt the humans physically, mentally, and spiritually. This
is because they will be unable to move because fish have Omega 3 which is really
important fish oil needed in one’s body. Without it one will not be able to pray to Allah
(SWT), or get a good education, to get a job, to give money to donate to charity.
2. The prophet Muhammad (SAW) once said: “There are two blessings which many people
lose: (they are) health, and free time for doing good.” This hadith talks about how great to
be healthy is that it is a blessing. However being Healthy is only a blessing when one is
doing it for the right intention. If one were to lose their health because they are missing a
necessities like omega 3 than one will not have the mind to think, learn, or to do the right
actions. That shows that one needs to keep their environment clean in order for one to
stay healthy. Lastly “You never know what you have until it’s gone.” This shows how so
much people take advantage of things like fish but when it’s gone they need or want it. It
shows how one should take care of their ecosystem because many things will become
limiting factors especially in natural disaster like oil spills, blizzards, and more.
Background Research
1. This experiment consisted of research in order that it may be performed. The things that
were needed to be measured are omega 3 and Surf grass. Surf grass, is tall, green grass
that consists of multiple strips. Surf grass is also known as Phyllospadix(Kendall, Mason,
pg. 1). There are two types of phyllospadix which are scouleri, and torreyi. The one that
was used during the experiment was phyllospadix scouleri. Their leaves are generally flat
and grow wide from two to four millimeters. They are found from below zero degrees
and down, and they come from all the way from Vancouver to southern California. More
generally they are located in wetlands and riparian communities (McDonald, pg.1). They
provide shelter to many vertebrataes including fishes, crawfish, and much more. It’s a
perennial herb that is native to California but is also found places outside California.
2. Omega 3 is important fish oil that is important to one’s body. Omega 3 is found in
seafood and is particularly found in oily fish (Kennedy, pg.1). Other than fish omega 3 is
found in tofu, soybeans, canola, flaxseed and walnuts. One can also get them as
supplement vitamins. Omega 3 has multiple benefits to the human body. Some are: they
lower the level of triglycerides in the blood, which helps to stop the blood from clotting.
They also reduce three of the most common cancers which are: breast, colon, and prostate
cancer (Franklin, Pg.1). However, one should balance the omega 3 with omega 6, which
is another fatty acid (Kennedy, pg.1). Showing one should balance in the food they eat
while eating the right choices.
IV.
Hypothesis
1. If oil is added to one of the plants and oil isn’add to the other plants then the color and
length of the plant in/with oil will not be effected or harmed in any possible way.
V.
Materials
1. Six “2” Liter Pop bottles
2. Six cups of pebbles
3. Six hydrilla plant (of the same size and shape)
4. 150 milliliters of oil (Engine oil)
5. Twelve pints of water
6. One Ruler (Using centimeters)
7. A Variety of Paint samples(Shades of green, yellow, black, and green)
8. Scissors
9. Labels
Procedure
1. Set out all material in order to get ready in a room that is both: Sun free, and is at room
Temperature
2. Draw a line around the diameter of six “two” liter bottles at 19.5 centimeter from the
bottom.
3. After drawing the line, cut it out (Using adult help or supervision).
4. Wash out all four of the two liter bottles using water (Make sure to have nothing that
might harm the experiment).
5. Place one hydrilla plant in every Two liter bottle.
6. Place one cup of pebbles in every one of the two liter Bottles.
7. Pour two pints of water to all of the two liter bottles in the middle
8. Pour 50 milliliters of oil to three of the six two liter bottles.
9. Label the oil free bottle as control one, two, and three and the other three as trial one,
two, and three.
10. Observe and record data every other day for the next two weeks using a ruler (In
centimeters) and paint samples to check the difference in their color.
11. Make a conclusion
Data
VI.
VII.
Average Growth
1
1-15-2011
Controls
Color
7
2
1-17-2011
8
Trial
Date
Length
24.2
24.2
Trials
Color
7.66
Length
22.5
7.66
21.66
3
1-19-2011
8
24.2
7.33
21.03
4
1-21-2011
8
24.2
7.33
21
5
1-23-2011
8
24.2
6.66
21
6
1-25-2011
8
24.2
7
21
7
1-27-2011
8
24.2
6.66
21
8
1-29-2011
8
24.2
5.66
20
This shows the average color and length of all eight days. The color was averaged using a scale
of 1-10.
Plant growth
Trial
Date
1
1-15-2011
Without Oil
Color
1.Deep Spruce
2. Homegrown Herbs
3. Cool Dill
With Oil
Length
18.5 cm
27 cm.
Color
1.
Tropical foliage
2.
Deep Spruce
3.
Deep Spruce
Length
25 cm.
27.5 cm.
15 cm
1-17-2011
1. Deep Spruce
2. Deep spruce
3. Deep Spruce
27.1 cm.
18.5 cm
27 cm.
27.1 cm.
1.Tropical foliage
2.Deep Spruce
3.Deep Spruce
25 cm.
26 cm.
14 cm
3
1-19-2011
1. Deep Spruce
2. Deep Spruce
3. Deep Spruce
18.5 cm
27 cm.
27.1 cm
1.
2.
3.
24.1 cm
25 cm.
14 cm.
4
1-21-2011
1. Deep Spruce
2. Deep Spruce
3. Deep Spruce
18.5 cm
27 cm.
27.1 cm
1.Deep Spruce
2.Yew Hedge
3.Deep Spruce
24 cm.
25 cm.
14 cm.
5
1-23-2011
1. Deep Spruce
2. Deep Spruce
3. Deep Spruce
18.5 cm
27 cm.
27.1 cm
1.
2.
3.
24 cm.
25 cm.
14 cm
6
1-25-2011
1. Deep Spruce
2. Deep spruce
3. Deep Spruce
18.5 cm
27 cm.
27.1 cm
1.Tropical foliage
2.Yew hedge
3.Deep Spruce
2
Deep Spruce
Yew hedge
Deep Spruce
Yew hedge
Yew hedge
Deep Spruce
24 cm.
25 cm.
14 cm
7
8
1-27-2011
1. Deep Spruce
2. Deep Spruce
3. Deep Spruce
18.5 cm
27 cm.
27.1 cm
1.Yew hedge
2.Yew hedge
3.Deep Spruce
24 cm.
25 cm.
14 cm
1-29-2011
1. Deep Spruce
2. Deep Spruce
3. Deep Spruce
18.5 cm
27 cm.
27.1 cm
1.
2.
3.
24 cm.
25 cm.
14 cm
Yew hedge
Organic garden
Yew hedge
This table shows the real data of all three trials in color and length.
Average Color Growth
9
Color (Darkest to lightest)
8
7
6
5
4
Control
3
Trial
2
1
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Number of days
Figure 1: This shows the average growth of the plants in the color. It was measured using a
scale/key that measure form light to dark.
Length( In centimeters)
Average Length Growth
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Trial
Control
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Number of days
Figure 2: This shows the average growth of the length of the plants using centimeters.
VIII.
Conclusion
1. In conclusion, the hypothesis: “If I add oil to one of the plants and I don’t add oil to the
other plants then the color and length of the plant in/with oil will not be effected or
harmed in any possible way” was proven to be inaccurate. This was proven to be
inaccurate because the plants that were used, which are called mondo grass, changed
colors and lengths several times. Of all three trials, the first trial was the trial that changed
the most in colors because it went from dark to light. However, the second trial had a lot
of shrunk in total. This experiment has proven that oil impacts the plants. Also it shows
that the environment one is in decides the outcome of one’s character. If it’s in water
nothing happens, but when it’s placed in oil than that’s when it becomes to go bad by
losing its color or by its color being fading away. The results show that different
environments have different affects on different things.
2. While the experiment was being performed it was measured in two different ways: color,
and length. The color was measured to see if there were signs of mold, or death, and it
was measured using a variety of paint samples. It was measured in length using a ruler to
show shrunk of the plants. Also they all showed rapid changes in both: color, and length.
During the experiment the color changed multiple ways. They also changed in length
more in the begging than in the end. One example is that trial two shrunk from 27.5 to 26
to 25 and stayed for over six days. This had shown many faults of oil on plants. This
shows that plants are harmed in oil.
3. Throughout the experiment some things could have affected the ending results. One is
that the ruler is being used to measure both oil and oil free, so oil may have affected the
ending results. Also because there was several long grasses it was hard to measure the
exact one every time. Although there were some things that mat have affected the
experiment, the experiment had also succeeded in many ways. One way is the setup was
exactly as planned (An underwater habitat). Also the plants had changed under two or
three days. However, in order for it to be successful there was problem and difficulty.
IX.
Some things are that the plant was unable to stay down and was hard to measure, causing
a problem with measuring. In total the experiment was as planned.
Bibligrophy
1. Kennedy, Rita. “Omega-3 Facts.” eHow. 7 January. 2011.
<http://www.ehow.com/info_7742567_omega3.html>
2. Kendall. “Phyllospadix scouleri Hook/P. torreyi Watson.”Marine Species. 2002.
<http://www.marine.gov/Research/CoreSurveys/Phyllospadix.htm>
3. “Omega-3 fatty acids, fish oil, alpha-linolenic acid.” Mayo Clinic. 1 December. 2010. <
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fishoil/NS_patient-fishoil>
Key
1- Lightest
2- Very Very light
3- Light
4- Somewhat light
5- Middle
6- Somewhat dark
7- Dark
8- Very dark
9- Very Very dark
10- Darkest
Average Color Growth
Color Shade(Darkest to Lightest)
9
8
7
6
5
4
Trial
3
Control
2
1
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Number of Days
X.
Conclusion
1. In conclusion, the hypothesis: “If I add oil to one of the plants and I don’t add oil to the
other plants then the color and length of the plant in/with oil will not be effected or
harmed in any possible way” was proven to be inaccurate. This was proven to be
inaccurate because the plants that were used, which are called mondo grass, changed
colors and lengths several times. Of all three trials, the first trial was the trial that changed
the most in colors because it went from dark to light. However, the second trial had a lot
of shrunk in total. This experiment has proven that oil impacts the plants. Also it shows
that the environment one is in decides the outcome of one’s character. If it’s in water
nothing happens, but when it’s placed in oil than that’s when it becomes to go bad by
losing its color or by its color being fading away. The results show that different
environments have different affects on different things.
2. While the experiment was being performed it was measured in two different ways: color,
and length. The color was measured to see if there were signs of mold, or death, and it
was measured using a variety of paint samples. It was measured in length using a ruler to
show shrunk of the plants. Also they all showed rapid changes in both: color, and length.
During the experiment the color changed multiple ways. They also changed in length
more in the begging than in the end. One example is that trial two shrunk from 27.5 to 26
to 25 and stayed for over six days. This had shown many faults of oil on plants. This
shows that plants are harmed in oil.
3. Throughout the experiment some things could have affected the ending results. One is
that the ruler is being used to measure both oil and oil free, so oil may have affected the
ending results. Also because there was several long grasses it was hard to measure the
exact one every time. Although there were some things that mat have affected the
experiment, the experiment had also succeeded in many ways. One way is the setup was
exactly as planned (An underwater habitat). Also the plants had changed under two or
three days. However, in order for it to be successful there was problem and difficulty.
Some things are that the plant was unable to stay down and was hard to measure, causing
a problem with measuring. In total the experiment was as planned.