Investigatory Project In Chemistry

MT-11 02/20/15

Investigatory Project in Chemistry

How Green Algae Can Be One of the Best Ways to Help Reduce CO2 Concentration in the Atmosphere

Members:
Urrutia, Maria Veronica S.
Sevilla, Ruth
Consuegra, Donita
Reloj, Mary Roschael
Dela Cruz, Samantha Claire

Introduction
Some hope fertilizing tiny, floating plants in the ocean, prompting them to suck carbon dioxide out of the air, could help solve global warming. This general approach, modifying the planet to address climate change, is known as geoengineering, and, geoengineering proposals like iron fertilization tend to raise many uncertainties and risks. Phytoplankton, which includes microscopic marine plants and photosynthetic microbes, blooms naturally in the ocean. However, in seawater, there is only limited iron, an element these organisms need to grow, so by adding iron to seawater, it's possible to make a man-made bloom. This bloom funnelled a significant amount of Earth-warming carbon down into the ocean's depths, where it will remain sequestered for some time, unable to contribute to global warming.
Significance of the Experiment
If we seek to create a massive algae bloom by releasing several tons of iron sulphates into the sea off the coast of the British island of South Georgia. The patch will apparently be large enough to be visible from space.
If successful, the technique could be rolled out across vast swathes of the Great Southern Ocean. Scientists calculate that if the whole 20 million square miles was treated, it could remove up to three and a half Gigatons of C02, equivalent to one eighth of all global annual emissions from fossil fuels.
It would be a huge irony if melting icebergs, until now a powerful symbol of the damage caused by global warming, reveal a process that may enable scientists to take steps that might drastically reduce, and potentially even halt, the threat of environmental catastrophe.

Objective
To prove or disprove the hypothesis that green algae reduces the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere
To show the difference of temperature between an atmosphere with small amounts of CO2 and an atmosphere with large amounts of CO2
Special Method Used
In testing the hypothesis that green algae reduces the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. Our first procedure is to prepare three 1 L plastic bottles containing 250 ml of water. The first bottle will contain small amounts of CO2, the second bottle will contain large amounts of CO2 and the third bottle will contain large amounts of CO2 and green algae. Using alka seltzers, we can produce CO2 by dissolving it in water. The second procedure is to put ½ tablet of alka seltzer in the first bottle and to put 2 tablets of alka seltzer in the second and third bottles. After putting the alka seltzers, immediately put the stoppers with thermometers on the bottles to prevent CO2 from escaping. The third procedure is to place individual infrared or heat lamps in front of each bottle and wait for 30 minutes to 1 hour to see the differences in their temperature. Record the temperatures of each bottle twice, after 30 minutes and after 1 hour and observe and state the differences in temperature of the three bottles.
Significant Results
The data we have collected from the experiment shows that the second bottle containing large amounts of CO2 has a higher temperature when compared to the first bottle containing small amounts of CO2. The second and third bottles containing the same large amounts of CO2 have differences in temperature because the third bottle also contains green algae which absorbs CO2 for photosynthesis and produces O2. The third bottle has a lower temperature than the second bottles because the green algae in the third bottles reduced the CO2 concentration.
Conclusion
Based on our experimentation, we conclude that green algae do reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere and thus, helps in fighting against and in reducing global warming. And that the higher CO2 concentration in the atmosphere, the higher the temperature of the earth becomes.
Recommendation
In our investigatory project we have proven that green algae do reduce the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere, but we have not answered how we can control reproduction of green algae since it can go out of control when placed in the right temperature and surrounding nutrients. So we recommend everyone to further study the control of green algae reproduction.