Vinegar Eel Bio 10 Lab Results
Biology 10 Vinegar Eel Lab
Adam Dorner
1) The most toxic metals were silver, lead and iron, all killing the eels in under four minutes, with silver taking only 1 minute and 40 seconds to kill the eels, and only 13 seconds to make the eels stop forward motion. Strontium wasn’t effective as after 5 minutes of exposure to it, the eels hadn’t died or stopped forward motion.
2) a) The accepted toxicity varies from metal to metal. The accepted toxic level of lead is 0.0012 parts per million, however it is not considered safe at any level. The environmental protection agency says that the maximum contaminant level for cadmium in drinking water is 0.005 mg/L. In soil it is said that the highest amount of cadmium that can be accepted in land is 85 mg/kg. For Mercury the accepted toxic level in aquatic systems in 1ppb b) Heavy metal pollution is a problem usually associated with areas of intensive industry. However, roadways and automobiles now are considered to be one of the largest sources of heavy metals. Zinc, copper, and lead are three of the most common heavy metals released from road travel, accounting for at least 90 of the total metals in road runoff. Lead concentrations, however, consistently have been decreasing since leaded gasoline was discontinued. Smaller amounts of many other metals, such as nickel and cadmium, are also found in road runoff and exhaust. About half of the zinc and copper contribution to the environment from urbanization is from automobiles. Brakes release copper, while tire wear releases zinc. Motor oil also tends to accumulate metals as it comes into contact with surrounding parts as the engine runs, so oil leaks become another pathway by which metals enter the environment.
c) Yes, these heavy metals can bioaccumulate in organisms in our food chain, especially fish. This is because heavy metals are part of Earth’s crust; they can be worn away by the action of
Adam Dorner
1) The most toxic metals were silver, lead and iron, all killing the eels in under four minutes, with silver taking only 1 minute and 40 seconds to kill the eels, and only 13 seconds to make the eels stop forward motion. Strontium wasn’t effective as after 5 minutes of exposure to it, the eels hadn’t died or stopped forward motion.
2) a) The accepted toxicity varies from metal to metal. The accepted toxic level of lead is 0.0012 parts per million, however it is not considered safe at any level. The environmental protection agency says that the maximum contaminant level for cadmium in drinking water is 0.005 mg/L. In soil it is said that the highest amount of cadmium that can be accepted in land is 85 mg/kg. For Mercury the accepted toxic level in aquatic systems in 1ppb b) Heavy metal pollution is a problem usually associated with areas of intensive industry. However, roadways and automobiles now are considered to be one of the largest sources of heavy metals. Zinc, copper, and lead are three of the most common heavy metals released from road travel, accounting for at least 90 of the total metals in road runoff. Lead concentrations, however, consistently have been decreasing since leaded gasoline was discontinued. Smaller amounts of many other metals, such as nickel and cadmium, are also found in road runoff and exhaust. About half of the zinc and copper contribution to the environment from urbanization is from automobiles. Brakes release copper, while tire wear releases zinc. Motor oil also tends to accumulate metals as it comes into contact with surrounding parts as the engine runs, so oil leaks become another pathway by which metals enter the environment.
c) Yes, these heavy metals can bioaccumulate in organisms in our food chain, especially fish. This is because heavy metals are part of Earth’s crust; they can be worn away by the action of