Below are the student REEL presentations from Spring 2022. Everyone did a great job with their presentations as well as their research work in the lab. Congratulations!!!!
Chromium in Water and Soil Samples Near Westerly Wastewater Treatment Plant
Ariana Coats
Wastewater treatment plants process all kinds of wastes, from sewage to chemicals. The main goal of these plants is to maintain the integrity and stability of natural water resources (oceans, lakes, rivers etc.). A focus on organic waste however sees heavy metals, including chromium, deposited into the environment in the form of industrial “effluents” or other sewage byproducts.1 Once in the environment, chromium metal has the capacity to present many adverse side effects, including metal poisoning and cancer. The EPA and other agencies set thresholds for safe chromium exposure. This experiment sought to test two water and two soil samples taken from around the Westerly Wastewater Treatment Plant in Cleveland, Ohio for the presence of chromium. These samples were collected, prepared, spiked, and tested with ICP-OES for concentrations of chromium. The results were conclusive and showed that all four unspiked samples contained low levels of chromium. Further testing is required to determine if the concentrations of chromium found are harmful, and if they originate from wastewater treatment.
Arsenic Concentrations in Cosmetic Eyeshadows Sold in the United States
Jillian Gady
The purpose of this project was to determine the concentrations of arsenic in various brands of eyeshadow sold across the United States. The brands researched were Maybelline, Covergirl and Revolution, which are commonly sold in local drugstores. Arsenic is naturally occurring, and its inorganic form can be highly toxic to humans, causing a variety of health complications, and it is to the benefit of the consumer to know the ingredients and contaminants that may affect them. Samples from the brands listed were collected, spiked, and tested for arsenic through Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results of this experiment are inconclusive, due to the presence of a compound within the sample causing an inaccurate instrument reading. More research and testing must be done to find conclusive results on the arsenic concentrations present in the eyeshadow samples. Despite the inconclusive results, this project opens the door to further research and questioning about the ingredients in cosmetic products as well as their detection methods.
Iron Concentrations in Water Samples from Rhodes Tower West
Cyenna Ulrich-Cech
Iron is one of the most abundant elements, a necessary mineral in human health and nutrition that is consumed every day. In extremely excessive amounts, iron may cause various health issues including gastrointestinal effects or diseases like hemochromatosis. Several agencies have recommended limits on the daily value intake of iron, about 18 mg for both adults and children, as well as tolerable upper intake levels, about 40 mg for children and 45 mg for adults. Higher than normal concentrations of iron found within drinking water cause various cosmetic and aesthetic effects like changes in color, odor, or taste and potentially harm the water flow system. Reports of discolored water at Cleveland State University’s Rhodes Tower West prompted this experiment. Utilizing experimental methods such as inductively-coupled plasma and analytical chemistry, iron concentration levels were measured in water samples. These values were nowhere near the daily value intake or tolerable upper intake level limits; therefore, there is no serious health concern. The iron concentration levels detected, however, were a high enough amount to cause aesthetic effects, thus discoloration. These findings reassure students and faculty at Cleveland State University that the drinking water poses no serious health concerns; although, there are ways the university can further improve the quality.
Determining the Presence of Bisphenol F in Bottled Water
Mena Amari Pobega
Bisphenol F (BPF) is an organic chemical found in the environment. Companies use BPF as an unregulated replacement for Bisphenol A (BPA) which has been legally regulated after being found to be an endocrine-disrupting chemical and carcinogen. BPA is freely released from packaging materials into the food or product inside the packaging and BPF is the primary replacement chemical for BPA. The concentration of BPF in materials does matter, as higher exposure leads to a higher likelihood of experiencing the adverse symptoms of exposure. Experimenters aimed to determine if BPF was present in Pure Aqua and Aquafina bottled water. The plastic bottles from each brand were also tested for BPF. The data collection and testing were done using experimental methods, analytical laboratory techniques, and high-performance liquid chromatography. BPF was not found in the Pure Aqua water sample or the Aquafina water sample. BPF was present in the plastic bottles for both brands. The hypothesis was that BPF would be found in all samples. Though the evidence found does not support the hypothesis, it is important that BPF was not found in either the Pure Aqua or the Aquafina water samples. The presence of BPF in the plastic bottles provides evidence that BPF may be a good alternative to BPA as it does not freely disperse into the product contained in the plastic.
Phthalate Concentrations in Baby Lotions
Jennifer Snyder
Phthalates are often used in everyday products such as personal care products, cosmetics, and medical supplies and equipment, and is nearly impossible to avoid exposure to because it is an ubiquitous environmental contaminant. Phthalate metabolites can be found in the urine of most people, but babies are prone to higher concentrations due to crawling and putting their hands and other items in their mouth. For this reason, this study sought to identify if two commonly used phthalates in personal care products, diethyl phthalate and dimethyl phthalate would be detected in baby lotions marketed as “phthalate-free”. Samples were prepared and filtered through a series of filtrations method and analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography. Analysis of the samples determined that phthalates were found in both samples. Research on the amount of phthalate exposure that could cause adverse health effects is expanding and ongoing.
Lead Concentrations in Plant-Based Protein Powder
Brandon Matheis
Heavy metals are quite present in the world. These metals have gained attention in the health community because of the effects they may have. Lead, specifically, is starting to get more research for it because of the issues that may come with it, such as lead poisoning. There are different ways for lead to be transferred into the human body, but digestion of food that contains lead is the most prevalent. Samples of protein powder, one of the most common supplements in the exercise community, were collected. Due to plants being able to uptake lead, plant based protein powder was used in this experiment. The three samples were tested for presence of lead, but the results were indecisive. There are a number of reasons for this explanation including human error or fault in the ICP (Inductively coupled plasma). Although these are positive results in the case for human health, future work must be completed to prove or disprove the lack of lead concentration in the samples collected.
Phthalate Concentrations in Baby Diapers
Emily Hollar, LPN B.S.
Phthalates are common chemicals found in consumer products to increase plasticity and retain color on products long-term, and within fragrances. These chemicals are known endocrine hormone disrupters leading to a variety of abnormalities of sex organs in animal models. One product with common fragrance known to parents around the world are baby diapers. The purpose of this study was to detect DEP and DBP within the top layer of infant and toddler diapers using experimental methods and high pressure liquid chromatography. Both phthalates were detected within a sample of diaper. 0.019794167mg/g of DEP analyte was detected while 0.095997714 mg/g of DBP was discovered within the same sample. European counties have banned the use of phthalates in consumer products while the US has not determined if there is a risk to the human population. As long-term exposure to phthalates in infants through close contact via dermal absorption is a new area of study, it is important to note the presence of the chemical within daily used items around the world. We hope this study can be used as a base for future investigations to the presence of phthalates within infant diapers.
Cleveland Area Community Garden Soil Lead Concentration
Ann Walter
Community gardens on converted housing plots may be at risk for contaminants in the soil from previous building materials, especially lead5. Several Cleveland area community gardens are built on former housing plots, with houses built before 1978, when lead became prohibited from many building materials2. Lead can have detrimental health impacts on learning and cognitive abilities, especially if ingested by children under the age of 65. Lead in gardens can be found either as a fine dust on the surface of produce, or can be taken up by vegetable roots, even if grown on a raised bed7. Testing community garden soil lead content is an important preventive measure to ensure health of all residents in the area. This study tested soil samples from four Cleveland area community gardens, selected at random, and found that though lead was present in the samples, it was well below the safe threshold for safe soil gardening practices.
Lead Concentration in Ground Turmeric
Samarth Khanna
Food adulteration is a concern which has grown many folds in the past few years. In this experiment we looked into adulteration of powdered turmeric with lead chromate. This is highly concerning due to the detrimental effects of lead on various organs system (reproductive organs, nervous system, renal system) of the human body. We hypothesized that we would find lead in our samples of powdered turmeric from the brands MDH and Priya. The hypothesis was falsified because lead was not detected in the samples used, that is, in the brands MDH and Priya. Though definite conclusions cannot be drawn from just one study, this study indicates that MDH and Priya do not have lead concentrations.
Chloride Concentration in Water Samples from Cleveland Metroparks’ Rocky River Reservation
Jared Dubber
Salt plays an important role in our lives—from seasoning our food to regulating the smallest of biological functions in our bodies. We rely on salts for a plethora of uses in our daily lives. During the winter months, as snow and ice begins to cover our smooth non-irrigating asphalt streets, we use salts, especially sodium chloride and potassium chloride, are used to melt the snow. While this results in safer streets in the short term, this can lead to long term environmental impacts as the salt is washed away into local freshwater bodies of water such as streams, rivers, and lakes. In Cleveland, an enormous amount of salt is poured onto our streets and walkways and is immediately flushed into nature reserves such as the Metroparks. The Rocky River Reservation, the portion of the park located next to suburbs like Rocky River and Lakewood receives much of the run-off. In 6 samples collected form the park, a superfluous amount of chloride was found in every sample, ranging from around 100ppm-500ppm. While these levels were below dangerous levels for biological damage in all freshwater samples with organism in it, this still shows a trend towards dangerous amounts. These results can show the state, organizations, and people the effect de-icing agents have on the environment, how over-salting in their own city has led to higher levels of chloride in freshwater bodies than naturally there, and how conscious de-icing measures are important to employ to protect the nature in our area.
Arsenic in Rice Samples from California
Elaina Casteel
Arsenic is a commonly found metalloid internationally. The high Arsenic concentrations arise through arsenic containing pesticides in agriculture and industrial use. From these sources, arsenic has become highly pollutant in drinking water, the atmosphere, and soil used for agriculture. Arsenic can cause lasting health issues and in some cases even be lethal. Since arsenic can be found easily in soil and water used for irrigation, it also affects crops. Rice is one of the most affected crops due to its growing methods. Samples of rice from California were tested, but the results were inconclusive. A possible explanation for the results garnered is that bacteria may have grown within the samples and prevented the ICP from detecting any concentrations of arsenic. Future testing must be conducted to determine how much arsenic is in these common rice brands and whether they pose a potential health risk to those consuming these products.
Bisphenol A and S Concentrations in Soda Cans
Stephanie Wisherick
Bisphenol A (BPA) and Bisphenol S (BPS) are known endocrine disrupting compounds that can be found in plastic containers. There is a lack of research being done on aluminum cans that could get contaminated during production. Fountain drinks are a popular drink among Americans, so determining the concentration of BPA and BPS in aluminum fountain drink cans was the focus for this experiment. High-performance liquid chromatography was the major method use to determine analyte concentrations in three name brand fountain drinks. BPA and BPS were both found in all samples, but low percent recovery puts results into question regarding validity, indicating the experiment should be repeated.