| | Category | EV | L13 | The Effect of Pain Relievers Polluting Water on P. caudatum and L. |
| | variegatus |
| | Abstract | As people take medicine, not all of the medicine is metabolized by the body, |
| | some of it is excreted. People also commonly dispose unused medications |
| | down the drain. Recent investigations reveal that these medications end |
| | up polluting natural bodies of water and affecting wildlife living in the |
| | water. However, the effects of these medications on wildlife are relatively |
| | unknown. This project was to determine what effects do the pain |
| | relievers that are found in natural bodies of water have on the behavior of |
| | unicellular and multicellular organisms. Paramecium caudatum, and |
| | Lumbriculus variegatus were used as biological indicators and were |
| | exposed to non-prescription naproxen, ibuprofen, aspirin, and |
| | acetaminophen to determine their behavior when pain relievers are |
| | released into the water. |
| | P. caudatum were exposed to pain relievers dissolved in water at various |
| | concentrations. After 48 hours, the swim speed (mm per sec) and number |
| | of direction changes (turns per sec) of P. caudatum were recorded. The |
| | results revealed that as the concentration level increased, there were |
| | more direction changes and slower swim speed. |
| | Lumbriculus variegatus were exposed to pain relievers dissolved in water |
| | at various concentrations. Their heartbeats were recorded after 24, 48 |
| | and 72 hours under a microscope. As the concentration increased their |
| | heartbeat increased and many died. |
| | The lowest concentrations that were tested were in the parts per billion. |
| | The results show that even low concentrations of pain relievers in water |
| | can greatly affect the behavior of aquatic organisms. |
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