Lowest Lethality Dose (LDLO) of Various Seeds When Exposed to Detergent

Abstract

This study determines the lowest lethal dose (LDLO) of detergent on various seeds. Plants provide food and countless ecological benefits but oversight in wastewater release contaminates natural and agricultural vegetation. Due to widespread pollution, plant survival is in danger, making food scarcity and climate change imminent threats. Detergent is a common pollutant in the environment which greatly contributes to water pollution and harms plants. A useful index for environmental testing is the LDLO, the lowest lethality dose that will begin to inhibit growth. In this study, a representative selection of seeds, cabbage (Brassica oleracea), beets (Beta vulgaris), yellow bush bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), and turnips (Brassica rapa subsp) are exposed to various concentrations of detergent ranging from .5 mL to .1 mL in an attempt to find the LDLO of detergent of each species. Results showed that cabbage seeds had the highest tolerance to detergent at .25 ml of detergent diluted in .25ml of water and beet seeds had the lowest tolerance at <.025 mL of detergent. Visual observations showed that the outer layer of bush beans became an abnormal shade of black from its usual light yellow hue. The results of this experiment reveal that cabbage seeds can tolerate higher doses of detergent as demonstrated by higher germination rates. The study suggests that cabbages can survive in areas exposed to higher concentrations of detergent. However, beets should not be planted in areas containing even small traces of detergent.