Part 1: What is it



Experiment 2: Oil Spills and Aquatic Animals

Understanding ecological interactions extends beyond reviewing the natural interactions between the environmental and animal factors. In fact, many would argue that human interactions with animals can cause an equally great (or even greater) impact on animals or the environment due to the number of species which become endangered or extinct as a result of human behavior. This may transpire through hunting, habitat encroachment, pollution, etc. In this experiment, you will examine the effect of oil pollutants and detergent on animal coats.

|Materials |  | |

|(5) 250 mL Beakers |Sponge | |

|3 Chamois Cloth Pieces |Wooden Stir Stick | |

|3 Feathers |*Stopwatch | |

|(1) 100 mL Graduated Cylinder |*Large Bowl | |

|2 2/3T. (apx. 40 mL) Liquid Dishwashing Soap |*Paper Towel | |

|Measuring Spoon |*Water | |

|2 2/3 T. (apx. 40 mL) Vegetable Oil | | |

|Permanent Marker | | |

|2 2/3 T. Powdered Dishsoap | | |

|2 2/3 T. Powdered Laundry Detergent |*You Must Provide | |

| | |

Procedure

1. Observe the texture of the chamois cloth. Try to use three to four different adjectives to describe the cloth, and record your observations in Table 2.

2. Repeat Step 1 using the feathers instead of the chamois cloth.

3. Use the permanent marker to label the 250 mL beakers as Liquid Dishwashing Detergent, Powdered Dishsoap, Powdered Laundry Detergent, Water, Oil + Water.

4. Use the measuring spoon to add 2 2/3 T. (approximately 40 mL) amount of liquid dishwashing detergent, 2 2/3 T. powdered dishsoap, and 2 2/3 T. powdered laundry into their respective beakers. Set the beakers

aside.

Note: Three total measurements in Step 4. One measurement should be allocated into one of the three, labeled beakers.

5. Use the 100 mL graduated cylinder to add 40 mL water to the Water beaker.

6. Add 100 mL water to the Liquid Dishwashing Detergent, Powdered Dishsoap, and Powdered Laundry Detergent beakers. Use the wooden stir stick to gently stir the mixture, being careful not to introduce unnecessary bubbles to the solutions.

7. Fill the large bowl approximately 50% with room temperature water. This will be your rinse bowl.

8. Add 40 mL oil and 10 mL water to the Water + Oil beaker.

9. Add the three pieces of chamois cloth to the Water beaker. Allow the cloth to soak for one minute. Note any changes to the cloth texture. Record your observations in Table 2.

10. Add the water-saturated pieces to the Water + Oil beaker. Allow it to soak for an additional three minutes.

11. Rinse the pieces in the Rinse beaker and place them on paper towels to air dry. Note any initial changes to the cloth in Table 2.

12. Repeat Steps 9 - 11 with the feathers.

13. Place one piece of chamois cloth and one feather in the liquid dishwashing detergent beaker. Allow to soak for approximately five minutes.

14. Repeat Step 11 placing items into the Powdered Laundry Detergent and the Powdered Dishwashing Detergent beakers.

15. Use the sponge to gently wash the items in their respective beakers. Then, individually transfer the items to the rinse bowl and continue to rinse the items.

16. Place each item on a paper towel, and allow to air dry.

17. Examine the dried items and observe their final textural status. How do they compare to the initial texture? Record your observations in Table 2.

|Table 2 Cloth and Feather Observations |

|Item Type |Initial Observations |Water-Saturated |Oil-Soaked Observations |Final Observations |

| | |Observations | | |

|Feather |  |  |  |  |

Post-Lab Questions

1. Which solution cleaned and restored the items most effectively?

2. Research the ingredients included in powdered laundry detergent, powdered dishwashing soap, and liquid dishwashing soap. What difference(s) do you notice, and how do you think this affected the soaps’ ability to restore the items?

3. Identify one marine species with an outer layer which is similar to the chamois cloth, and one with an outer layer similar to the feathers.

4. How might aquatic species be affected in a natural environment if a coat or outer shell was compromised by pollution? How might bird species be affected?

5. Identify one additional way that aquatic species may contact water pollution (other than via coat or shell contamination).

6. Aquatic life may be directly affected when oil leaks or spills occur. For example, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 (which is considered to be the largest oil spill in petroleum industry history) affected over 8,000 marine species including fish, birds, mammals, and more. Research one species (plant or animal) that can be affected by oil spills.

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