Impact of Zinc Chloride and Motor Oil contamination on Lemna minor Growth
Faculty Mentor
Joanna Matos
Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
4-14-2026 11:30 AM
End Date
4-14-2026 1:30 PM
Location
PUB NCR
Primary Discipline of Presentation
Biology
Abstract
Contamination of water and soil threatens ecosystem stability and may indirectly contribute to numerous health issues. The interaction of two common contaminants, zinc and motor oil, with aquatic plants might be disruptive for the process of photosynthesis and thus harmful to plant health. This study evaluated the effects of zinc chloride and motor oil on the growth of duckweed (Lemna minor) over a 25-day period. We hypothesized that increasing concentrations of zinc and motor oil would reduce duckweed growth while zinc alone would be less detrimental and possibly beneficial. Roughly 75 healthy duckweed fronds were distributed among 27 containers, each container was filled with 300 mL of dechlorinated water. Treatments consisted of eight combinations of zinc chloride and motor oil. For 23 days we measured water pH and water level, and we visually observed the plants, noting frond division, root length, and biomass. Data were analyzed using a nine-group ANOVA test (VassarStats). We discovered that high concentrations of both contaminants negatively impacted frond growth, prompted longer root length growth, and degraded water quality and water texture. While a low dosage of zinc chloride prolonged plant vitality, at any dose the motor oil adhered to plant surfaces, seemingly impairing nutrient uptake and light absorption. Overall, while duckweed growth declined under contaminant stress, the plant demonstrated phytoremediation qualities under these unfavorable conditions. Increasing contamination levels may therefore accelerate ecosystem degradation and associated environmental risks. Further research is recommended to develop aquatic phytoremediation strategies for reducing trace metal pollution and organic pollutants in freshwater systems.
Recommended Citation
Kovpak, Veronica; Steele, Poe; Wague, Manthita; and Finley, Duke, "Impact of Zinc Chloride and Motor Oil contamination on Lemna minor Growth" (2026). 2026 Symposium. 8.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2026/ps_2026/p2_2026/8
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Impact of Zinc Chloride and Motor Oil contamination on Lemna minor Growth
PUB NCR
Contamination of water and soil threatens ecosystem stability and may indirectly contribute to numerous health issues. The interaction of two common contaminants, zinc and motor oil, with aquatic plants might be disruptive for the process of photosynthesis and thus harmful to plant health. This study evaluated the effects of zinc chloride and motor oil on the growth of duckweed (Lemna minor) over a 25-day period. We hypothesized that increasing concentrations of zinc and motor oil would reduce duckweed growth while zinc alone would be less detrimental and possibly beneficial. Roughly 75 healthy duckweed fronds were distributed among 27 containers, each container was filled with 300 mL of dechlorinated water. Treatments consisted of eight combinations of zinc chloride and motor oil. For 23 days we measured water pH and water level, and we visually observed the plants, noting frond division, root length, and biomass. Data were analyzed using a nine-group ANOVA test (VassarStats). We discovered that high concentrations of both contaminants negatively impacted frond growth, prompted longer root length growth, and degraded water quality and water texture. While a low dosage of zinc chloride prolonged plant vitality, at any dose the motor oil adhered to plant surfaces, seemingly impairing nutrient uptake and light absorption. Overall, while duckweed growth declined under contaminant stress, the plant demonstrated phytoremediation qualities under these unfavorable conditions. Increasing contamination levels may therefore accelerate ecosystem degradation and associated environmental risks. Further research is recommended to develop aquatic phytoremediation strategies for reducing trace metal pollution and organic pollutants in freshwater systems.
