The Tobacco Smoke Effect on Epipremnum Aureum

Abstract

The objective of this experiment was to find out what will happen to the plant if it was covered with smoke. It was performed by having two plants: one is inside a container; the other is outside the container. The one inside is covered with smoke using a cigarette in a can. The other one is free from smoke. After two weeks the plant didn’t die but look pale and yellowish on its leaves. The cause of the change in color is the disease called chlorosis that affected the production of starch in the plant. The leaf should be green with chlorophyll and pigments on it, in order to produce starch. If it became yellow the respiration of the plant is also affected due to carbon monoxide. People who smoke should start avoid smoking in an area filled with lots of plants. Air pollutants producers like factories should stay away from the forests. They should probably lessen its production to avoid calamity in plants which leads to our calamity as well.

Introduction

People have studied about the effects of tobacco smoke on plants; they noticed huge effects like the paleness of the plant and the natural negative geotropism of the plant. Since they focused in these parts of the plant, we recently wanted to know what happened to the leaves during their experiment. We also found out that they use farm plants. We like to try it with indoor plants. What could happen as a result?

Since plants are living things, they can breathe like us. The only difference is that they breathe with their stomata (found at the leaves) absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. We animals breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide. This is a great ecosystem between us organisms but what will happen to the plant if it absorbs carbon monoxide? If we humans experience diseases with this smoke will the plants experience a disease as well or probably would resist it. The objective of this experiment is to find out what will happen to our plant if it was covered in smoke by the cigarette. The experiment will be performed for about two weeks with the cigarettes covering the plant at the morning, noon and night. Two cigarettes will be default number to be used by each part of a day (morning, noon and night). Only the reaction of the leaves will be mostly measured, not the height or the weight of the plant. The differences and similarities between the two Epipremnum aureum will be observed as well. There will be no smokers to be in use, only the burning cigarette will be performed. No direct sunlight will occur for it is an indoor plant.

Materials and Methods

The experiment is performed by having an Epipremnum aureum and cigarettes stored inside a container. The first thing to do is to light some cigarettes in a can. Put it inside the big container with the plant. Don’t let the smoke escape from the container for it is important in the experiment. Try not to let the smoking cigarette get too close to the leaves for it can cause burning.

The smoke won’t escape if the holes of the big container are blocked by a folder or any other solid objects that no smoke will be able to pass through. Perform these steps during the morning, afternoon and at night for two weeks. Water the plant only if the soil is very dry. Avoid watering of the plant every day. Do not remove the Epipremnum aureum inside the container for it serves protection for direct sunlight. Observe the color of the leaves through time. There might be big results to happen.

Results and Discussion

The chart is all about the reactions of the leaves of the Epipremnum aureum that is placed inside the container. It is noticed during the first two days the plant has resisted the smoke coming from the cigarettes.

During the next three day, reactions appeared according to this illustration:

One of the leaves turned yellow and the other got burned a bit due to the smoke of the cigarette.

As the other days came until the 14th day the plant started looking pale and unhealthy making it look terrible as a pretty house plant.

We didn’t record the height or the natural geotropism of the plant because we focused on the disease or reaction of the plant. Unlike, other experiments they only told us that the plant looked pale and malnourish in the stems and the soil. None of other experiments that we have researched said this stuff about the plant having chlorosis so we guess; we created new information for future experiments and the old experiments will have more details for the internet.

Conclusion

Tobacco smoke causes diseases on plants, no matter what type of plant is going to be used. Chlorosis was the disease that turned the chlorophyll and the pigments of the leaves into yellow. It means that we animals are alike with plants about the conditions of having diseases by carbon monoxide. It looks like they can’t resist it as well if it is too much. Maybe next time, smokers and any other air pollutant producers should stop their polluting production for it can affect the growth of plants causing the calamity or widespread of insufficient food production in farms. They should also lessen their production if they wish to continue in creating new materials. This could help in the survival of the forests and the grasslands for where some endangered species live. Probably this could benefit the balancing of the ecosystem.

Recommendation

We recommend that on future experiments, people will use more plants in performing this. In the use of cigarettes, we prefer that they will not only use carbon monoxide which is the smoke in affecting the Epipremnum aureum but also use other components of cigarettes such as nicotine, tar, benzene etc. We also recommend people to use different plants with different characteristics to see more results in this experiment.

Performing this experiment, shouldn’t be only the way of lighting a cigarette. They should try burning it, dumped it in the soil and try using a smoker as a subject.

References

http://www.knowledgebase-script.com/demo/article-393.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorosis

http://healthfully.org/tobacco/id8.html