The Effect of Acid Rain on Plant Growth 1

Chemmy Chemist III

PURPOSE
To determine the effects of acid rain on plant growth.

QUESTION
Acid rain has a negative impact on the environment including buildings and other man-
made structures (Up, 2017). How will the acid rain impact the growth of the common sunflower?
Looking at the effects of acid rain will also help me gain insight into the amount of acid rain a
sunflower can tolerate.

INTRODUCTION
Plant growth depends on a delicate pH balance within the plant. With the increase in
industry in our environment, acid rain has increased over past years and caused damage to the
environment (2017). These changes have directed my inquiry into the effects of acid rain on
plants. Plants require a specific pH range in the soil for optimal growth; this range depends on
the type of plant but is most commonly acidic (Perry, 2003). This investigation will focus on the
growth of the common sunflower at three pH levels to represent ideal growing conditions and
soil in an acid rain environment. The pH of the rain will be measured using the pH of the
solution used to simulate acid rain and the pH of the runoff from the soil to identify pH range of
the soil. The purpose of this lab is to determine the effects of acid rain on plant growth,
specifically the growth of the common sunflower.

HYPOTHESIS
Acid rain will cause plant growth to decrease by 7% as the pH decreases by 0.5 and will
decrease by 900% when the pH is decrease by half the original pH value. The increase in pH will
cause the H+ concentration in the plant to become unbalanced and cause the plant to decrease in
health. When a plant is under stress the plant will stop growth to conserve energy and use the
effort to heal rather than grow new leaves or branches (Allott & Mindorff, 2014). Therefore, as
the plants are exposed to an acidic environment the plants will not grow. I referred to a lab done
by Ryan T. with marigolds and acid rain to determine the quantitative measurements for
hypothesis. His experiment showed that the marigolds growth decreased by 8.3% for a decrease
in pH of 0.5 and 1252.8% when the pH was decreased by half (T, 2013). Using this information I
based my quantitative data loosely on T’s data but I decreased the effect of acid rain on
sunflowers because sunflowers are a heartier flower that can handle stress better than most
flowers (Putnam, 2017).

METHODOLOGY
The ideal soil condition for the common sunflower to grow is a pH of 5.7 to 8 (Putnam,
2017). To observe the effects of acid rain, there will be three trials. One trial will have the ideal
condition with a pH range of 5.7 to 8 and will be used as the control. This will be used as a
control because it is the scientifically recommended range for proper growth. The next trial will
The Effect of Acid Rain on Plant Growth 2

have the soil conditions with a pH range of 5.2 to 7.5. This will match the conditions of the acid
rain in most common cities (Up, 2017). The third trial will have a pH range from 2.8 – 4 that will
show extremely acidic conditions that are found in high density cities such as Bejing, China or
Los Angeles, California. In all three trials there will be 500g of soil with the correct pH range,
300mL of water a week, 2 drops of fertilizer every month, and three pots with one flower each.
All trials will run for 70 days given that sunflowers take 57 days to grow to full height (Putnam,
2017). These factors will be controlled so that each flower will have the proper nutrients and
time to grow. The growth of the plants will be measured weekly from soil level to tip of stem.
This will allow the measurement for each flower to be constant despite the flower on top. The
dependant variable of growth will depend on the environmental conditions which are the
independent variable. Trial 1 is a control and will have no acid added to the soil. Trial 2 will be
watered every week with 10mL of 3M HNO3. This concentration will adjust the pH of the soil to
match the range. Trial 3 will be watered every week with 30mL of 2M HNO3 to achieve the pH
range for the conditions. These three trials will provide adequate data to show how acid rain
effects the growth of plants.

Materials: 15 common sunflower seeds, 8kg of miracle grow soil (pH 5.7-8), 5L distilled water,
123mL bottle of miracle grow fertilizer, small rocks, 9 pots (2L), 9 drainage collectors for pots,
1L of 3M HNO3, baking soda, 500 mL volumetric flask, 2 plastic spray bottles (200mL), pH
probe and buffer solutions, 500mL beaker
1. Place a single layer of small rocks on the bottom of each pot
2. Measure 500g of soil and place in each pot, do not pack into pot
3. Soak each pot with water until soil is completely saturated with water
4. In the center of the pot dig a hole about 3cm down and 1cm across. Plant seed in hole and
cover with dirt
5. Water soil with 2 drops of fertilizer and allow the water to drain before the drainage
collector is put underneath pot
6. Allow plants to grow in standard green house conditions for 1-2 weeks until the
sunflower has grown to about 2cm
7. For all plants, water with 300mL every week and 2 drops of fertilizer every month.
Check pH of the drainage and adjust pH accordingly with acid in the soil.
a. Add 10mL of 3M acid for trial 2 every week
b. Add 30mL of 2 M acid for trial 3 every week
8. For plants in trial 2 and 3, place 2M HNO3 in a spray bottle and spray the plant once a
month. Spray the entire plant lightly with the acid solution so no drops form on the
leaves.
9. Every week, measure the length of the stem from soil to tip of stem and record
measurements
10. Continue experiment for 70 days after the initial growth when acid treatment began.
11. After experiment is over neutralize waste acid with baking soda and clean area

SAFETY
Nitric acid (HNO3) is a strong acid and corrosive to metals and body tissue. Wear protective gear
to protect eyes and use baking soda to neutralize any spills. Waste acid can be neutralized with
baking soda and then disposed of down the drain (Flinn, 2017).
The Effect of Acid Rain on Plant Growth 3

DATA
Raw Data:
Average Growth of Common Sunflower
Trial 1: Control with Trial 2: Control with Trial 3: Control with
soil pH 5.7 -8 soil pH 5.2 -7.5 soil pH 2.8 - 4
Time elapsed Plant growth (cm) Plant growth (cm) Plant growth (cm)
(weeks)
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10