Algal Growth in Reverse Osmosis Water, Tap Water, and Bottled Water

Abstract

Our experiment was designed to see how algal growth varies in different water samples. We began our experiment by obtaining three water samples – reverse osmosis water (400 ml), tap water (400 ml), and an Aquafina water bottle (400 ml). The water bottle served as our control, and the other two water samples were our experimental groups. We prepared our water samples by adding an equal amount of algae to each sample, as well as a growth medium. Our group then structured the water bottles into photobioreactors. This allowed the algae to be properly aerates as it grew. The first week of our experiment, we measured the initial algae content we were starting with, and then we measured the algal growth of the samples on the second week. We replicated the experiment, and we compared the results of the second week to the first week. According to the first set of data we recorded from the first week of our experiment, the algae grew the most in the reverse osmosis sample. Our results supported our hypothesis.