The Effects of Wavelength of Light on the Growth of Algae

Abstract

Water quality is being tested all over the world not only for the safety of what resides in the water, but also for the safety of the general public. Eutrophication can be caused by many factors such as light, climate, and chemicals in the water. We tested this idea just on a smaller scale. We had three falcon tubes with our fertilizer and water algae solution which were placed into the different lighted areas red, white, and blue. The hemocytometer slides were used throughout the 4 week experiment to track the algal growth, yet we only collected data for 3 weeks. Data was collected on week 1, 3, and 4. Algae with white natural light will have a higher growth of cells per milliliter of water than algae with different colored lights such as red and blue. After the last samples had been examined through the hemocytometer slides we noticed a clear upward trend in our data. This is because photosynthesis was occurring under the lights at different rates. The results gathered demonstrate real world situations and convey that anytime light or chemical levels are altered this effects the way algae may photosynthesize.