Scientific Principle Demonstration - Biodegradable vs. Chemodegradable

Materials:

Glass or aluminum pan (such as a pie tin), acetone from the paint department in a home supply store, styrofoam cup

Instructions:

In a well ventilated area, carefully pour a little acetone into the pan (enough to cover the bottom of the pan), place a styrofoam cup into the acetone, and observe.

THIS DEMONSTRATION SHOULD BE DONE BY THE TEACHER ONLY. ACETONE IS FLAMMABLE AND HAZARDOUS.

Discussion:

It is a fairly well-known fact that there are many materials we use daily which are not biodegradable and thus overload our landfills. Styrofoam is not broken down by microbes such as fungus and bacteria, but it can be broken down chemically. A styrofoam cup may not seem like much, but Americans alone produce enough styrofoam cups to circle the Earth well over 400 times yearly. Five hundred years from now, a product made of styrofoam will still be here. While this material is lightweight, it still takes up a lot of space.

Styrofoam is also deadly to sea creatures. It floats easily on the surface of the ocean and breaks apart in the water. Animals eat it, thinking it is food. If a sea turtle, for example, eats styrofoam, the low density of the styrofoam results in a large buoyant force on the turtle when it is swimming, preventing it from diving. In addition, the styrofoam clogs the digestive system and the turtle starves to death.

What can you do about this? Avoid using styrofoam products and pick up styrofoam litter to keep it out of the environment and away from wildlife. Be especially careful of litter and hazardous materials such as oil, paint, etc., around storm drains as everything that enters the drain flows directly to the ocean.

Storm drains are designed to carry water solely and are not to be used as dumping sites for debris and hazardous waste. Water flows through a series of concrete channels directly to the ocean without being treated. Oceans will be less contaminated and beaches cleaner if we prevent pollutants from entering storm drains.