The Effects of Chlorinated and Non Chlorinated Water on Bacteria Growth
The purpose of the experiment was to determine the effects of chlorinated and non chlorinated water on bacteria growth in reusable water bottles.
Many Third World countries in today’s society have little to no access to clean drinking water. This research serves to determine which type of water would be safest to drink after a period of time. It is not uncommon for high school athletes to open a water bottle at a game or practice and leave it in their bag until the next event. This research helps determine the type of water that athletes should fill their water bottles with and leave in their bag for future consumption.
Reusable water bottles were filled with either chlorinated or non chlorinated water and a drink was taken out of them. These water bottles were left to sit overnight. The next day, the water was strained through sterilized coffee filters and the bacteria transferred to Petri dishes; the Petri dishes were then be placed in the incubator overnight. The number of bacteria colonies were then be counted the next day.
After careful analyzation of a two-sample t test, it was determined that the mean sample of bacteria colonies was lower in chlorinated water than it was in non chlorinated water. It is believed that the presence of chlorine in the chlorinated water allowed for more bacteria to be killed off, meaning that fewer bacteria colonies were present in chlorinated water than non chlorinated water.
Research Conducted By:
Kendall Homic
Cousino High School
Kara Thompson
Lakeview High School
Warren Consolidated Schools