Water and Soil Microbes Science Fair Projects for Environmental Health Students

Super Science Fair Projects :: Microbiology :: Water / Soil Microbes ::

Learn about what microbes
can be found in water and soil samples...

image of detective

Collecting Samples

Collecting water and soil samples are easy to do. To start with you will need a sterile container. Label the container with the sample's location, an ID number and the time and date you took the sample. Then collect your sample and put the lid on.

Awards Earned

1st Place, 6th Life Science, PCA Science Fair

Find out what unforseen creatures are in your life
with the Water & Soil Microbe Experimenter Kit!

Problem to be Solved

What temperature will kill the most bacteria?

Hypothesis

Because water freezes at 0 degrees Celsius, and boils at 100 degrees Celsius, it is unlikely that bacteria will survive these conditions for more than a short time.

Procedure

Non-pathogenic Escherichia coli will be placed in sterilized jar lids. The lids will be placed on a water bath for 20 minutes. One water bath will be at 100C and another bath at 50C. One lid will be kept at room temperature for 20 minutes. Another lid will be placed in a freezer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes each lid will be swabbed and wiped onto nutrient agar. The petri dishes with the agar will sit undisturbed at room temperature for several days. Bacteria growth on the agar will be measured.

Conclusion

Exposing non-pathogenic e-coli to 100C for 20 minutes killed the bacteria. Exposure to freezing temperatures for 20 minutes actually made the bacteria grow better when brought back to room temperature. Future research could include exposing the bacteria to other temperatures just below the boiling point of water to determine what temperature is no longer effective at killing it. Also, adding the bacteria to a food such as mayonnaise or hamburger may determine if chemicals in the food influence bacteria growth or death at different temperatures. 3rd party contributor

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