Role of Cigarette Butt in poor plant growth and nitrate levels

Abstract

4.5 trillion cigarette butts are littered worldwide per year. Beyond the environmental damage that the cigarette butts

themselves propagate through the ecosystem, the effects on plant reproduction and growth that cigarette butts pose is

relatively unstudied. The hypothesis was that microplastics from cigarette butts will decrease the plant’s nutrition by

decreasing nitrate levels in the soil and will also affect a plant's growth based on the toxic materials in the cigarette

butts. My procedure was that before I started the experiment, I would collect materials and make water solutions,

and grow the microgreen seeds. From Day 1, I would transfer and label seed groups and experimental test groups

with toothpick signs. Every day at 8 am, I would water each of the 15 seedlings with 1 mL of water or cigarette butt

water. I would measure the height of each sample and take the average. I would send it to the lab for plant tissue

testing. My final steps were to take the averages of height and mineral values for each experimental group, plot

trends using the averages over the days, analyze data, and trace the individual trends of each seedling height and

health for 11 or 16 days. Based on the given data of each graph of Brassica Oleracea over a 11-day period and

Helianthus Annuus over a 16-day period and plant nutrient reports, I can safely conclude that cigarettes butts do

affect plant growth and nitrate levels.