Student Searches for Solutions to Florida’s Droughts
Tuesday, August 31 9:55 am
2010 Young Naturalist Award winner Annika studied the effect of a manufacturing byproduct on the water-retaining properties of grass. Credit: Photo courtesy of Annika
Driving along Florida highways with her family, 12-year-old Annika couldn’t help but notice huge stacks of gray, chalky material piled high in nearby fields — and to wonder what it was.
When she learned that this material was phosphogypsum — a waste product of phosphate fertilizer manufacturing that is difficult to dispose because it contains low amounts of radium — Annika began to think about ways to put those chalky piles to use. Her research led to some interesting findings — and to a winning entry in the 2010 Young Naturalist Awards.
Aware of Central Florida’s severe drought and water shortage, Annika began to research phosphogypsum’s properties to find out if it could be mixed with soil to help retain water. If so, Annika would be finding a way conserve water while turning a manufacturing waste product into an asset for the community.
To test her hypothesis, she planted four pans with St. Augustine grass. She added varying amounts of phosphogypsum to three of the pans, carefully watered the grass for several weeks, then simulated drought conditions and recorded the results. While her findings were not conclusive, Annika’s experiment did show that phosphogypsum might help to conserve water during periods of drought, which she recounts in her essay Project Phosphogypsum: The Effect of Phosphogypsum on the Water-Retaining Properties of St. Augustine Grass.
The panel of judges, including Museum scientists and staff, who read Annika’s essay praised her for researching a topic so relevant to a problem facing her community. Annika plans to continue experiments in the hopes of finding a safe and environmentally friendly use for phosphogypsum.
To learn more about Annika’s research and to read about the 12 other winners from 2010, visit the Young Naturalist Awards website.
The Young Naturalist Awards is a nationwide, science-based research contest for students in grades 7 through 12 presented by the Museum. Since 2006, the program has been made possible through the exceptional generosity of Alcoa Foundation as part of its commitment to supporting student achievement in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines.
To learn more about the Young Naturalist Awards, visit amnh.org/yna.
