Samm, UR - Free Radicals Everywhere!

This week, I have been reading up more on the relationship between titanium oxide and zinc oxide, and their affects on the environment (and possible ourselves).

After our class discussion about all our IRP project ideas, I am more convinced I want to pursue how sunscreens are affecting marine environments here in Central Florida, more specifically our Florida springs. The hydrogen peroxide created from the mixture of titanium oxide and zinc oxide can be very reactive in water. Both oxides are photoactive materials and can produce free radicals.

According to The ARC Centre of Excellence for Free Radical Chemistry and Biotechnology, "Free radicals are molecules with unpaired electrons". These molecules are active, trying to find something to pair itself with and, in doing so, can cause damage to surrounding molecules. Free radicals are a reason why some materials peel, crack, or degrade. And while free radicals are naturally found everywhere (including yourself!), an excess, or imbalance, of them can cause damage. For example, we produce free radicals in our bodies naturally. When we are stressed, eat fatty foods, or smoke, we produce more than we need. This imbalance can help cause many different diseases, including cancer.

I am thinking about centering my IRP on seagrass in our springs, and conducting experiments to see how the use of sunscreen on humans is affecting them. Whether or not I use several different locations with the same type of seagrass is something I will continue to think about.

Source: Decoded Science

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Angela B. - If this is the route you choose to go, I'd be interested to know if ultraviolet light suppresses or promotes any kind of harmful bacteria in freshwater.

Upon doing some research on the web, most of the websites I found that related to this was using UV light in ponds and aquariums to kill out any bad bacteria using a sterilizer. The Pet Education website had an article on UV sterilizers. Basically, most harmful bacteria floats on the top of the water. When it passes under the UV light, the light mutates the DNA, preventing it from growing or multiplying.

I am unsure if this can be applied to real life proportions, like UV rays from the sun to our ocean. If I were to make a hypothetical guess based on this article and my general knowledge, I would guess that UV light would be a factor in whether or not harmful bacteria is allowed to multiply or if it is suppressed. I would think that there are many other things that would also affect the growth/suppression of bacteria, not just UV light.