Abstract  The Potassium Permanganate Polymer Blend 1-day release had a Lethal Concentration 50 (LC50) of 25% concentration while the 5- day release had a LC50 of 12.50%  In terms of the Copper Sulfate solution, the LC50 was at 50.00% concentration, a higher concentration than was anticipated at the start of the experiment  The polymer blend proved to be effective in treating for any kind of odor, color, and microbiata. However, this is only true in a smaller concentration and therefore, should be used in small amounts  In future studies, the different solutions will be tested and further wastewater treatment systems will be tested  The Potassium Permanganate Polymer Blend 1-day release had a Lethal Concentration 50 (LC50) of 25% concentration while the 5- day release had a LC50 of 12.50%  In terms of the Copper Sulfate solution, the LC50 was at 50.00% concentration, a higher concentration than was anticipated at the start of the experiment  The polymer blend proved to be effective in treating for any kind of odor, color, and microbiata. However, this is only true in a smaller concentration and therefore, should be used in small amounts  In future studies, the different solutions will be tested and further wastewater treatment systems will be tested LeBlanc, Gerald A. "Acute Toxicity of Priority Pollutants to Water Flea (Daphnia Magna) - Springer." Acute Toxicity of Priority Pollutants to Water Flea (Daphnia Magna) - Springer. Springer-Verlag, 01 Dec Web. 14 Nov Adema, D.M M. "Daphnia Magna as a Test Animal in Acute and Chronic Toxicity Tests - Springer." Daphnia Magna as a Test Animal in Acute and Chronic Toxicity Tests - Springer. Kluwer Academic Publisher, 01 June Web. 14 Nov LeBlanc, Gerald A. "Acute Toxicity of Priority Pollutants to Water Flea (Daphnia Magna) - Springer." Acute Toxicity of Priority Pollutants to Water Flea (Daphnia Magna) - Springer. Springer-Verlag, 01 Dec Web. 14 Nov Adema, D.M M. "Daphnia Magna as a Test Animal in Acute and Chronic Toxicity Tests - Springer." Daphnia Magna as a Test Animal in Acute and Chronic Toxicity Tests - Springer. Kluwer Academic Publisher, 01 June Web. 14 Nov Introduction References Hypothesis Conclusion Results I would like to thank the Engage2BE program and Interdisplinary Training for Undergraduates in Biological and Mathematical Sciences (UBM) Program (Grant A from the National Science Foundation) Thank you to Dr. Stephanie Luster-Teasley for advising me on the lab equipment, data interpretation and terminology and graduate student Niya King for teaching me how to develop the polymer blend Acknowledgements Materials and Methods Toxicity Detection of Pollutants in Freshwater Using Daphnia Magna and EDVOTEK Kit Christopher Porter (Undergraduate) and Stephanie Luster-Teasley, PhD (advisor) College of Engineering, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, North Carolina Water is one of the most fundamental needs for any life form to survive on Earth. Approximately 70.9% of the Earth is composed of water and of that 70.9%, 97% is salt water while only 3% is fresh water. Because of the low salt concentration in fresh water, many organisms and ecosystems can survive within those bodies of water for consumption and personal usage. However, as the world becomes increasingly advanced in industry, manufacturing, and technology, the amount of drinkable freshwater becomes progressively scarce. The objective of this study is to determine the effect of pollutants at different concentration levels (potassium permanganate and copper sulfate) the effectiveness of a water treatment polymer pellet. Daphnia Magna are placed in several tanks and monitored before treatment. The polymer is added to a series of wells (n=6) in increasing amount of polymer pellets. The EDVOTEK kit was used to measure the overall health of the Daphnia Magna. The polymer proved to be effective in reducing microbiota, color, and odor of the tested water samples. This indicates a beneficial method of water treatment. Fresh drinkable water is one of the most vital global resources in existence today and needs to be one of our top priorities to regulate and protect. Sources of the drinkable water come from water vapor, lakes and rivers, glaciers, and soil moisture. These sources repeatedly become available to for global use through the water cycle. However, despite this timeless cycle, the amount of water being brought into the cycle ultimately becomes polluted by modern day harmful chemicals. Various factories, manufacturers, and industries dump waste and byproducts into lakes, rivers, and other bodies of water in order to save time and money. As a result of the dumping, the aquatic plants and animals slowly die off, disrupting the delicate ecosystem around them and the environment as a whole. At the same time, humans can either no longer drink the water because of adverse health effects or the water gains objectionable traits, such as undesirable taste or odor, that make it unpleasant to drink. In research, spring water can be used as an experimental media to study the environment of marine life and Daphnia magna is used as the representation of that marine life. Daphnia magna are small planktonic crustaceans that are low maintenance, have a small life span, and are sensitive to artificial chemicals. Therefore, Daphnia magna are the ideal test subjects for any water toxicology laboratory work. The hypothesis of this study is that the polymer will be effective in reducing microbiota, color and odor of untreated water. Discussion Potassium Permanganate (KMnO 4 ) on was only released for approximately twenty-one hours, as opposed to the ideal 24 hour release. Also, continuation of the water toxicology experiment will involve different time variations of the polymer release and various type of pollutants. Solution Preparation Daphnia magna are collected (n=36) from a tank and put into six different wells, each well containing 6 Daphnia magna with copper sulfate and potassium permanganate/polymer blend as seen in Table 1A and 1B. Copper Sulfate (total volume=10ml) Cell 1Cell 2Cell 3Cell 4Cell 5Cell 6 Control received no chemical 6.25% chemical 12.5% chemical 25% chemical 50% chemical 100% chemical Table 1A Potassium permanganate/polymer blend (total volume=10ml) Cell 1Cell 2Cell 3Cell 4Cell 5Cell 6 Control received no chemical 6.25% chemical 12.5% chemical 25% chemical 50% chemical 100% chemical Table 1B Observation of Daphnia magna Daphnia magna are placed into solution for 45 minutes and then are given the IQ sugar-fluorescent additive. After an additional 15 minutes, a UV light is used to observe the survival of the Daphnia magna The glowing indicates living Daphnia magna as shown in Figure 2. 1 Figure 1 - Daphnia magna Figure 2 – Daphnia magna glowing under UV light Figure 3A – Comparison of Survival Rates of Daphnia magna between CuSO 4 and KMnO 4 (1- day release) Figure 3B – Comparison of Survival Rates of Daphnia magna between CuSO 4 and KMnO 4 (5-day release) 2