If a fichus is fed household cleaner each week then it will die or show adverse
effects. The independent variable is the type of plant we’re using; the
dependant variable is the type of cleaner we’re using.
The problem that we are looking at is how safe are household cleaners truly. Are
they capable of killing living species, and if so, how effective, and in what
quantity can they prove fatal. We hope to find the answer to improve the safety
conditions of households, and protect curious children and toddlers, as well as
household pets from toxic products that are commonly found in cleaning cupboards
and closets in houses across the globe.
For our experiment, we are going to take seven different specimens of the fichus
benjamina plant species, and we will test six different brands of common
household cleaners, one for each species, and a control plant that will be fed
only water. We will give each plant one millimeter of cleaning fluid given
through a syringe, once a week for seven weeks.
In the United States, 1.1 million children below the age of six consumed toxic
substances. 500 791 of these cases were from cleaners being ingested in the year
1998. This could be avoided, or at least the cases could become less serious if
we knew for sure which products were safer, or less toxic, and only use these
products. This would also most likely encourage producer of cleaning products to
find a safer, less toxic alternative, and avoid all of these cases of ingested
toxins.
The importance of our research is to ensure the safety, and well being of the
household, and the cleaners used in that household. As well as in part to find a
potentially more durable plant, or even, on the outside chance, a more effective
substance for plant growth. As there are so many cases of toxic substances
ingested in the U.S., it would be extremely beneficial for us to find safer
cleaning products, and avoid the deaths caused by these toxic substances, as
some can even cause harm just from inhalation.