Project:

The Effect of Nitrogen Dioxide on Plant Diversity in NYC

Students:

Bowei Zhang, Maylin Rosales

School:

Brooklyn Technical HS, Brooklyn

Mentors:

Risa Parlo

Abstract:

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) (1) is a harmful pollutant found in the air due to the burning of car, bus and truck fuel. New York City (NYC), composed of five different unique boroughs, is a metropolitan and one of the most industrialized cities in the world. According to the Census Bureau, the estimated current population of NYC is 8,398,748 (2) , with a total of 2,189,374 (3) registered cars. The vehicles in NYC most likely add to the levels of NO2 found in the air. NO2, a highly reactive nitrogen oxide, interacts with oxygen in the atmosphere to form nitric acid. Nitric acid then reacts with water to form acid rain which is known to negatively affect plants and trees. For instance, acid rain also removes minerals and nutrients from the soil that trees need to grow (4). Additionally, NO2 is a chemical source of ozone, a toxic air pollutant and greenhouse gas, thus aiding to the heating up of earth’s atmosphere (5). In this project, our team seeks to investigate wild plant life within NYC

Poster:

Team samples: