Booth Id:
PLNT058
Category:
Plant Sciences
Year:
2020
Finalist Names:
Chen, Anthony (School: Saint Paul Academy and Summit School)
Abstract:
With the rise of wireless technology in the 21st century, the presence of unseen electromagnetic
radiation (EMR) across the globe has proliferated. While much has been done to develop these
systems which we so dearly depend on today, far less is understood about the potentially
harmful effects which accompany the proliferation of these waveforms. This experiment sought
to quantify the effects of the prospective 5G cellular network frequencies of the radiofrequency
(RF) spectrum on the most abundant primary producers on Earth: phytoplankton. To do so,
experiments utilized the analog 60GHz frequency band of the WiGig standard, the IEEE
802.11ad protocol, to simulate the radiation parameters of our near future. By measuring the
oxygen production of Thalassiosira and Cyclotella diatom genera in two phases under controlled
conditions, the photosynthetic productivity of the phytoplankton could be recorded and compared
between exposed and control groups. Results supported the alternate hypothesis that short term
radiation significantly stimulated productivity, resulting in enhanced oxygen production. While this
result can be justified with previous findings, it only provokes further questions: are the effects of
RF-EMR on diatoms limited to short term exposure, and if so, how will this change human’s
relationship with technology?