Hancock Health Boomerang Issue 18 May 2022

SUPER FUN SCIENCE PROJECTS FOR A HEALTHY PLANET

Science experiments are a wonderful way to learn about the environment. They teach us important lessons about sustainability and how to be ecofriendly. The best part is that you don’t even need a science lab or any special equipment to do fun experiments at home. Here are some environmental science experiments that use supplies you already have at home.

Oil Spill Cleanup

What is the best way to clean up an oil spill in the ocean? What impact does an oil spill have on plants and animals? Learn more by trying to clean up your own “oil spill” with this easy, hands-on activity.

This easy science experiment uses dish soap to show the process of “emulsification.” This is when two liquids that normally separate mix together. The purpose of this experiment is to show why you need an emulsifying agent to remove oil from a bird’s feathers (or our oceans).

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

• Water

• An empty plastic bottle

• Cooking oil

• Natural food coloring

• Dish soap

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL DO (AND LEARN):

Fill your plastic bottle about halfway with water. Next, add one tablespoon of cooking oil and watch what happens to the water. What do you notice?

Water is denser than oil, which causes the two liquids to separate and the oil to rise to the top. Now, add a few drops of natural food coloring and watch what happens. Take notes on your observations.

Now, add two tablespoons of dish soap. This will act as an emulsifier by breaking down the oil and allowing it to mix with the water. Do you see how the food coloring tints the water to be the same color? What do you notice about the oil this time?

That’s right! The oil no longer rises to the top. This means that the dish soap did its job as an emulsifying agent, allowing the water and oil to mix together. When this happens, the oil is broken up into smaller droplets, making it easier to move.

When an oil spill occurs in the ocean, response teams use a similar approach for cleaning it up. Oftentimes, a small boat or plane is used to release chemical dispersants into the water that act as emulsifying agents. Much like the dish soap in this experiment, these chemicals break down the oil into smaller and less harmful compounds. Micro-organisms in the water then eat them and break them down into even less harmful compounds.

Don’t Go Away Rain Gauge

Dream of being a meteorologist when you grow up? Now’s your chance to practice! (Even if you have different career aspirations, this is still fun!)

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

• 2-liter plastic bottle

• Scissors

• Duct tape

• Sand

• Sharpie marker

• Ruler

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL DO:

1. Empty and wash out the 2-liter bottle.

2. With the scissors, cut off the spout top right where the taper or curve begins (this might be best done by an adult).

3. Fill the bottom of the bottle with 1/2 inch of sand. This will keep the bottle from falling over on windy days.

4. Pour in just enough water so you can see the water level above the sand. Yes, your sand will be wet! This is called the “saturation point.”

5. Use a marker to draw a line at the saturation point above the sand. Next to the line, write “starting point.”

6. Line the ruler up (from the starting/saturation point) and draw a line for every inch up to the top of the bottle.

7. Take the top “cut off” spout portion of the bottle and flip it upside down. Insert it into the bottle and use some duct tape to secure it. This will help catch and collect the rainfall by funneling it into the bottle.

8. Now it’s time to find an open, unobstructed area outside to place your rain gauge.

9. Every time it rains, record your rain data!

Now you can accurately measure how much rain has fallen after every shower!

Dirty Air

Look around you. Do you “see” the air surrounding you? No, right? We don’t typically see “air,” so it’s easy to assume that our air is clean. But is it? In this experiment, we’ll find out just what is in the air we breathe.

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

• A piece of white or clear plastic (salad plate size)

• Petroleum jelly

• Duct tape

• A wood block or brick

• Blank white paper

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL DO:

1. Coat the top of the piece of plastic with petroleum jelly.

2. Secure the plastic to a wood block, brick or other weighted object using duct tape.

3. Identify an outdoor location that is mostly open with decent air circulation (on a fence is preferable to on the ground).

4. Let the plastic/block sit for at least 24 hours (weather permitting).

5. At the end of your experiment time, bring the plastic/block inside. (If you used a clear piece of plastic, place it on a white piece of paper or lightcolored surface.)

6. Examine the top of the plastic for any particles collected. Make a list of these particles.

7. OPTIONAL: Create two air-pollution sensors and place one of them indoors in a common area with normal air circulation. Then compare the pollution collected by each. As you can see, air may be “invisible” but it’s not empty. Even the air we breathe inside contains particles that can harm us. Can you think of any ways to cut down the pollution inside your home?

ENVIRONMENT & HEALTH

HOW THE EARTH’S ENVIRONMENT IMPACTS OUR BODIES

While we don’t always see it, our environment is constantly shaping our health. How we interact with the world around us, including where we live and what we eat, has a major influence on our health and our bodies.

Professionals in the environmental health field study how people interact with the world around them and determine the various ways in which these interactions impact our physical fitness, vulnerability to disease and overall wellness.

WHAT IS ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH?

Environmental health is a field of public health that monitors environmental factors that we don’t have direct control over but impact our health anyway. For example, when roads aren’t properly maintained, it often results in more car crashes, and thus, more physical injuries or even death within a community. It’s the job of public health professionals to use strategic efforts to improve these environmental health factors and enhance the overall wellness of individuals, families and communities at large.

WHAT’S THE IMPORTANCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH?

Maintaining a healthy environment is essential for helping people to live longer and improve their quality of life. A healthy environment helps individuals and communities reduce their exposure to disease and other pollutants that have a toxic effect on the body.

HOW EXACTLY DOES THE ENVIRONMENT IMPACT OUR HEALTH?

Public health professionals have learned that the environment affects our health in a variety of ways, including:

• Air quality: It’s no secret that humans need air to survive. However, we don’t always do our part to keep it clean. Poor air quality has been linked to a wide range of health issues, including SIDS, lung cancer and COPD.

• Water and sanitation:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 780 million people around the world do not have access to safe drinking water. Even worse, more than 2.5 billion people lack access to proper sanitation services, such as clean restrooms. This lack of clean water and proper sanitation has been linked to staggering health issues for communities, including typhoid and other diarrheal diseases that can even lead to death for young children.

• Waste and toxic substances: In today’s world, many of the materials needed to improve industries and technologies include heavy metals and plastics. When these materials are released into the environment, they can hurt the human body and even lead to serious medical conditions.

• Homes and communities: Your home and community environments have a huge impact on your overall health and wellbeing. Think about it: We spend a majority of our time at home, work or school, so it’s important that these places are safe. For example, if you live in a neighborhood with polluted air or unsafe sidewalks, it can be difficult to get outside and exercise.

HOW CAN WE PROTECT AND IMPROVE OUR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH?

Unlike diet and exercise, many environmental health factors are not something that we can manage or fix by ourselves. Rather, combatting these risks requires action on the local, federal and international level through environmental laws, policies and protection programs. However, there are many things you can do to protect the environmental health and safety of your family and community. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

1. Reduce your carbon footprint and improve air quality by riding your bike, taking the bus or carpooling with a friend to school.

2. With a parent or guardian, you can check your own home for radon or lead paint to prevent exposure to toxic substances.

3. Rather than using plastic bags at the grocery store and throwing them away later, you can use reusable shopping bags to cut down on plastic waste. At the very least, recycle those plastic bags!

4. You’ve probably heard of this one: Reduce, reuse, and recycle! Reducing the amount of “stuff” you use and consume has the greatest benefit for our environment.

5. Talk with your local government about investing in environmental health activities to ensure every neighborhood has access to safe environments to live, work and play.

With Eco-Friendly Nature Creations

There’s no better way to celebrate Mother Nature than by making some environmentally friendly crafts. Here are two fun projects you can make using recycled materials from around your home or out in nature.

Wonderful windsocks

Making windy days fun is a total breeze with your very own windsock, a light, flexible cylinder or cone you set up outside to show the direction and strength of the wind.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• A cylindrical oatmeal container

• Crepe paper or fabric strips

• Construction paper

• Tape, glue or staples

• Paint or markers (optional)

Here’s how it’s done:

1. Remove the lid and cut off the bottom of your cylindrical oatmeal container.

2. Cover the container with construction paper of your choosing. Make it colorful!

3. Decorate your container. You can use paint, makers, glitter or even stickers. The most important part here is that you get creative and have fun.

4. Glue, tape or staple your crepe paper and/or fabric strips to the inside of one end of your container.

5. Punch four holes in the other end of your container (opposite from where you added the crepe paper and/or fabric strips).

6. Tie one string, about 12 inches long, to two opposing holes, and another string to the other two holes.

7. Gather your two strings with a third, longer piece of string. You will use this string to hang up your windsock.

When you're all done, hang your windsock outside a window where you can easily see it from inside. Now, you can watch your masterpiece blowing in the wind!

DIY nature pictures

This fun experiment requires you to get out outdoors and explore nature. When you’re done, paint what you’ve found and use your colorful objects to create a scenic landscape.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Nature materials (e.g., flowers, feathers, sticks, leaves, stones, etc.)

• Paint and paint brush

• Small mixing bowl or paper plate for your paints

• Newspaper

• Construction paper

• Craft glue, tape, scissors

• Glitter, powdered paint (optional)

Here’s how it’s done:

1. Take a walk with your parent or guardian to collect some sticks, feathers, leaves, flowers and anything else you can find. You will use these nature materials to create your nature picture.

PRO TIP: FLAT OBJECTS WORK BEST!

2. Once you’ve collected your materials, set up your workspace. Be sure to cover the area you'll be working on with newspaper or old magazines.

3. Lay your nature items flat on the newspaper. (Optional: Carefully brush a layer of craft glue over each item. Sprinkle glitter or powdered paint over items to add a special touch. Let the craft glue dry.)

4. Now, arrange your nature items on a piece of construction paper. This will be the base of your nature picture. Take time to experiment with the arrangement of your design.

PRO TIP: CHOOSE A COLOR OF CONSTRUCTION PAPER THAT WILL HIGHLIGHT THE COLORS OF YOUR NATURE ITEMS!

5. Once you’re happy with your design, carefully lift each nature item and put a drop of glue on its backside. Then, lightly press it back in place on the construction paper. Let the glue dry.

When you’re done, hang your picture for friends and family to see! These nature pictures make great refrigerator and wall art.

WHY IS LITTERING BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT?

1-5

WEEKS

5

YEARS

10-20

YEARS

50

50

YEARS YEARS

80-100

450 1K

100

YEARS YEARS

500

YEARS

1M

2-5 YEARS YEARS YEARS YEARS

Trash that ends up in the sea is often eaten by animals that live there, which can harm or even kill them. It is also a problem for us humans. We are at the top of the food chain, which means we end up eating our trash! It also ruins the beauty of the sea, stops tourists from coming back, damages boats and carries diseases.

SODA CAN

PLASTC BOTTLE

DIAPERS AND SANITARY NAPKINS

LEATHER STYROFOAM CUP BATTERIES

TETRA PACKS PLASTIC BAG

PVC CARDS

FRUIT PEEL CIGARETTE BUTT PLASTIC-COATED PAPER

PHONE CARDS, IDS, ETC

GLASS BOTTLE

TAKE CARE OF YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Become the healthiest generation ever!

When you know more about your health and how to take care of it, you can be more, do more and have more fun — starting now!