Abstract
The increasing usage of fluoropolymer pollution in aquatic environments has increased concerns about the ecological consequences of materials such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), commonly known as Teflon. In the past decade, the usage of Teflon in American homes across the United States has risen by 37.7%, resulting in large amounts of aquatic pollution due to improper disposal of these harmful substances (Török et al., 2020). Although PTFE is chemically inert, its accumulation in freshwater systems can introduce matter that physically interacts with aquatic organisms. This study examined how varying concentrations of PTFE suspensions affect the growth of Salvinia minima, a freshwater fern widely used as a biomonitor and phytoremediator. Ninety plants were exposed to one of three treatments: a control (distilled water), a 75 µg·L⁻¹ PTFE suspension, or a 100 µg·L⁻¹ PTFE suspension for 15 days under controlled conditions. It was hypothesized that the experimental group of Salvinia minima exposed to 100 µg·L⁻¹ of PTFE solution would exhibit the lowest plant length and fresh weight after the experimental period. Plant length and fresh weight were recorded at baseline and in five-day intervals to quantify morphological responses. A one-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted, and the results showed that there was a statistically significant difference in Salvinia minima plant length and fresh weight based on different concentrations of Teflon (p < 0.05; Wilk's Λ = 0.800). Although the data was statistically significant, a Tukey's HSD post-hoc t-test was conducted to test Teflon on plant length and plant fresh weight, respectively, which indicated that Teflon had a significant effect on plant length (p < 0.05). The study underscores the importance of understanding fluoropolymer interactions with freshwater vegetation and highlights the need for particle characterization and longer-term assessments to determine ecological relevance.
Recommended Citation
Islam, Talha
(2026)
"Comparing the Effect of Varying Concentrations of Polytetrafluoroethylene on the Length and Fresh Weight of Salvinia minima,"
Caroliniana Undergraduate Research Journal: Vol. 1:
Iss.
1, Article 5.
Available at:
https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/usc-curj/vol1/iss1/5