2023 STANSW Young Scientist Awards Presentation Ceremony
Scientific Investigations Chemistry 9-10
Angelina Lu , Sydney Girls High School , The Effect of Acidic Liquids on the Enzymatic Browning of an Apple
Enzymatic browning is a natural process where cut fruits go brown due to exposure to oxygen of the damaged cells . This can change the taste and texture of the fruit leading pieces to be rejected by consumers . Angelina tested the effectiveness of different acidic liquids in preventing browning . She found that lemon juice was the best , while vinegar was the worst at slowing the deterioration .
Alessa Ratnavadivel , PLC Sydney , An investigation into the effectiveness of cooking methods in removing arsenic from different types of rice .
Arsenic is a toxic and carcinogenic element that often leaches into groundwater . From there it can make its way into crops , particularly rice . Alessa first extracted samples from jasmine rice from Thailand and basmati rice from India and Pakistan and had them tested at UNSW . She found that all of the types of rice contained arsenic , and that rinsing before cooking reduced the arsenic content .
Echo Xu , James Ruse Agricultural High School , Oranges : Dissolving polystyrene
D-limonene is a compound extracted from citrus peel that is used as a flavouring agent . It is also a useful solvent and can dissolve expanded polystyrene , which is a common plastic and a source of waste . Echo found that using a more concentrated solution of D-limonene , diluted with methylated spirits , dissolved polystyrene the fastest .
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