1. Household Air Quality By Kaitlyn McDonald, Jenny Brown, and Keaton Grove Whitefish High School Mr. Spangler

2. Background / Introduction Bioethanol - or simply 'ethanol' is a renewable energy source made by fermenting the sugar and starch components of plant by-products - mainly sugarcane and crops like grain, using yeast. We chose to do this project because Keaton and his family had just moved into their new house, with their new bio-ethanol fireplace. We were curious about whether it was truly non-polluting. We believed that it wasn’t. Using the DustTrak meter, we measured the PM 2.5 (particulate matter that is 2.5 microns or smaller) in the house while the fireplace was in use.

3. Hypothesis The PM 2.5 level, while the bio-ethanol stove was running, would be slightly higher than when it isn’t in use.

4. Methods We used the DustTrak to collect the air quality data. We sampled the air in Keaton’s home from 6 PM to 7 AM on March 11 th, 2014. We placed the meter next to the bio-ethanol stove in the living room, which is also connected to the kitchen. The stove ran from about 6 PM to midnight. The meter tracked the amount of dust particles through the night. The independent variable was the environment. The dependent variable was whether or not the stove was on, as well a cooking meals. Controlled variable was where it was placed.

5. Results PM level EPA avg. 24 hour limit Particulate Matter

6. Discussion The results that we received were pretty close but a little higher than what we expected to get, with a few spikes here and there due to meals. Our hypothesis was supported by the data, as the PM 2.5 level rose when the bio-ethanol stove was in use, and fell when the stove was turned off. Our results show that the bio-ethanol stove is slightly polluting but still stays under the EPA average 24 hour limit. A few errors during the experiment that could have been avoided were: meals that were cooked before the experiment and it would have been a good idea to have another experiment where the stove wasn’t running so that we could have a control.

7. Conclusion Our hypothesis was supported by the graph (that measured air quality) going up as the stove was turned on. It was then again supported when the graph gradually decreased after the stove was turned off. We learned that the bio-ethanol stove raised the amount of particulate matter in the air.

8. Improvements If we had a chance to redo our assignment, I would not prepare any meals while the experiment was being conducted. This way there would not be random spikes in the graph, and the results would only be from the bio-ethanol stove.

9. References "Ethanol Burners & Bioethanol Fireplace Burners From EcoSmart Fire." Ethanol Burners & Bioethanol Fireplace Burners From EcoSmart Fire. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 May 2014. "Anywhere Fireplace - Eco-Friendly, Bio-Ethanol Fuel, Contemporary Wall- Mount Fireplaces." Anywhere Fireplace Home Page Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 May 2014. Alter, Lloyd. "Are Ethanol Stoves Safe or Green?" TreeHugger. N.p., 31 Oct. 2012. Web. 05 May 2014.

10. Acknowledgements We would like to thank Keaton and his family for allowing us to use their bio-ethanol stove, and house, for our experiment. And thanks to you for watching!