This summer I work in Professor Parkash’s lab to research the effect of nano-sulfur on arsenate uptake and toxicity to the soybean. Before we start the full-scale experiment, we want to know the arsenate concentration that affects the yield or growth of the soybean. Based on my literature review, we decided to start the experiment with 0-12.5 ppm of arsenate to test out which concentration is toxic to the plant. I have to sieve soil and mix it with a potting mix with 1:1 ratio (volume-wise) and start to sow soybean seed in a 72-hole tray. I transfer the soybean plant when they are about two weeks old and water them 50 ml of water each day. After 3 weeks, I harvest and grind the samples for acid digestion to use for elemental analysis. The elemental analysis measures the amount of arsenic in the samples.
