JHS Science Fair Winner Continues Success At State Competition

A ninth-grader who secured top honors at the JHS Science Fair on Feb. 16 has continued her winning ways by taking the First Grant/First Place award in her class at the state science fair, held March 26 and 27 at Community College of Rhode Island in Warwick.

Alia Sasa brought her project — titled "How Does Acid Rain Affect Plant Life?" — to the statewide competition, which was open to the public on Sunday.

During an interview on Friday before the weekend competition, Sasa explained the concept of her project.

"My hypothesis is that plants treated with a mixture representing acid rain wouldn't grow as well as plants treated with distilled water," Sasa said, adding that over a 14-day period, she took photographs of both her control group — ivy and pea plants hydrated with clean water — and an experimental group watered with the acid rain mixture.

After careful measurement of the plants' height and numbers of leaves, and visual documentation of the leaves' conditions, Sasa said she found that both of the plants treated with the acid rain-like water grew more poorly, though the ivy plant appeared to be less affected — probably because of its waxy surface (ivy plants have a more porous skin, Sasa explained).

"The acid rain washes the nutrients away that the plants need," Sasa said, "(and) it eats away at the root hairs that the plants use to gather nutrients from the soil."

Sasa, who said she's thinking about pursuing science in college, explained that "it was amazing to see what the acid rain could do in 14 days."

For Sasa, whose Best in Show victory at the JHS competition followed her win the previous year at Ferri Middle School, the idea of going to the state science fair was one she was hopeful about.

I'm excited — I can't wait," she said Friday. "(The state judges) really like the whole green theme (and) I really went into a lot more depth and did a lot more testing, so I really think I have a chance."

Just as with her science project, Sasa's conclusion about her prospects was a sound one.