UV Bead Lab

By: Sophia Gazor, Danielle Kisseberth, Summer Hohmann, and John Paul Christen
4th Period - November 8, 2012
ProbIem/Background:
UV radiation can cause many things in our bodies; it can cause a bright red
sunburn, freckles, sunspots, a golden brown tan and even skin cancer. There are two
sides to UV radiation, beneficial and harmful results. Some beneficial results would be a
nice tan, natural highlights in your hair, or a sufficient amount of vitamin D that keeps you
healthy. Some of the harmful results are skin cancer, a stinging sunburn, premature
wrinkles or aging, and even eye damage.
Question: Which sunscreen will protect the UV beads more, spray or lotion?
Hypothesis: We hypothesize that the lotion sunscreen will protect the beads more than
the spray sunscreen because it can be layered more easily and it will stick onto the Petri
dish better than the spray.
MateriaIs: Sunscreen: Banana Boat SPF 50 spray, Banana Boat SPF 50 lotion, Zinka
zinc, Petri dish containing only Purple UV beads.
Procedures
1. Put three sets of beads in three different Petri dishes.
2. Spray the spray sunscreen on the lid of the first Petri dish.
3. Smear the cream sunscreen on the lid of the second Petri dish.
4. Smear the zinc sunscreen on the lid of the third Petri dish.
5. Go outside and put the two dishes in the sun, in the same spot so they have the same
amount of sun shining on them.
6. At each minute interval, record the rating of intensity of the color of the beads.
Hohmann, Summer Wednesday, November 7, 2012 5:46:36 PM Pacic Standard Time 70:56:81:af:e4:95
Data
Lotion Spray Nothing (Control) Zinc (Extra)
Rating @ 1 min 3 2 6 2
Rating @ 2 mins 3 3 6 2
Rating @ 3 mins 3 4 6 2
Rating @ 4 mins 4 4 6 3
Rating @ 5 mins 4 5 6 3
Graph
AnaIyze and ConcIude
n the UV Bead lab, we used two types of sunscreen, (spray and lotion), to test
how they affected the exposure of UV rays the UV beads got. We wanted to see which
sunscreen would protect the beads better, hypothesizing that the lotion sunscreen would
be more effective because it is more viscous than the spray sunscreen. The spray
started out lower, rating a 2 for color, but then quickly increased over the five minute
period, ending in a 5 while the cream started at a 3 and went to a 4. We also ended up
testing zinc, which was the best protection of the three, starting at 2 and ending at 3. The
Hohmann, Summer Wednesday, November 7, 2012 5:46:36 PM Pacic Standard Time 70:56:81:af:e4:95
data on our graph and in our data table supports our hypothesis because, aside from the
zinc, which was an extra part of our experiment, it shows that the lotion was the most
effective form of sunscreen. From online research, we learned that "No product can block
all sunlight, ("Health Effects of UV Radiation)and "Products marketed as 'sunscreen'
and 'sunblock' contain ingredients that provide at least some protection from sunburn
and other damaging effects of the sun's rays. Products marked as 'suntan' or 'tanning'
lotion, on the other hand, do not contain such ingredients and do not provide any
protection. They are intended to be used strictly for tanning("UV Radiation | SunWise).
The first piece of evidence, our hypothesis, data and graphs show that this information is
correct because even the best protection (lotion) let the UV radiation rate go up to a 4,
concluding that no sun protection can fully protect someone or something from the sun
(even the zinc's highest rating was a 3). The second piece supports our data about the
different types of sunscreen and how they affect the amount of UV radiation that gets
through to the beads. Therefore, our data collection was correct, and our lab was
successful.
6. The only problem with the sunscreens that we used is that they are not the highest
quality sunscreen you could find. The spray sunscreen that we used, or a spray from the
same brand, Banana Boat, was recently recalled because people were catching on fire
just after using the sunscreen. "Energizer said in a statement that the problem appears to
be caused by UltraMist's spray valve, which is over applying the product. As a result the
lotion is taking longer to dry, which raises the flammability risk (Chan). n addition to
that, the lotion Banana Boat sunscreen that we used contained oxybenzone, a toxic
chemical in most cheap sunscreen. "Some 65 sunscreens advertised for babies and kids
contain oxybenzone, a synthetic chemical that absorbs the sun's rays but also readily
penetrates the skin. t can disrupt the body's natural hormones. t can also cause allergic
reactions ("EWG - Hall of Shame). Banana Boat sunscreen contains this. "Banana Boat
lotion has five active ingredients, all of which are sun-screening agents...and
oxybenzone is included in a four percent concentration for the SPF 30 formula
(Tumbarello). We think that if we had used different sunscreens, our data might have
turned out a little bit different. But, we still believe (and our data shows) that lotion or zinc
are the best forms of sun protection.
7. To get the lowest amount of UV exposure possible, we recommend using zinc on your
face and neck, wearing long sleeves to cover your arms and back, and use high-quality
lotion sunscreen on your legs and feet (feet can get sunburned too!). Remember that the
sun is dangerous so you always need to wear sunscreen when you are at any sunny
place, playing an outdoor sport, and even skiing in the mountains.
8. Our final lab results state that you should always wear lotion sunscreen or zinc when
having fun in the sun.
Hohmann, Summer Wednesday, November 7, 2012 5:46:36 PM Pacic Standard Time 70:56:81:af:e4:95
BibIiography:
Chan, Amanda L. "Banana Boat Recalls Sunscreen Due To Fire Risk." The Huffington
Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 19 Oct. 2012. Web. 07 Nov. 2012.
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/19/banana-boat-sunscreen-recall-ultrami
st-fire-risk_n_1989355.html>.
"Health Effects of UV Radiation." WHO. World Health Organization, n.d. Web. 24 Oct.
2012. <http://www.who.int/uv/health/en/>.
Tumbarello, Elizabeth. "Banana Boat Lotion ngredients." LIVESTRONG.COM. N.p., 18
June 2010. Web. 07 Nov. 2012.
<http://www.livestrong.com/article/152947-banana-boat-lotion-ingredients/>.
"UV Radiation | SunWise." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 24 Oct.
2012. <http://www.epa.gov/sunwise/doc/uvradiation.html>.
"Want to Know How to Choose the Safest Sunscreen?" FAQs: Your Sunscreen
Questions. Our Answers. EWG's Skin Deep Sunscreens, June 2012. Web. 05
Nov. 2012.
<http://breakingnews.ewg.org/2012sunscreen/faqs-your-sunscreen-questions-our
-answers/>.
Hohmann, Summer Wednesday, November 7, 2012 5:46:36 PM Pacic Standard Time 70:56:81:af:e4:95