Stars and STEM Stories
Can Garlic Fight Bad Bacteria? Two Omani Students Put It to the Test!
Wael Al-Jahdhami and Al-Muayyad Al-Shibli of the Al-Hawari bin Muhammad Al-Azdi school (Oman) partook in a research project to see how garlic affected harmful bacteria populations found in gray water. The students wanted to know if this water could then be used to irrigate crops. They first asked themselves these questions:
- What types of bacteria are found in gray water?
- Do the bacteria in gray water have any effect on plants?
- How to eliminate harmful bacteria chemically?
- How to eliminate harmful bacteria with garlic plants?
They then conducted their research for the objectives derived from the reality in which they live, such as:
- Knowing the types of harmful bacteria in gray water
- Knowing the effect of bacteria present in gray water on plants
- Finding an organic solution from the environment to eliminate bacteria.
The work in this study was according to a plan that was drawn up to organize the work. The students used protocols from The GLOBE Program to help their research. "We used protocols to work on examining gray water, collecting data about the types of bacteria present in it, extracting results through the proposed solutions, which we used in the garlic plant to eliminate bacteria, completing recommendations and research references, collecting images, and finalizing tables and graphs."
After they collected the necessary evidence, the students analyzed the data and concluded that it is possible to use the garlic plant to eliminate harmful bacteria (E. coli, coliform) found in gray water. They also found that when mixing garlic with gray water and watering plants with it, it increases soil fertility and eliminates insects present in soil as it is an insect repellent!
Based on the results obtained and the research the students conducted, they recommend using garlic to treat harmful bacteria in gray water because:
- It is an organic treatment and is not harmful to the environment
- It benefits plants by increasing soil fertility
- It is widely available in the Omani environment
- It is an inexpensive and economical treatment
Images courtesy Dr. Ishaq Al-Jabri, GLOBE Oman.