ATENEO DE ILOILO

Santa Maria Catholic School

High School Department
Science Program
Pison Avenue., San Rafael, Mandurriao, Iloilo City

Consumption of African Night Crawlers (Eudrilus eugenia), Superworms

(Zophobas morio) and Mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) of Various Types of
Plastics

An Investigative Project
In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements in Science 10

Submitted by:
Carla Angela Oberio Ladrido
Jel Agtoto Galicia
Marian Jayne Pama Ausan
Hansel Banzuela Didulo II

March 2016

ATENEO DE ILOILO
Santa Maria Catholic School
Pison Avenue, Brgy. San Rafael, Mandurriao, Iloilo City

APPROVAL SHEET
The Investigative project entitled: Consumption of African Night Crawlers,
Superworms and Mealworms of Various Types of Plastics
in partial fulfillment of the
requirements in Science 10, has been examined, accepted and approved.

Investigators:

CARLA ANGELA OBERIO LADRIDO

JEL AGTOTO GALICIA

Leader

Member

MARIAN JAYNE PAMA AUSAN

HANSEL BANZUELA DIDULO II

Member

Member

Approved by:

MS. CRISTINE MAE C. NOTADO

Physics Teacher

Date of Approval
March 2016
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ATENEO DE ILOILO
Santa Maria Catholic School
Pison Avenue, Brgy. San Rafael, Mandurriao, Iloilo City

AKNOWLEDGMENT
Sincere appreciation is extended to the following people who were
instrumental in the realization of this study:
Ms. Cristine Mae Notado, Physics teacher, for all the guidance and
reminders that pushed the researchers to pursue the study;
Ms. Altamira, vermiculturist, for providing us African Night Crawlers used
in our study;
Ms. Rosaleen Castaeda, worm breeder and exotic pet keeper, for
providing and shipping to us the Mealworms (from Davao City) that were used in
our study;
To Pet Palace Pet Store, for providing us the Superworms which became
a vital variable in our study;
Dr. Herman Lagon, Assistant Principal, for approving this study which,
without his approval this research wouldnt be possible;
To our classmate, Alessandria Marie Lao, for helping us search for the
variables for our study;
Ms. Pineda for lending us research books as reference in conducting our
study;
Mr. Keith Lester Mallorca for advising us on how we can further improve
the study;
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ATENEO DE ILOILO
Santa Maria Catholic School
Pison Avenue, Brgy. San Rafael, Mandurriao, Iloilo City

Parents, for inspiring the researchers in finishing this investigative project

and for financial supporting;
To God, for helping the researchers have the patience and courage to
conduct the experiment despite all the trials and tribulations that came in their
way.

CARLA ANGELA O. LADRIDO

JEL AGTOTO GALICIA
MARIAN JAYNE PAMA AUSAN
HANSEL BANZUELA DIDULO II
March 2016

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ATENEO DE ILOILO
Santa Maria Catholic School
Pison Avenue, Brgy. San Rafael, Mandurriao, Iloilo City

ABSTRACT
Carla Angela Oberio Ladrido, Jel Agtoto Galicia, Marian Jayne Pama Ausan,
Hansel Banzuela Didulo II

Consumption of African Night Crawlers (Eudrilus eugenia), Superworms

(Zophobas morio) and Mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) of Various Types of
Plastics

The versatility of plastic has made it a popular and important material in

todays society. Despite its many advantages, it also carries a harmful impact
due to the very chemicals that has made plastics so versatile. Since plastics are
a form of non-biodegradable waste, they cannot be broken down into its base
compounds by micro-organisms, air, moisture or soil in a reasonable amount of
time. Normally, plastic items can take up to 1000 years to decompose in landfills.
Incineration is method in in disposing plastics, but it also adds another problem
by releasing toxic fumes into the atmosphere that poses a health risk to
consumers and contributes to the damage in our ozone layer.
According to a news article in 2015, there has been a discovery made by
Stanford University that mealworms are able to consume Styrofoam. This
inspired the researcher in their study to use similar invertebrates with
decomposing abilities to help lessen the accumulation of plastic wastes.
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ATENEO DE ILOILO
Santa Maria Catholic School
Pison Avenue, Brgy. San Rafael, Mandurriao, Iloilo City

This gave rise to the study of determining the consumption of and African
Night Crawlers, Superworms and Mealworms in consuming various types of
plastics. The study also aimed to answer whether there is a difference among the
variables as effective plastic consumers.
The investigators used 30 African Night Crawlers (Eudrilus eugenia), 30
Superworms (Zophobas morio) and 30 Mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) in the
experiment. PET Bottles, Grocery food bags and Styrofoam were also used as
the various polyethylenes to be used for consumption, where the plastics were
cut into 2 x 1.5 inch rectangles and fed to 10 worms.
With these materials, the investigators were able to conclude that
Superworms are able to consume Styrofoam (polystyrene). Mealworms are
proved to have consumed the grocery food bag (Low-Density Polyethylene) but
the rate of consumption is very slow in comparison to the consumption of
Polystyrene. All worms in this investigation cannot decompose PET bottle
(Polyethylene Terephthalate) in three days. Polystyrene is the only material that
proved to have been decomposed by a significant percent by both Superworms
and Mealworms. African Night Crawlers proved to be the least effective worm for
decomposition with 0% consumption on all Polyethylene materials. There is a
difference in the rate of consumption among African Night Crawlers, Superworms
in decomposing plastic. For future investigators who would like to retest this
study, it is greatly recommended to retest over a longer period of time to achieve
more accurate results.
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ATENEO DE ILOILO
Santa Maria Catholic School
Pison Avenue, Brgy. San Rafael, Mandurriao, Iloilo City

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE ......................................................................................................... i
APPROVAL SHEET ............................................................................................. ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT...................................................................................... iii
ABSTRACT .......................................................................................................... v
TABLE OF CONTENTS ..................................................................................... vii
TABLES ............................................................................................................ viii
FIGURES............................................................................................................. ix
CHAPTER 1 : Introduction
Background of the Study ................................................................................... 2
Statement of the Problem .................................................................................. 6
Hypotheses ....................................................................................................... 7
Significance of the Study ................................................................................... 7
Scope of the Delimitations ................................................................................. 8
Definition of Terms ............................................................................................ 9
CHAPTER 2: Review of Related Literature ..................................................... 14
CHAPTER 3: Methodology ............................................................................... 25
Materials.......................................................................................................... 25
Procedures ...................................................................................................... 26
CHAPTER 4: Results and Analysis ................................................................. 29
CHAPTER 5: Conclusions and Recommendations ....................................... 40
BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................ 43
APPENDICES .................................................................................................... 46
PHOTOGALLERY.............................................................................................. 47
RESUME ............................................................................................................ 54
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ATENEO DE ILOILO
Santa Maria Catholic School
Pison Avenue, Brgy. San Rafael, Mandurriao, Iloilo City

TABLES
Table 1 ............................................................................................................... 31
Table 2 ............................................................................................................... 31
Table 3 ............................................................................................................... 32
Table 4 ............................................................................................................... 33
Table 5 ............................................................................................................... 33
Table 6 ............................................................................................................... 34
Table 7 ............................................................................................................... 35
Table 8 ............................................................................................................... 35
Table 9 ............................................................................................................... 36

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ATENEO DE ILOILO
Santa Maria Catholic School
Pison Avenue, Brgy. San Rafael, Mandurriao, Iloilo City

FIGURES
Figure 1 .............................................................................................................. 37
Figure 2 .............................................................................................................. 38
Figure 3 .............................................................................................................. 39

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