The dictionary defines a pollutant as any substance, as a chemical or waste product that renders the air, water, or other natural resource harmful or generally unusable. Pollution can be man-made, but it can also be natural if it negatively affects its environment. To fresh water plants, such as a type of algae called Ankistrodesmus, salt is considered a pollutant. Salt can cause damage to Ankistrodesmus algae since the alga grows in fresh water ponds and not salt water. This experiment is designed to see the effects that salt has on the growth of Ankistrodesmus algae. The hypothesis that sodium chloride (salt) will inhibit the growth of Ankistrodesmus algae was tested. The materials included in the experiment are salt as the pollutant, Ankistrodesmus
