The Effect of Acidity Levels on Eggshells

Abstract

Daily consumption of acidic foods such as citrus fruits, soft drinks, and vinaigrettes may be more severe than many believe; overconsumption can cause detrimental effects on tooth enamel. Previous research has mainly focused on the negative health effects from consuming acidic foods and drinks; however, the effect of different acidity levels on tooth enamel is still unclear. Accordingly, the objective of our study is to explore the effects of varying dilutions of vinegar on eggshells. Vinegar was used due to the low pH value and popularity in food, and eggshells were used to simulate tooth enamel since they have a similar chemical composition. We predicted that the higher the acidic level, the more dissolved the eggshell would be. To test this prediction, we submerged eggs in different dilutions of vinegar: 100%, 75%, 50%, and 25%. Our data was analyzed using a one-way ANOVA test and post-hoc Tukey-Kramer test. It was found that there was a statistically significant difference in the acidity levels of vinegar on eggshell dissolution and the difference between the levels (p-value = 3.46 x 10 ⁻¹⁷ ). Overall, the study concludes that the consumption of acidic foods and drinks should be done with caution.