Course Description:
Water is the universal
solvent and as such pollutants ranging from toxic heavy metals to pesticides,
and nutrients can find their way into our drinking water and have human
health consequences. This seminar will demonstrate that measuring important
environmental chemical species such as lead and nitrate at concentrations
relevant to exploring human health issues is becoming easier, faster
and generally more accessible. Using Lake Waban and Lower Waban Brook
as our natural laboratories, participants will collect real time in
the field water quality parameters using Vernier LabPro-adapted TI
graphing calculators. All participants will analyze environmental water
samples using both readily available kits and state of the art analytical
equipment. We will discuss strategies to transfer these new skills
to and share this knowledge with students in the classroom and laboratory. |
