Undergraduate Equipment for Applying Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis to Environmental Monitoring

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This Marine Science Department recently developed an area of emphasis in Marine Analytical Technology (MAT), the aim of which is to produce environmental technicians. Particular emphasis has been given to acquisition of organizational and analytical skills needed to monitor environmental quality and to assess the impacts of pollutants. This grant provides funds to purchase equipment needed to measure a variety of federally-recognized Priority One Pollutants using methods approved by the Environmental Protection Agency. The equipment required is a gas chromatograph for pesticide, PCB and PAH analysis, a graphite furnace for heavy metal analysis, and a silica cell for petroleum-hydrocarbon fingerprinting. The latter two pieces of equipment are accessories to equipment already on hand, i.e. an atomic absorption spectrophotometer and an infrared spectrophotometer, respectively. The machines will be used in laboratory courses required in the MAT program, as well as in elective courses and in undergraduate independent research projects. The increasing amounts of environmental management being conducted in this country and worldwide assure a large ongoing demand for well trained environmental technicians. Thus this project is significant in that it supports a program expressly designed to teach students highly marketable science/technology-based skills that can be acquired during the undergraduate years. The grantee institution is matching the NSF award with a slightly greater sum obtained from non-Federal sources.