Implementation of an Environmental Focus in an Undergraduate Chemistry Curriculum Using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission and Ion Chromatography

使用电感耦合等离子体光发射和离子色谱法在本科化学课程中实施环境重点

• 批准号: 9950221
• 负责人: David Butcher
• 金额: $ 7.6万
• 依托单位: Western Carolina University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1999
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1999-07-01 至 2001-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9950221&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Implementation; Environmental; Focus; Undergraduate; Chemistry

The Chemistry faculty at Western Carolina University (WCU), a primarily undergraduate institution in the Southern Appalachians, are developing an environmental focus to the curriculum. This focus, previously developed at Arkansas State University and WCU with NSF support, is a natural fit based on the ecologically diverse location of WCU and the students' employment record in the environmental sciences. Novel, environmental experiments are being implemented to promote student learning in (1) monitoring elements and ions in environmental samples, such as soil, water, and air; (2) the treatment and monitoring of chemical waste from freshman chemistry laboratories; (3) using natural water systems to demonstrate the fundamental principles of solubility and complex-ion formation; (4) analytical method development; and (5) undergraduate research. Inductively coupled plasma - optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and ion chromatography (IC) are powerful techniques to facilitate the learning discussed above and are widely used in environmental analysis. Using environmental applications, ICP-OES and IC instruments are being integrated into the curriculum to achieve the student learning described above. Novel experiments involving this instrumentation include the evaluation of soil fertility in our general chemistry course, the characterization of the effects of waste from trout hatching and rearing facilities on water quality in a junior-level Aquatic Chemistry course, and the measurement of air quality at high elevation sites in our region in a senior-level Environmental Chemistry course. An Instrumental Analysis class is treating chemical waste from a freshman chemistry laboratory, and monitoring the levels of metals by ICP-OES. The senior-level Instrumental Analysis II students are employing project-based laboratories for learning method development, as developed at Bates College with NSF support. The instrumentation is finding applications in a vigorous undergraduate research program. Our findings using this novel approach are to be disseminated through pedagogical journals (Journal of Chemical Education) and a web site.

西卡罗来纳大学(WCU)的化学系正在开发课程中的环境重点。WCU主要是阿巴拉契亚山脉南部的一所本科院校。这一重点之前是由阿肯色州立大学和WCU在NSF的支持下开发的，基于WCU生态多样化的地理位置和学生在环境科学方面的就业记录，这是一种自然的契合。正在实施新颖的环境实验，以促进学生在以下方面的学习：(1)监测环境样品中的元素和离子，如土壤、水和空气；(2)新生化学实验室的化学废物的处理和监测；(3)使用自然水系统演示溶解和络合离子形成的基本原理；(4)分析方法的发展；(5)本科生的研究。电感耦合等离子体-光发射光谱分析(ICP-OES)和离子色谱(IC)是促进上述研究的有力技术，并在环境分析中得到广泛应用。利用环境应用程序，将电感耦合等离子体-OES和IC仪器整合到课程中，以实现上述学生的学习。涉及该仪器的新颖实验包括在我们的普通化学课程中评估土壤肥力，在初级水化学课程中表征鲑鱼孵化和饲养设施产生的废物对水质的影响，以及在高级环境化学课程中测量我们地区高海拔地区的空气质量。一门仪器分析课正在处理一年级化学实验室的化学废物，并用电感耦合等离子体发射光谱仪监测金属水平。高年级的仪器分析II学生正在使用以项目为基础的实验室来开发学习方法，这是贝茨学院在NSF的支持下开发的。这种仪器在一个充满活力的本科生研究项目中得到了应用。我们使用这种新方法的发现将通过教育学期刊(《化学教育杂志》)和一个网站进行传播。