Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry in Undergraduate Chemistry and Science

通过这一项目，为购买气相色谱/质谱仪提供了资金。 GC/MS能力的收购大大增加了实验室和研究经验的本科生在不断增长的环境化学和科学领域。 该仪器支持环境，分析和有机化学的本科课程，并为本科生提供环境化学的新研究课题。 从加强环境化学课程中受益的学生在以下领域获得新的经验：环境采样，样品制备，环境中痕量有机化合物的命运和运输，气相色谱和质谱。 学生将以前课程中开发的实验室技能融入环境分析所需的分析方法和技术。 重点是采用GC/MS的现代分析技术的开发和测试。课程和研究项目包括对当地地下水资源的农药和除草剂污染的现场监测威尔斯井进行采样，评估环境中人为氯化有机化合物的持久性，测量各种化合物的辛醇-水分配系数，并分析了伊利湖的斑马贻贝对微量有机化合物的生物积累。 希望是许多非专业的学生被吸引到这些项目中，特别是生物学，环境科学和地球科学的学生。

Through this project, funds are provided for the purchase of a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer (GC/MS). The acquisition of GC/MS capabilities greatly increases laboratory and research experiences for undergraduates in the growing field of environmental chemistry and science. This instrument bolsters the undergraduate course curriculum in environmental, analytical, and organic chemistry and provides new research topics in environmental chemistry for undergraduate students. Students benefitting from the strengthened environmental chemistry curriculum gain new experiences in the following areas: environmental sampling, sample preparation, fate and transport of trace organic compounds in the environment, gas chromatography, and mass spectrometry. Students integrate laboratory skills developed in prior courses into the analytical methodologies and techniques required for environmental analysis. Emphasis is on development and testing of modern analytical techniques employing GC/MS. Class and research projects include sampling of on-site monitoring wells for pesticide and herbicide contamination of local groundwater resources, an evaluation of the persistence of anthropogenic chlorinated organic compounds in the environment, measurement of octanol-water partition coefficients of a variety of compounds, and analysis of zebra mussels in Lake Erie for bioaccumulation of trace organic compounds. The hope is that many nonmajors are attracted to these projects, particularly biology, environmental sciences, and geosciences students.