Persistent Organic Pollutants in Alaska. New GC-MS Experiments and Experiences for College and Pre-College Students

该项目向阿拉斯加的大学生和预科学生介绍化学分析的概念和实践，特别是与当地持久性有机污染物（POPs）有关的概念和实践。由于其地理位置和寒冷的气候，阿拉斯加特别容易受到来自低纬度地区的风和洋流的有机污染物沉积的影响。一种新的气相色谱-质谱仪配备了一个采样机器人，可以自动从环境样品中预先浓缩污染物化合物，供学生使用。四项具体的活动正在进行中：i)在大学的阿拉斯加原住民乡村荣誉学院的大学预科学生使用气相色谱-质谱和被动采样技术来识别和量化阿拉斯加的持久性有机污染物；Ii)为了更多地了解自然界中的稳定同位素，普通化学一年级的学生正在研究饮用水中微量的挥发性卤化有机物；Iii)有机化学专业的学生在芳香的生物或商业样品中识别挥发性有机物，并对数据进行详细的计算分析；iv)高级化学专业正在使用GC-MS测量影响其在空气-水-陆地系统中的分布的持久性有机污染物的物理性质。

This project is introducing college and pre-college students in Alaska to the concepts and practices of chemical analysis, especially relating to the local occurrence of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Alaska, because of its geographical location and cold climate, is particularly susceptible to deposition of organic pollutants from winds and ocean currents originating at lower latitudes. A new GC-MS instrument equipped with a sampling robot that automatically pre-concentrates pollutant compounds from environmental samples is being installed for student use. Four specific activities are underway: i) pre-college students at the university's summer Rural Alaska Honors Institute for Alaska Natives are using GC-MS and passive sampling techniques to identify and quantify Alaskan POPs; ii) in order to learn more about stable isotopes in nature first-year general chemistry students are studying volatile halogenated organics, which occur in trace amounts in drinking water; iii) organic chemistry students are identifying volatile organics in fragrant biological or commercial samples, and are applying detailed computational analysis to the data; and, iv) advanced chemistry majors are using GC-MS to measure the physical properties of POPs, which affect their distribution within the air-water-land system.