Removing the pollutants from various wastewater is crucial to the environment, ecology, and humans. However, the pollutants are generally removed by chemical decomposition, which not only consumes a lot of energy but also produces carbon emissions. Electrochemical flocculation is effective to extract pollutant molecules and heavy ions from…

Adsorption of methylene blue and malachite green was carried out using "Luffa cylindrica" sponges as adsorbing material. We provide a very illustrative exercise about the use of common natural materials requiring little preparation to solve environmental tasks in a routine laboratory situation such as using dyes. In addition, the…

This experiment is dedicated to second-year and above undergraduates who are in their experimental session of the analytical chemistry course. Grouped students are required to use a TiO[subscript 2] photocatalytic oxidation process to treat the methanol-containing wastewater that resulted from their previous HPLC experiments. Students learn to…

This paper describes a method for determination of trihalomethanes (THMs) in drinking water via solid-phase microextraction (SPME) GC/MS as a means to develop and improve student understanding of the use of GC/MS for qualitative and quantitative analysis. In the classroom, students are introduced to SPME, GC/MS instrumentation, and the use of MS…

The inexpensive and disposable electrode based on a double-polymer-modified pencil lead is proposed for upper-division undergraduate instrumental laboratories to enable the highly sensitive detection of perchlorate. Students fabricate and utilize their own electrodes in the 3-4 h laboratory session to learn important concepts and methods of…

This study provided a challenging opportunity for general chemistry students to mimic the scientific research process by solving a water-quality problem concerning individual calcium and magnesium concentrations. We found that general chemistry students were able to develop their own experiments to solve real-world, multivariable problems through…

Contamination of the environment with heavy metals such as lead presents many health risks. Simple, effective, and field-portable methods for the measurement of toxic metals in environmental samples are vital tools for evaluating the risks that these contaminants pose. This article describes the use of new developments in anodic stripping…

Gill-breathing freshwater snails (Family "Pleuroceridae") are ecologically important, abundant in many streams in the United States, and easy to collect and maintain under classroom conditions. These snails can be used in classroom tests to demonstrate effects of pollutants on aquatic organisms. In more advanced classes, students can cage the…

Ozone is a powerful oxidant and disinfectant, which can be used to clean environment as well as obtain pure drinking water. A series of experiments to produce and test ozone with simple equipment and material are presented.

This document is the student laboratory manual that was designed to accompany some of the experimental activities found in the teacher's guide to this general science course for ninth graders. It contains laboratory worksheets for lessons on such topics as: (1) soil; (2) hazardous waste; (3) wildlife refuges; (4) the water cycle; (5) water…

Describes efforts in devising a method for determining sulfate quickly and accurately from rainwater samples. Explains the design and operation of the apparatus and identifies the solutions for the testing. (ML)

An energy education program at the primary level should help students to understand the nature and importance of energy, consider different energy sources, learn about energy conservation, prepare for energy related careers, and become energy conscious in other career fields. The activities charts, readings, and experiments provided in this…

The Don River watershed is located within Canada's most highly urbanized area--metropolitan Toronto. Many residential and commercial uses, including alterations to the river's course with bridges, have had a significant impact on the Don's fauna and flora. Pollutants have degraded the river's water quality, a situation exacerbated by the…