CHARACTERIZING NATURAL ORGANIC MATTER IN SOILS AND WATER:

QUANTITY, QUALITY & FUNCTIONALITY

DESCRIPTION

The practice of environmental engineering and the study of environmental science require an ability to analyze complex biological, chemical, geological, and physical processes. It is necessary, then, for students to learn a variety of techniques to probe and monitor these phenomena. It is equally important that students learn to interpret the data of sophisticated analyses accurately. For example, these capabilities are essential in order to predict the fate of a pollutant in an aquatic system, conduct a pilot study to determine design parameters, devise a means of process control for industrial production or waste treatment, evaluate data from a site characterization, or provide expert testimony in environmental litigation.

In this course, the environmental chemistry of naturally occurring organic material (NOM) is studied quantitatively, qualitatively and functionally by a variety of analytical techniques. NOM chemistry was chosen as the focus of study because it exerts a controlling influence on many natural and engineered environmental processes. For instance, NOM-pollutant interactions influence the bioavailability and chemical activity of a pollutant and have a major effect on the efficiency of most remediation efforts. Furthermore, NOM study is made very difficult by its amorphous and variable nature. Study of NOM chemistry, then, affords students with a vivid example of chemical complexity and multiple interactions, as well as a relevant context for learning the principles of quantitative analysis. Finally, this topic is well integrated into our environmental engineering and science curriculum, and is approached by students from a variety of perspectives, this course providing the critical analytical perspective.

GOALS and OBJECTIVES

The primary goal of this course is to provide students with the analytical skills to make precise and accurate measurements on environmental samples using state-of-the-art instrumentation. This course, however, does not focus solely on teaching specific techniques. Instead, it seeks to illustrate the crucial relationship between analysis and elucidation of process dynamics. Special emphasis is placed on interpretation of results and critical reasoning. In addition, communication skills are sharpened in this course, as students must present their findings in a series of oral presentations and as a comprehenisve final report. The main objective of this course is to provide students with a hands-on laboratory experience in sophisticated chemical analysis. Simultaneous to learning the fundamental analytical techniques of organic and inorganic chemsitry, students discover that enviornmental chemsistry involves the study of ill-defined, changing systems that require evaluation and integration of many types of measurements, and an understanding of many processes.

EXPERIMENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This course was developed and instruments were purchased with support from the National Science Foundation, Division of Undergraduate Education, Instrument and Laboratory Improvement for Undergraduate Environmental Chemistry, DUE 93-51422. The instructors would also like to thank the Department of Civil Engineering at Northwestern University, Dr. Robert Bornick, Martial Taillefert, and Jill Kostel for their help and contribution.


Participants: Dr. Jean-Francois Gaillard, Dr. Laurence Mejanelle, Sarah Bender, Adam Zacheis, Jill Kostel, Martial Taillefert, Dr. Robert Bornick, Dr. Kimberly Gray.

GENERAL REFERENCES

Aiken, G. and E. Cotsaris (1995). Soil and Hydrology: Their Effect on NOM Journal AWWA; 87:1:36-45.

Aiken, G.R., D.M. McKnight, R.L. Wershaw, P. McCarthy (1985). Humic Substances in Soil, Sediment, and Water. (John Wiley and Sons Ltd., New York).

Buffle, J. (1988).Complex Reactions in Aquatic Systems(Ellis Horwood Ltd, West Sussex, England).

Hayes, M.H.B., P. MacCarthy, R.C. Malcolm, and R.S. Swift (1989).Humic Substances II (John Wiley and Sons Ltd.).

Irwin, W.J. (1982). Analytical Pyrolysis (Marcel Dekker, New York).

Krasner, S.W., J-P.Croue, J. Buffle, and E.M. Perdue (1996). Three Approaches for Characterizing NOM. Journal AWWA. 88:6:66-79.

Skoog, Douglas A. and James J. Leary (1992). Principles of Instrumental Analysis 4th Edition (Harcourt Brace College Publishers, New York).

INSTRUCTORS

Kimberly A. Gray Associate Professor, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208-3109
Jean-Francois Gaillard Assistant Professor, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208-3109


Last Updated 4/25/97
sbender@nwu.edu