Three Rivers Community College Anthony Benoit/Room 201B (Thames)
885-2386 abenoit@trcc.commnet.edu
ENV 1221 Environmental Measurements Lab Spring ‘04 (Tuesday 9-12:45)
Class Homepage: http://environmentalet.org/env1221/

Text: Csuros, Environmental Sampling and Analysis, Lab Manual CRC/Lewis, 1997
Note: You will also need a bound notebook in addition to looseleaf pages or a spiral notebook for this course. A graphing or scientific calculator will also be used extensively as will Microsoft Excel and Word.

wk#

Date

Lab

Event

Reading

1

27-Jan-04

Safety, Review of Units, Standard Curves

 

Chapters 1,2,6

2

03-Feb-04

Measuring Volumes; Lab Stats

HW#1 due

Chapters 3,4,15,17.2

3

10-Feb-04

Conductivity and TDS

LR#1 due

Chapters 5.3,10.2,16.2,18,19

4

17-Feb-04

 

5

24-Feb-04

Approved Methods; Titrations--Chloride, Chlorine, Hardness, Alkalinity

LR#2 due

Chapters 9,10.3,11,14,19,
20.1,21.3,22.1,22.3

6

02-Mar-04

Quiz due

7

09-Mar-04

Field Trip 1: Commercial Environmental Lab

LR#3 due

Chapter 14

8

21-Mar-04

Spectrophotometry--Orthophosphate/Total Phosphorus   Chapters 12,25

9

28-Mar-04

 

10

04-Apr-04

Lead in Paint

 

handouts

11

11-Apr-04

LR#4 due  

12

18-Apr-04

Bacteria Tests

LR#5 due

handouts

13

02-May-04

 

14

09-May-04

Dissolved Oxygen, BOD, Field Testing
Field Trip 2: Trading Cove Brook

LR#6 due

handouts

15

16-May-04

Final Due

 

There will be 5-6 lab reports, each worth 8 to 15 points. Format of the lab reports may vary, but certain standards will be the same from report to report. There will be at least one homework assignment, a take home quiz (8 points) and a take home final (12 points). I will periodically collect and examine your lab notebooks; proper notebook technique will be worth at least 8 points.

Course Objectives -- Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

  1. Work safely in the lab.
  2. Make mass and volume measurements.
  3. Make standard solutions and standardize a solution against a primary standard.
  4. Draw up a calibration curve (graph) and verify the curve using a known control.
  5. Calculate final results from raw data and express the results using appropriate significant figures.
  6. Compare test results with published standards for environmental media.
  7. Use control charts to support analytical results.
  8. Write up test protocols based on published methods and their own experience.
  9. Describe the difference between acceptable and unacceptable methods for regulatory compliance.
  10. Keep a clear, accurate and complete lab notebook.
  11. Describe various methods and instruments that are commonly used for environmental measurements.
  12. Present lab results in a clear, concise, complete and coherent report.
  13. Describe microbiological tests on water, including quality control measures, and interpret results of such tests.
  14. Present data in the form of a graph using Excel or some other graphing program.
  15. Calculate the mean and standard deviation of a set of data using a hand calculator and/or spreadsheet. Students will be able to interpret the meaning of the standard deviation.
  16. Describe proper and improper sample collection and sample handling techniques.
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Anthony Benoit abenoit@trcc.commnet.edu