<br/>Junior-level analytical chemistry laboratories generally have the commendable goal of training students in important skills including standardization, calibration, and analysis of data; however, the samples and experiments provided to the students are known quantities, with certain answers and detailed instructions for completion within in a four-hour lab period. These conditions bear little similarity to the conditions for research in an industrial setting. Private chemical industries employ roughly two-thirds of bachelor’s-level chemists in manufacturing and research, and the skills recruiters seek most are leadership, communication, creative problem solving, and ability to work collaboratively. A junior level analytical lab was modified to include a service learning component with the goal of allowing students to practice their newly acquired analytical skills on relevant real world samples, and practice communication, problem solving and collaboration. Students collected samples from the Orlando Easterly Wetlands, a manmade water polishing facility that removes nutrients from the effluent of a waste treatment plant before the water is flushed into the public waterways. Students performed standard analysis on these real samples, including total dissolved solids, phosphorous, and pH (tests that are routinely conducted by water treatment staff). Additionally, students tested the water for the artificial sweetener, sucralose, and characterized the concentration throughout the flow path of the wetlands. This type of analysis has not been performed for this public utility until now, and the results were shared with Wetlands personnel.

Service learning in an analytical chemistry laboratory: Analysis of wastewater effluent and wetlands water polishing

251st National Meeting (2016)

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