TCE     
|
The Chemical Educator
ISSN: 1430-4171 (electronic version)
Abstract Volume 6
Issue 2 (2001) pp 86-90
Chemometric Analysis of Compositional Variation in Bison and Cow Patties: A Biogeochemistry– Environmental Chemistry Experiment
Alexander J. Moore and Nathan W. Bower*
Chemistry Department, Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO 80903
Received September 29, 2000. Accepted November 6, 2000
Published online: 9 February 2001
Abstract. Manure has
been used as a fertilizer throughout recorded history; however, the high
levels of nutrients in farm and feedlot runoff present many environmental
problems. Analyses of nutrient cycling in manure and soil litter are important
to issues such as global warming and land use. In this laboratory, chemical
differences in aged manure patties from buffalo (Bison bison) and cow
(Bos taurus) raised on ranches versus nature preserves are examined. These
measurements offer a chance to introduce the basics of chemometrics such
as factorial experimental design and multivariate analysis in an environmental
context that captures student interest. These important methods are appropriate
to instrumental analysis or environmental chemistry, but are rarely integrated
into these courses.
Key Words: Laboratories and Demonstrations; biochemistry; biogeochemistry; environmental chemistry; instrumental analysis; interdisciplinary
(*) Corresponding author. (E-mail: nbower@ColoradoCollege.edu)
Article in PDF format (161 KB) HTML format
Issue date: April 6, 2001
© The Chemical Educator 1996-2024