Teaching Environmental Chemistry with Wetland Microcosms

TCE

The Chemical Educator

ISSN: 1430-4171 (electronic version)

Table of Contents

Abstract Volume 8 Issue 5 (2003) pp 312-314

Teaching Environmental Chemistry with Wetland Microcosms

Daniel J. Williams,^*,† Martha C. Williams,^‡ Barbara E. Foster,^† Jane C. Malone,^† Erin E. Milner,^† Andrew L. Tartaglia,^† Angel Turner-Reed,^† and Marina C. Koether^†

^†Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Kennesaw State University, 1000 Chastain Road, Kennesaw, GA 30144-5591 and ^‡The Wilcom Group, P.O. Box 440885, Kennesaw, GA 30160, dwilliam@kennesaw.edu.
Received March 11, 2003. Accepted May 15, 2003.

Published online: 30 August 2003

Abstract. Microcosms constructed from sediment and water taken from riparian wetlands are used as tools to teach various aspects of environmental chemistry. Experiments performed by students from the high school level to advanced undergraduates have been performed to simulate wetland responses to acid-rain input, heavy-metal input, and other pollutants as well as to investigate redox characteristics of wetlands. A case study involving high school students investigating uptake of copper(II) by wetland microcosms is discussed in detail.

Key Words: Laboratories and Demonstrations; general chemistry; environmental chemistry, microcosms, wetlands, copper

(*) Corresponding author. (E-mail: dwilliam@kennesaw.edu)

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Supporting Materials:

A supporting Zip file (117 KB) containing the details of a student experiment is available. 10.1333/s00897030722a