Environmental forensics: An advanced undergraduate course for chemistry majors

CHED 1460

Jane M. Van Doren, jvandore@holycross.edu, Department of Chemistry, College of the Holy Cross, 1 College Street, Worcester, MA 01610-2395
Environmental Forensics is a new course developed for advanced undergraduate chemistry majors at Holy Cross. Course work is organized around case studies of environmental disasters that threaten(ed) human health and the environment such as the water contamination event that cancelled the College's 1969 football season, groundwater contamination in Woburn, MA in the 1970's, and current threats of dirty bombs/explosions studied through examination of Hiroshima and Chernobyl. Students learn to exploit chemical and physical signatures in order to identify the cause of environment/health problems. For example, they develop realistic models for chemical transport and transformation in water, ground and air. They use chemical/source “fingerprinting” techniques, contaminant age dating and risk assessment techniques. The ultimate goal of the course is to equip students with the tools they need to evaluate environmental threats to themselves or their community in the future. The course builds on student knowledge of analytical and physical chemistry.
 

Environmental Chemistry Education
8:30 AM-12:00 PM, Tuesday, April 8, 2008 Hilton New Orleans Riverside -- Magnolia, Oral

Sci-Mix
8:00 PM-10:00 PM, Monday, April 7, 2008 Morial Convention Center -- Hall A, Sci-Mix

Division of Chemical Education

The 235th ACS National Meeting, New Orleans, LA, April 6-10, 2008