CHED 352 |
| The goal of green chemistry is the design of materials and processes that are inherently safer for human health and the environment. Currently, few undergraduate chemistry students are trained about toxicity of chemicals and even fewer experience the laboratory investigation of chemical toxicity. Here we present a laboratory experiment that enables students to measure ecotoxicity of different alternative starting materials used for the preparation of biodiesel. Lettuce seeds assays were used to compare the ecotoxicity of methanol, ethanol, and 2-propanol by these toxins' effects on germination rate and root elongation of lettuce seeds. The experiment is simple, fast, inexpensive, reproducible and possible to perform with standard equipment available in most chemistry teaching laboratories. |
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Undergraduate Research Poster Session: Chemical Education
11:00 AM-1:00 PM, Monday, April 7, 2008 Morial Convention Center -- Hall A, Poster
Division of Chemical Education |