Measuring Perfluoroalkyl Acid Contamination at a Local Hot Spot: An Authentic Field-Based Laboratory Experience in a Senior Analytical Environmental Chemistry Course
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Shira Joudan [1] ; Holly Barrett [1] ; Amila O. De Silva [2] ; Shane R. de Solla [3] ; Hui Peng [1] ; Jessica C. D'eon [1]
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[1] University of Toronto
University of Toronto
Canadá
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[2] Water and Science Technology Directorate, Canadá
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[3] Wildlife and Landscape Science Directorate, Canadá
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- Localización: Journal of chemical education, ISSN 0021-9584, Vol. 99, Nº 12, 2022, págs. 4032-4042
- Idioma: inglés
- Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
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Resumen
Fieldwork is a meaningful and authentic learning experience that is rarely included in undergraduate chemistry courses. In this laboratory, we visited a hot spot of perfluoroalkyl acid (PFAA) contamination identified in 2012, in Binbrook, Ontario, Canada, a 1 h drive from the University of Toronto. The persistence and unique environmental partitioning properties of PFAAs at these levels provide an excellent opportunity for students to apply a variety of practical environmental sampling techniques in a real-world scenario. We have taken our cross-listed senior undergraduate and graduate class, CHM410-1410 Analytical Environmental Chemistry, to the site and a nearby background site to collect water, sediment, invertebrates, and fish every October since 2016. Students use matrix-specific extractions and analysis by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry to quantify seven PFAAs. A major goal of this experiment is to guide students through the process of effective data visualization for the identification and communication of trends and relationships between analytes and their prevalence across environmental samples. This process is facilitated by a report outline where students receive significant feedback prior to writing their final lab report. This laboratory is an authentic learning experience that involves students in all aspects of the investigation from sample collection to extraction, data analysis, interpretation, and communication of results. The field component is also a powerful cohort-building exercise with tangible effects on subsequent peer-to-peer interactions. Given the ubiquitous contamination of PFAAs in the environment, this field-based laboratory experiment could be applied at other institutions.
