Pollution

Pollution is more than just the contamination of natural resources. Delve into the collection of activities, videos and reference materials that will assist you in broadening your students' knowledge of pollution.

The Greenhouse Effect Analogy

Set up a conceptual model of the greenhouse effect with just a few simple items. Demonstrate how increasing atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and other gases may be raising average temperatures and catalyzing global climate change.

Enviro-Bond™ 403—An Oil Spill Clean-Up Demonstration, FB1025

Enviro-Bond™ 403 An Oil Spill Clean-Up Demonstration Kit shows how you can use this real world product to demonstrate the properties of this polymer.

Small-Scale Acid Rain Lab

Small-Scale Acid Rain Lab allows you to observe the effects of the gaseous precursors of acid rain on chalk, metal, a leaf, and an apple.

Buffering of Lakes

Buffering of Lakes shows an "acid rainfall" poured through a column of marble chips to illustrate the formation of a buffer in lakes or streams with a limestone bed.

Instant Smog

Instant Smog shows how to generate small amounts of ozone in a flask and observing its reaction with a natural organic compound to form smog.

Small-Scale Acid Rain Lab

All rainfall is acidic. However, when the acidity of rain falls below a pH of 5.6, it is referred to as acid rain. The most common components of acid rain include various nitrogen and sulfur oxides produced from the combustion of fossil fuels such as petroleum and coal. This activity simulates in a short time the possible effects on a variety of materials because of acid rain.

Buffering of Lakes

Acid rainfall causes deleterious effects to our environment. It can be especially harmful to the ecosystems of lakes and streams. Help students discover natural defenses that allow lakes and streams to maintain pH.

Instant Smog

Ozone in the stratosphere helps to absorb ultraviolet rays from the sun but in the lower atmosphere, ozone and hydrocarbons react to form photochemical smog.

Redox Reactions and Groundwater Remediation

Scientists and engineers have developed many innovative methods to remove contaminants from soil, surface water, and groundwater. Permeable reactive barriers (PRBs) are a good example of new technology that was created to solve environmental problems. A PRB is a wall built below ground to remove pollutants from contaminated groundwater. The walls are permeable, so water will flow through, but are made of reactive materials that will trap or detoxify pollutants. PRBs made of metallic iron are used to remove chlorinated organic solvents and heavy metals from groundwater. The chemical principle is simple—iron is a good reducing agent. It reduces toxic organic compounds and converts them to less harmful substances. The reaction of iron powder with organic redox indicators (dyes) in this activity demonstrates the “potential” of this method to reduce organic compounds.

Ozone Test Paper

We have become all too familiar with “smog-alerts” and television reports asking for us to reduce vehicle traffic due to high ozone levels. How can we test for ozone? Why is it so bad?

Cleaning with Charcoal - Turning Grape Juice into Water!

Activated charcoal is widely used in water purification—whether in municipal water treatment plants or in aquariums—to remove impurities and contaminants. Demonstrate the “cleaning action” of charcoal by decolorizing grape juice!

Chemical Weathering

Why is Washington, DC’s magestic Lincoln Memorial starting to deteriorate? Could it be the result of acid rain, a type of chemical weathering?

Thawing Acid Rain

Acid rain has received a great deal of attention in recent years and its effect on the environment is well documented. Acid rain can arrive in the form of rain, snow, or ice. Winter snow pack can be thought of as frozen acid rain waiting for the spring thaw. What happens when the snow pack melts? Does it matter whether it melts quickly or slowly?

Respiration or Expiration, That Is the Question

Illustrate the effects of a harsh chemical environment on the ability of yeast to metabolize. Can be used to simulate the effects of chemical pollution/improper disposal on any type of organism.

Oil Spill Cleanup

Set up a small scale oil spill and demonstrate the difficulties faced by those given the task of cleaning up the real thing. Cleanup attempts will be made using a variety of common materials under good and poor conditions. A brief examination of the effects of spilled oil on marine and aquatic life will also be performed.

Amazing Enviro-Bond

Oil, oil everywhere! Cleaning up oil spills on water surfaces has become a major environmental problem. This oil spill cleanup demonstration will undoubtedly capture student interest, stimulate scientific inquiry, and heighten awareness of environmental issues facing society today.

Landfills Problem Activity

Municipal landfills are closing at an increasing rate because space is simply running out. Recycling will help, but even the best-case predictions tell us that it simply won’t be enough. Other solutions need to be found. In this exercise the properties of two space-filling packing materials will be examined and the results considered in light of what their respective environmental costs and benefits might be.

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