SCIENCE LAB Activities
Environmental
Medical Investigation: Discovering the Source
The purpose of this series of laboratory exercises is to challenge students to create methods for measuring the concentration of substances in a solution, generate standard curves to estimate concentrations and to begin to understand how these types of measurements are used in evaluating the levels of toxic substances in the environment. Once having learned the basis of colorimetric assays and the use of spectrophotometers, the students will be confronted with a health problem due to the presence of toxic metals in water. The students will obtain samples from numerous sources and attempt to locate the source of the contaminant. Discussions will include ways to identify the source of the contaminant, how individuals may have encountered the contaminant and ways to attempt to alleviate the problem.