Inductively Coupled Plasma Spectrometers..!
Rockway’s grade 11 chemistry students travelled to the Grand River in Preston to put their bio-chemistry knowledge to work! Their mission was to sample and test the effluent water entering the river from a local waste water treatment plant. To accomplish this, students broke into groups and collected samples to test for dissolved metals, and dissolved organic carbon; they also measured pH, temperature and dissolved oxygen levels. After lunch, the students heard first-hand from one of Laurier’s biochemistry professors and then toured the Cold Water Research lab to learn the results of their morning’s efforts.
In the afternoon, students met with two of Laurier’s Masters of Biology students to hear about their research on sea lampreys in the Great Lakes. They also got a chance to work with micropipettes and observe the new Inductively Coupled Plasma Spectrometer that measured the metal content of our water samples. It was a great day full of hands-on experiential learning.
Derrick Rempel, Chemistry teacher
