CRSS 4670L/6670L Spring 2005

Environmental Soil & Water Chemistry

Instructor: Greg Pillar
Office: 3204 Miller Plant Sciences Bldg., 542-0909
Lab: 3205 (Organic Soil Chemistry), 542-0890
Email: gdpillar@uga.edu
Office Hours: By appointment

Course Introduction: This laboratory course is designed to help undergraduate or master degree students
gain understanding of basic soil chemistry concepts that are taught in CRSS 4670/6670. The students will learn
a variety of basic laboratory analytical techniques for environmental sample analysis. This course will
compliment material from CRSS 4670/6670.

Course Objectives: The overall objective of the laboratory course is to give students background and a
“hands on” experience in soil chemistry. Key concepts which will be addressed in this course include:
- understanding the basic theory used in developing standard methods for chemical analysis
- how to record, analyze, and interpret scientific data obtained from laboratory exercises
- how to extrapolate or apply laboratory data to the “field” or “real life” situations.
- basic familiarity with key processes and reactions that could occur in soil/water and how they relate to
soil management, productivity, and quality.

Course Grading: This is a 1.0 credit course (independent of CRSS 4670/6670) which will be graded on a
90/80/70/60% basis, corresponding to A/B/C/D/F.

Lab reports/assignments ~10 @ 15 pts 150

Lab notebook/pre-lab quiz: ~10 @ 10 pts 100
Exams (midterm & final) 2 @ 50 pts 100
350**

Lab Reports/Assignments: Each student will be required to write a lab report for selected lab exercises
(around 5). Data from each lab will be pooled together and either dent via email or handed out in lecture.
Students will be given at least 1 week to complete and turn in lab reports. Guidelines for the lab reports are
attached to this syllabus. For lab exercises in which a report is not due, an assignment consisting of questions
and/or problems will be given.

Lab Notebook: Each student will be required to keep and maintain a lab notebook. Lab notebooks can be
obtained from the lab instructor or from the bookstore. All data collected in the lab along with notes, diagrams,
graphs, and other information related to the laboratory exercises are to be kept in the lab notebook. Lab
notebooks will be collected and evaluated on a weekly basis. Guidelines for the lab notebooks are attached to
this syllabus.

Pre-Lab Quiz: Lab exercises will be handed out at least 1 week in advance of when the lab will be
performed. Students are expected to come to the lab prepared, having read the lab exercise for that week, and
making the proper documentation in your lab notebook (see lab notebook guidelines). Pre-lab quizzes will
typically consist of 3 questions based on the content of the lab exercise.

**
The total number of points may change over the semester depending on the number of labs completed.
 Laboratory Schedule: **tenitive**

January 12th Introduction/Soil Chemistry Calculations

January 19th Lab 1 – Determination of organic matter and elemental concentrations.
January 26th Lab 2 – Determination of dispersion/flocculation property of soils
February 2nd Lab 3 – Solubility of calcium hydroxide [Ca(OH)2]
February 9th Lab 4 – Measurement of dissolved and exchangeable K and K buffer capacity
February 16th Lab 5 – Determination of Ka values and molecular weights of unknown weak
acids and the pH buffering capacity of environmental water.
February 23rd Lab 6 – Chemical speciation estimation using Visual MINTEQ computer
program
March 2nd Review
March 9th Midterm Exam
March 16th SPRING BREAK
March 23rd Lab 7 – Influence of oxalate on levels of phosphate in soil solution
March 30th Lab 8 – Determination of cation exchange capacity (CEC), anion exchange
capacity (AEC), and point of zero net charge (PZNC).
April 6th Lab 9 – Effect of Liming on bioavailability of Pb in Pb-contaminated soils
April 13th Lab 10 – TBA (Organic Chemistry/Contaminant Lab)
April 20th TBA
April 27th Review
May 4th Final Exam

Missed Lab Policy: If you are not able to attend a lab section, please see the instructor before the scheduled
lab. Due to the use of the laboratory by other classes, make labs will not be possible.

Late Reports/Assignments: All lab reports and/or assignments are to be handed in by the due date
specified. Assignments/reports turned in late are subject to a 10% grade reduction (based on the possible
point value) for each day the report is late.

Open Door Policy: If you have any questions, problems or concerns related to this class or anything else,
please feel free to stop by my office at anytime. I am here to help you understand the course material and to
assist you through your studies. Review/study sessions are available on a one on one basis or in a group setting
for material covered in either lecture or lab.
Lab Report Format:

You will need to write lab reports for certain lab exercises chosen by the lab instructor.

Introduction – The introduction should provide a concise description of the problem being addressed and
should include any background information necessary to put the problem into context for
the reader. This section should contain a clear statement of the objective of the lab and a
hypothesis, if appropriate. The introduction should not be longer then a paragraph (3-5
sentences).

Materials and Methods – It is sufficient to reference (not list) the lab handout, but state any
modifications to the procedures.

Results/Discussion – The group data and other relevant observations should be presented in an organized
discussion. Use computer generated graphs to present your data in a clear and concise manner.
Discuss the significance of your results and state any implication these results could have on
actual environmental problems. Include in this section a discussion of potential sources of error
that might have contributed to the results. Also, state any possible implications or relationships
the lab exercise has to situations in everyday life or in other scientific, non-scientific,
agricultural settings. In other words, apply your findings to the bigger picture. It is important to
note that it may be difficult to explain the results from a specific lab if erroneous (messy) data is
obtained. Erroneous data may be obtained due to flaws in the method, deviations from the
instructions, or due to other circumstances. It may be impossible to make any concrete or
relevant conclusions when this occurs. The instructor will provide instructions on how to
handle the write-up with the “messy” data. Students will not be penalized for “messy data”, but
will still need to explain what circumstances may have led to the erroneous data.

References – List any reference materials you may have used to support your discussion. Although you
are not required to include references in your report, it is helpful to use your textbook and/or
journal articles to support your conclusions. In the past, students who use reference material to
help formulate conclusions tend to do better in lab then those that do not. Don’t plagiarize your
sources; instead, cite them, using parenthetical notation.

NOTE – I will be more than happy to show any student how to use the UGA library system to look up
online journals or how to write a scientific paper/lab report. Please see me if you have ANY questions.
Lab Notebook:

Proper recording of data and upkeep of notes in a laboratory notebook are essential to conducting good
science. Your notebook will act as a blueprint of all your lab activities and should be detailed enough so that
another person could understand your procedures, comments, and should be able to reproduce your results. In
government and/or private industry laboratory notebooks are considered legal documents. They are used to
apply for patents, to show compliance or noncompliance with various policies or laws, and simply to help you
understand what you did. You should avoid making notes or recording data on loose sheets of paper, as it is
extremely easy to lose this information. If you take the time to maintain a detailed and organized lab
notebook, it will be much easier to write lab reports and to study for exams.
The notebook is your record of the work performed by you and your lab group. Below are guidelines
that should be followed for this course. Some of these guidelines are used by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, the Department of Energy, and by private industry.

For each lab exercise, include the following sections (and make sure they are labeled)

Introduction/Procedure – Provide a brief explanation of what you will be doing in lab. Include any notes you
wish about the procedure or theory behind the procedure. This section doesn’t have to be lengthy and doesn’t
have to be written like it would in a lab report. Much of this information can be obtained from the lab handout
and will help prepare you for the pre-lab quiz.

Raw Data – Include all data which your group records. Do NOT put data on loose pieces of paper.

Final Data – This section should include the final lab data obtained by all groups in the lab and given to you by
the lab instructor. If you wish, you can glue/tape this data into your lab notebook.

Observations/Conclusions – Include any notes or conclusions you can make about the results obtained from
the lab. It will be very helpful to refer to your textbook and/or journal articles. Make sure to note any
references you use so you know where to refer in the future if needed.

Additional Tips (these guidelines will be used in grading your lab notebook):

1. Use the notebook for all original data, calculations, notes, and sketches.
2. Start a new page for each lab exercise (i.e. if you finish your notes for one lab midway through a page,
start your notes for the next lab on the following page).
3. Write all entries in ink.
4. Include a date at the bottom of each page.
5. Make a minor correction by placing a single line through the entry.
6. Major alterations or changes to previous entries should appear as new entries.
7. Do not remove any pages from the laboratory notebook unless you are specifically advised to do so by
your lab instructor.
8. Use glue or tape to attach charts, drawings, or graphs in the area provided for each experiment.
9. Provide as much detail as possible, the more detail you provide the easier it will be to write your lab
reports.