Better Living Through ChemistryBy Space Waste

Sue HendersonKaren Morgan Ivy

Mark BaillieSue McGeary

Klaus Theopold

Introduction to Environmental Science (for non-majors)

Teaching Unit: Pollution

Teaching Unit Learning Goals:• Students will understand the sources and fates of major pollutants

of air, water, and soil.• Students will develop analytical and quantitative skills to identify

the problem.• Students will apply their knowledge of threshold values to assess

risks and determine responsibilities.• Students will be familiar with several standard remediation

techniques.

Introduction to Environmental Science (for non-majors)

Teaching Unit: Pollution

Teaching Unit Learning Goals:• Students will understand the sources and fates of major pollutants

of air, water, and soil.• Students will develop analytical and quantitative skills to identify

the problem.• Students will apply their knowledge of threshold values to assess

risks and determine responsibilities.• Students will be familiar with several standard remediation

techniques.

Students will develop analytical and quantitative skills to identify the problem.

Learning Objectives:• Express the concentration of pollutants in appropriate units.• Characterize the persistence of pollutants in space and time.• Compare analytical data to environmental standards to

determine risks and responsibilities.• Synthesize research materials on pollutants.

Students will develop analytical and quantitative skills to identify the problem.

Learning Objectives:• Express the concentration of pollutants in appropriate units.• Characterize the persistence of pollutants in space and time.• Compare analytical data to environmental standards to

determine risks and responsibilities.• Synthesize research materials on pollutants.

Prior Knowledge

• Students have familiarity with the following:– Gradient– Core value– Common air, water, and soil pollutants

Movie Clip From Erin Brockovich

Click here to start the movie clip.

Now you’ve seen and discussed a movie clip. Remember Erin Brockovich.

You will help us determine cost and responsible party for remediation. From chromium in California to chromium in New Jersey, we will now hear from four constituents who have vested interest in this issue.

ResidentHello. My name is ______. I am a fourth generation resident of Jersey City. During the last century, that company disposed of more than one million tons of cancer-causing hexavalent chromium waste across my home city.

My home, my water, and my garden should not be toxic! The newspaper reported a 17% increase in the rate of lung cancer for many Jersey City residents.

We have sued to get this fixed, and want our homes to not lose value. This site needs to be cleaned up!

MayorHello. My name is ______. I’m the Mayor of Jersey City – a city experiencing a tremendous renaissance. Through tax breaks to developers we put up new buildings and brought residents and businesses to our city. I am eager to see more developments as we transform Jersey City. We also need to keep our taxes low while providing crucial incentives for economic growth.

DeveloperHello. My name is ______, and I build homes. We want to revitalize this part of the city and build a residential complex with 1000 units, just like the Liberty Towers. Mayor Hague promised us tax credits to get the job done. Still, the cost of construction is steep.

The rents need to be reasonable, and we cannot be responsible for the clean up of this site – WE DID NOT SPILL ALL THAT CHROMIUM! The city should make sure the site is clean for construction.

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LawyerHello. My name is ______, and I am a lawyer at Dewey, Cheetham and Howe. We represent Chrome-R-Us, Inc. Fifty years ago, our client bought a hubcap factory, twenty years later closed the plant, and sold the land in question. At the time, we followed all environmental laws and regulations. Many years later it was

discovered that part of the land contained some residual chemicals.

It is not my client’s responsibility to clean this site, which hasn’t been in our care for decades. We are relying on Jersey City or the developer to move this forward.

Jersey City Chromium(VI) Case Study

• Is there a problem?

• How much land is contaminated?

• What might it cost to clean it up?

Using the map and data• Circle the maximum concentration value for

each core (cores 1-4, circle on data table).

• Which core has the highest maximum concentration (circle on map)?

• Which core has the lowest maximum concentration (circle on map)?

Note: Cr(VI) Soil Remediation Standards = 20 parts per million (ppm)

1. What is the approximate concentration gradient between these two cores (max -> min)?

A. 45 ppm/mB. 450 ppm/mC. 510 ppm/mD. 2.25 x 10-3 ppm/m

In your group, come to a consensus on your answer. Use the IF AT® to scratch off your answer.

2. How far from the most concentrated core would you have to walk to find soil at or below the threshold value specified by the EPA (20 ppm)?

A. ~20 x 106 mB. ~100 mC. ~25 mD. ~10 m

2

4?

3. Estimate the cost of remediation of the site based on $1,250/m3 of soil, if the site area is 70,000 m2 and the soil needs to be excavated to a depth of 3 meters?

A. > $1 x 109

B. $1 x 103 - $1 x 106

C. < $1 x 103

D. $1 x 106 - $1 x 109

Final Reflection:Based on your knowledge of this case, who

should pay for the majority of the remediation?

A. Chrome-R-Us, Inc. B. Jersey City taxpayersC. The real estate developerD. No one -- Abandon this site forever.

Acknowledgements

• Super Pete! (Pete Mirabito-Facilitator)

• Group 3: Physiology

• Group 8: Gene Expression