Lab manual - Cornell Engineering - Cornell University

Monroe L. Weber-Shirk
Leonard W. Lion
James J. Bisogni, Jr.
Cornell University
School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Ithaca, NY 14853
Laboratory Research in Environmental Engineering Laboratory Manual
Laboratory Research in Environmental Engineering Laboratory Manual
Monroe L. Weber-Shirk
Instructor
mw24@cornell.edu
Leonard W. Lion
Professor
lwl3@cornell.edu
James J. Bisogni, Jr.
Associate Professor
jjb2@cornell.edu
School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853
Fifth Edition © Cornell University 2001
Educational institutions may use this text freely if the title/author
page is included. We request that instructors who use this text notify one
of the authors so that the dissemination of the manual can be documented
and to ensure receipt of future editions of this manual.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents 5 Preface 9 Laboratory Safety 10
Introduction 10
Personal Protection 10
Laboratory Protocol 12
Use of Chemicals 13
References 19
Questions 19 Laboratory Measurements and Procedures 20
Introduction 20
Theory 20
Experimental Objectives 22
Experimental Methods 22
Prelab Questions 24
Questions 25
Data Sheet 27
Lab Prep Notes 29 Reactor Characteristics 30
Introduction 30
Reactor Classifications 30
Reactor Modeling 30
Mass Conservation 34
Conductivity Measurements 35
Procedures 36
Prelab Questions 39
Data Analysis 39
Lab Prep Notes 41 Acid Precipitation and Remediation of Acid Lakes 43
Introduction 43
Experimental Objectives 47
Experimental Apparatus 48
Experimental Procedures 48
Prelab Questions 53
Data Analysis 53
Questions 54
References 54
Lab Prep Notes 55 Measurement of Acid Neutralizing Capacity 57
Introduction 57
Theory 57
Procedure 60
Prelab Questions 61
Questions 61
References 62
Lab Prep Notes 63 Phosphorus Determination using the Colorimetric Ascorbic Acid Technique
64
Introduction 64
Experimental Objectives 66
Experimental Procedures 66
Prelab Questions 67
Data Analysis 67
Questions 68
References 68
Lab Prep Notes 69 Soil Washing to Remove Mixed Wastes 70
Objective 70
Introduction 70
Theory 71
Apparatus 77
Experimental Procedures 78
Prelab Questions 82
Data Analysis 82
References 82
Lab Prep Notes 85 Oxygen Demand Concepts and Dissolved Oxygen Sag in Streams 87
Introduction 87
Theory 87
Streeter Phelps Equation Development 88
Zero Order Kinetics 92
Experimental Objectives 93
Experimental Methods 94
Prelab Questions 95
Data Analysis 96
References 97
Lab Prep Notes 98 Methane Production from Municipal Solid Waste 100
Introduction 100
Theory 100
Experiment description 110
Experimental methods 112
Prelab questions 114
Data analysis 114
References 115
Lab Prep Notes 117 Volatile Organic Carbon Contaminated Site Assessment 119
Introduction 119
Experiment Description 119
Experimental Procedures 120
Procedure (short version) 122
Prelab Questions 123
Data Analysis 123
References 123
Lab Prep Notes 124 Volatile Organic Carbon Sorption to Soil 126
Introduction 126
Theory 126
Analysis of the Unsaturated Distribution Coefficient ([pic]) 131
Analysis of the Saturated Distribution Coefficient ([pic]) 133
Experimental procedures 135
Procedure (short version) 136
Prelab Questions 137
Data Analysis 137
References 138
Additional References Relevant to Data Reduction 139
Symbol List 140
Lab Prep Notes 141 Enhanced Filtration 142
Introduction 142
Theory 142
Previous Research Results 144
Filter Performance Evaluation 145
Experimental Objectives 145
Experimental Methods 145
Prelab Questions 147
Data Analysis 147
Questions for Discussion 148
References 148
Lab Prep Notes 149 Gas Transfer 150
Introduction 150
Theory 150
Experimental Objectives 152
Experimental Methods 153
Prelab Questions 154
Data Analysis 154
References 155
Lab Prep Notes 156 Instrument Instructions 157
Compumet software 157
pH Probe Calibration 157
pH Probe Storage 158
Procedure for Cleaning pH Gel-Filled Polymer Electrode 158
Dissolved Oxygen Probe 158
Gas Chromatograph 160
UV-Vis Spectrophotometer 160 Index 161 Preface Continued leadership in environmental protection requires efficient
transfer of innovative environmental technologies to the next generation of
engineers. Responding to this challenge, the Cornell Environmental
Engineering faculty redesigned the undergraduate environmental engineering
curriculum and created a new senior-level laboratory course. This
laboratory manual is one of the products of the course development. Our
goal is to disseminate this information to help expose undergraduates at
Cornell and at other institutions to current environmental engineering
problems and innovative solutions.
A major goal of the undergraduate laboratory course is to develop an
atmosphere where student understanding will emerge for the physical,
chemical, and biological processes that control material fate and transport
in environmental and engineered systems. Student interest is piqued by
laboratory exercises that present modern environmental problems to
investigate and solve.
The experiments were designed to encourage the process of "learning around
the edges." The manifest purpose of an experiment may be a current
environmental problem, but it is expected that students will become
familiar with analytical methods in the course of the laboratory experiment
(without transforming the laboratory into an exercise in analytical
techniques). It is our goal that students employ the theoretical principles
that underpin the environmental field in analysis of their observations
without transforming the laboratories into exercises in process theory. As
a result, students can experience the excitement of addressing a current
problem while coincidentally becoming cognizant of relevant physical,
chemical, and biological principles.
At Cornell, student teams of two or three carry out the exercises,
maximizing the opportunity for a hands-on experience. Each team is equipped
with modern instrumentation as well as experimental reactor apparatus
designed to facilitate the study of each topic.
Computerized data acquisition and instrument control are used extensively
to make it easier for students to learn how to use new instruments and to
eliminate the drudgery of manual data acquisition. Software was developed
at Cornell to use computers as virtual instruments that interface with a pH
meter/ion (Accumet 50), gas chromatograph (HP 5890A), UV-Vis
Spectrophotometer (HP 8452) This code is available at the course web site.
The development of this manual and the accompanying course would not have
been possible without funds from the National Science Foundation, the
DeFrees Family Foundation, the Procter and Gamble Fund, the School of Civil
and Environmental Engineering and the College of Engineering at Cornell
University.
Monroe L. Weber-Shirk
Leonard W. Lion
James J. Bisogni, Jr.
Ithaca, NY
December 22, 2000 Laboratory Safety
Introduction Safety is a collective responsibility that requires the full cooperation
of everyone in the laboratory. However, the ultimate responsibility for
safety rests with the person actually carrying out a given procedure. In
the case of an academic laboratory, that person is usually the student.
Accidents often result from an indifferent attitude, failure to use common
sense, or failure to follow instructions. Each student should be aware of
what the other students are doing because all can be victims of one
individual's mistake. Do not hesitate to point out to other students that
they are engaging in unsafe practices or operations. If necessary, report
it to the instructor. In the final assessment, students have the greatest
responsibility to ensure their own personal safety.
This guide provides a list of do's and don'ts to minimize safety and
health problems associated with experimental laboratory work. It also
provides, where possible, the ideas and concepts that underlie the
practical suggestions. However, the reader is expected to become involved
and to contribute to the overall solutions. The following are general
guidelines for all laboratory workers:
1) Follow all safety instructions carefully.
2) Become thoroughly acquainted with the location and use of safety
facilities such as safety showers, exits and eyewash fountains.
3) Become familiar with the hazards of the chemicals being used, and know
the safety precautions and emergency procedures before undertaking any
work.
4) Become familiar with the chemical operations and the hazards involved
before beginning an operation. Personal Protection
Eye Protection All people in the laboratory including visitors must wear eye protection
at all times, even when not performing a chemical operation. Wearing of
contact lenses in the laboratory is normally forbidden because contact
lenses can hold foreign materials against the cornea. Furthermore, they may
be difficult to remove in the case of a splash. Soft cont