Environmental Sampling (ENSC 520, Summer 2018)


Instructor: Dr. Zhi-Qing (ZQ) Lin

Office: 2165 SLW

Email: zhlin@siue.edu

Phone: 618-650-2650

Class Location & Schedules:

Lecture: 6:00pm-8:50pm Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2310 Science West, July 2-August 4, 2018

Field and Lab Practice: 9:00am-1:45pm on July 14, 21, and 28, 2018 (Saturdays)

Office Hours: 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm Tuesdays and Thursdays; 2165 Science West


Course Description:
This graduate course provides students theoretical knowledge and technical skills on environmental sampling. This should help ensure the consideration of different variables and special techniques that are needed to plan and carry out sampling activities that will provide representative environmental samples for physical, chemical, and biological analyses. A number of field sampling techniques will be discussed and practiced, including the sampling of soil, air, water, vegetation, and other biota.  Students will have the opportunity for hands-on experience with those most commonly used sampling techniques. Students will be encouraged to explore current and emerging technologies in environmental sampling and analyses.

 

Course Prerequisites: College statistics, biology and chemistry; or consent of the instructor

Text Book: Site Characterization: Sampling and Analysis. 1997, by HMTRI/Intelecom, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York.

Reference Books:

(1)  Fundamentals of Environmental Sampling and Analysis. 2007, by C. Zhang, Wiley-InterScience;

(2)  Fundamentals of Environmental Sampling. 2003, by K. Bodger, Government Institutes.

 

Additional scientific articles will be given as supplemental reading materials.

 


Course Objectives:

(1) To understand basic environmental sampling concepts and principles; (2) To become familiar with the basics of environmental sampling techniques; (3) To obtain hands-on environmental sampling experience under both laboratory and field conditions.


Grading Policy:

Class exams (one midterm and final): Material presented in class lectures and required readings will form the basis for examination questions. Class examinations will require a good understanding of lecture and reading materials and result in applications of the knowledge to practical situations. Each student will need to develop and present a research sampling plan on a selected topic during the class.

Grading: One midterm exam: 40%; Field/lab practice: 10%; Research project (the Sampling and Analysis Plan): 10%; Final exam: 40%. Total Points: 100.  A: 90-100; B: 80-89; C: 70-79; D: 60-69; F:< 60.  Note: Credit earned in a course in which a D or F grade is recorded cannot be used to satisfy the requirements for a graduate degree.


Attendance Policy:

Regular prompt attendance is required for success in this course. Only University approved absences will be accepted. Because classroom or group discussion will form an important part of class lectures, excessive absences may result in a 10% reduction of your overall grade or being dropped from the course.

Field participation is essential for successful completion of the course. Students will be responsible for their transportation to and from the location of the sampling event.


Students with Disabilities:

 

Students needing accommodations because of medical diagnosis or major life impairment will need to register with Accessible Campus Community & Equitable Student Support (ACCESS) and complete an intake process before accommodations will be given. The ACCESS office is located in the Student Success Center, Room 1270. You can also reach the office by e-mail at myaccess@siue.edu or by calling 618.650.3726. For more information on policies, procedures, or necessary forms, please visit the ACCESS website at www.siue.edu/access.

 


Academic Misconduct:

"Acts of academic misconduct for which students are subject to sanctions include, without limitation, plagiarism, cheating, failure or refusal to follow clinical practice standards, falsifying or manufacturing scientific or educational data and/or representing manufactured data to be the result of scientific or scholarly experiment or research, and soliciting, aiding, abetting, concealing, or attempting such act. Plagiarism is defined as including, without limitation, the act of representing the work of another as one's own. Plagiarism may consist of copying, paraphrasing, or otherwise using the written, electronic, or oral work of another without proper acknowledgement or consent of the source or presenting oral, electronic, or written material prepared by another as one's own. Plagiarism also includes using information from electronic resources, including the Internet, without the use of proper citations." (SIUE Student Academic Code, Spring 2003)

In the event of academic misconduct, the student is subject to a number of penalties, including a failing grade for a plagiarized assignment or for a course.


Lecture Schedule:

Lecture 1: Course introduction; Site investigation; Sampling plan development

Lecture 2: Quality control and quality assurance in environmental sampling

Lecture 3: Statistics in environmental sampling; Data analysis; Sampling equipment and materials preparations

Lecture 4: Case studies/discussion; Midterm exam (Lectures 1-3)

Field Sampling Trip 1: Soil and soil invertebrate sampling

Lecture 5: Air Sampling (both indoor and outdoor): Sampling equipment and sample preparations

Lecture 6: Soils and Sediment Sampling: Sampling equipment and sample preparations

Field Sampling Trip 2: Water, sediment, and aquatic organisms sampling

Lecture 7: Water Sampling: Sampling equipment and sample preparations

Lecture 8: Biological samples collection: Sampling equipment and sample preparations

Field Sampling Trip 3: Airborne particulates (PM10 and PM2.5), flying insects and plant sampling

Lecture 9: Student research presentations; Special topics

Lecture 10: Case studies/discussion; Final examination (Lectures 5-8)