The chemistry of the natural and man-made environment has long been a focus of all levels of chemistry education at St. Andrews. This project extends the students' opportunity to learn and apply modern analytical techniques to "real-world" systems. High pressure liquid chromatography and high sensitivity atomic absorption spectrometry are used to help illustrate fundamental chemical principles ( redox, solubility, and acid-base reactions; sampling and analysis) using environmental chemical systems as a vehicle. The important advances in chemical techniques into the realms of very low pressures, air- sensitive substances, and high-energy systems has tended to take attention away from the equally important chemistry of earth-surface conditions. The aim and significance of the project is to intrigue and involve young chemistry students by including in their early training insight into how the ideas of blackboard and laboratory chemistry play themselves out in the complex world of ordinary experience. The institution is providing funds equal to the amount of the award.
