This laboratory enhancement project is developing instructional capabilities in four environmental engineering courses: "Introduction to Environmental Engineering," "Environmental Biochemistry," "Aquatic Chemistry for Environmental Engineers," and "Groundwater Protection and Remediation." The project is introducing nine new experiments to the laboratory sections that supplement these courses. These exercises are specifically designed to give students an opportunity to simulate physical, chemical, and biological processes that take place in natural and engineered environments. Quantitative data collected during these experiments are applied toward solving realistic engineering analysis and design problems. A total organic carbon analyzer and a scanning spectrophotometer are the major equipment components used in this project. This instrumentation also serves to further expose students to the capabilities and limitations of modern equipment commonly found in research environmental laboratories but often absent from undergraduate facilities. An environmental degree option was offered for the first time by the school's Department of Civil Engineering in 1993. As part of this program, an environmental engineering laboratory was developed and put to use in early 1994 for a new aquatic chemistry course. This project is further enhancing the capabilities of the laboratory by providing students with exercises designed to synthesize the concepts offered within the environmental curriculum. Many of the new experiments are unique to undergraduate environmental engineering laboratories, and provide undergraduates with the opportunity to apply their results directly toward solving realistic engineering problems.
