Trace Levels of Xenoestrogenic Pesticides in Amherst's Drinking Water:
A Class Exercise in Community Based Research


P.B.O'Hara, J.A. Sanborn, A. Sandler '02and M. Morelli '02
Department of Chemistry, Amherst College, Amherst, MA 01002
P. Eisenberg
Amherst Regional High School, Amherst, MA 01002
R. Wallace
Fort River Elementary School, Amherst, MA 01002

***
Presentation
April 16th, 1999
CUR April Dialogue
Washington DC

WHY A TOPICALLY DRIVEN CURRICULUM?
Student Motivational Barriers to Learning Science/Chem
* What I learn in my chemistry class has nothing to do with me.
* What I learn in a science course is isolated from the rest of the curriculum.
* I like (don't like) science because it is a set of facts.
* I find lab work to be really boring. All I'm ever doing is trying to answer questions that are already known, or repeat someone else's experiment.
* Science doesn't interest me because I like working with people and scientists work all day alone in a lab.

INTRO CHEM TOPICS RELATED TO PESTICIDES
I. Conservation of Matter: Stoichiometry

* Determining Concentrations of Low Level Pesticides in Drinking Water
* Extraction of Pesticides from Water
* Experimental Determination of Mass using Mass Spectroscopy
II. Molecular Shape and Structure
* modeling structures of pesticides using VSEPR
* visualizing/evaluation of structures/energies using computer modeling
* static versus dynamic, rotation about torsional angles
III. Molecular Recognition:
* nonspecific interactions: hydrophobic extraction of pesticides using solid phase extraction.
* specific interactions: interactions of estrogen AND estrogenic pesticides with the estrogen receptor.
* highly specific reactions: interactions of antibodies with antigens in the immunoassays tests or ELISA or enzyme linked immuno sorbent assay.

WHAT ARE THE DANGERS OF A TOPICALLY DRIVEN COURSE
* Coverage, coverage, coverage
* With pesticides in drinking water, we worried a great deal about presenting a balanced picture of the costs and benefits of pesticide use.
* Interface with second, third and fourth courses in chemistry
* Having students adjust to much more traditional pedagogical strategy
* Topics become stale rather quickly
* Lack of well-developed support materials
* Oversimplification of complex issues
* Lack of a peer group

WHY SHOULD COLLEGE SCIENCE STUDENTS TEACH?

I. What are the benefits for our college students?

* Develops technical communication skills.
* Best way to learn deeply is to teach.
* Builds confidence particularly among women and minority students.
* Allows students to exercise/demonstrate leadership skills.
* Forces students to take "ownership" of what they are learning.
* Provides alternative forum to highlight students' skills and talents.
* Allows first-year students to briefly get into a research lab early.
* Children's excitement about science is infectious, booster shot for college students.
* It's really fun!

II. What are the benefits for our k-12 students?
* Excitement is infectious
* Assistance with new and complex topics
* Exposure and hands-on familiarity with technology not available in k-12
* Access to role models, which is especially important when these role models are women and minority students
* Demonstration that science is a collaborative effort

III. What are the benefits for our faculty?
* Excitement is infectious
* Lower student attrition in first semester
* We can learn from each other
* Recruit talented honor students to the campus

TEACHING PARTNERS AND PROJECTS
Sixth Grade at Fort River Elementary (FR) ---25 students

with Roger Wallace and Juma Crawford '99 Amherst College
* Field trip to Amherst College in October for day in the lab
* Water sampling around Fort River
* AC students to FR to explain GC/MS, pH, oxidation states
* Perform experiments with pH, conductivity, temperature
* Samples brought to AC for SPE and Analysis
* Design water purification system
* Field trip to Atkins Reservoir Water Purification Center
* Modeling organic compounds with gum drops and toothpicks

Honors Chem at Amherst Regional High School (ARHS)--100 Students
with Phyllis Eisenberg and Crissy deRunk '00 UMass
* Research into risks and benefits of pesticides
* Home water sampling
* AC students to ARHS to explain basis for ELISA
* ELISA assays and colorimetric analysis
* AC students to ARHS to help with SPE experiment
* Samples brought to AC for GC/MS
* Trip to Atkins Reservoir Water Purification Center
* Trip to AC to do computer modeling

Intro Chem Students at Amherst College (AC)--43 Students

with Pat O'Hara, Jon Sanborn
* Water sampling in September
* ELISA and GC-MS analysis
* Modeling Lab in December
* Class debate on Pesticide Binding to Estrogen Receptor
Teaching Volunteers (24 students)
* Design Day in the Lab in October for FR
* Trips to Fort River for demos, experiments, etc
* Trips to ARHS for demos, experiments
* Design lab for ARHS Computer Modeling in December
* Perform SPE and GC/MS for ARHS and FR

FUTURE PLANS
Fort River Elementary School
* Repeating Unit with New Resources
* Recruiting Other Sixth Grade Classes
* Coordination with the Hitchcock Center Eco-Bus
* Development of Exportable Water Systems Module

Amherst Regional High School
* Laboratory Innovations:
* Molecular Modeling at ARHS:
* Resource Bank

Amherst College
* Help!
* Curricular Extensions
* Cost Reduction
* Other Local Communities/water Sources
* Pesticides in Herbal Products from Asia (Green Tea)

THANKS TO
Many, many thanks to all my students in Chem 11

Amherst College Environmental Curriculum Development Grant

STEMTEC NSF CTEP grant: #9653966

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