How do you test for soil contaminants?

[kirsten417]

in the rules for enviromental chemistry B division, it talks about how we will have to test for soil contaminants? it also says that hazardous materials will not be used, but materials to simulate them will be. what does this mean? and how can we prepare for it?

[zorbak5044]

go to the enviormental chem thread

[dickyjones]

The thread seems fine to me. Asked a reasonably specific question that hasn't been answered in the long (yet strangely empty) enviro chem thread. Though I guess you one-thread, dead puppy Nazis might disagree...

The tests for contaminants are usually very similar to NPK/pH tests. Make an extraction of a soil sample. Add reagant A, then reagant B; compare to color chart. Know how to use a spec 20 on a sample and then compare that to a curve to find the concentration of the pollutant. Most tests in this event I would expect to be colorimetric. Also, know that a lot of contaminants are just trace nutrients at larger than normal concentrations; others are just heavy metals. I know there are some expensive testing kits that include testing for pollutants such as ferric iron, mercury, etc., but really if I were you, I'd be cheap and just be able to do general labs or NPK tests and learn how to do a written lab quickly and accurately.

[iwtban]

For the NPK test, do I need to buy the kit or can I use chemical in the chemistry class room? Besides, how to you do NPK testing? Thank you so much

[dickyjones]

I would advice buying an NPK test kit. Rapitests cost about $20 online and can be used pretty easily (especially for division B) since it's basically just adding tablets to a soil solution. I do not know of any accurate ways to do soil testing (though there are some labs on soil texture, moisture content, rough OM content that you can do) for nutrients with just the chemicals in your school.

[kirsten417]

"The thread seems fine to me. Asked a reasonably specific question that hasn't been answered in the long (yet strangely empty) enviro chem thread. Though I guess you one-thread, dead puppy Nazis might disagree..."

haha that was so funny, and thanks!

um but one other question was what the regional tests were like...
were they hands on? or more written?
because i know that some of you have already been to regionals...
thanks!

[Mr. Cool]

My Regional test was retarded. There were no experiments. Only an 18 question test. I'm not surprised, though. My Region sucks. However, at an Invitational in Georgia, where THE NATIONAL SUPERVISOR made the test, there were two experiments on the test.

[Phenylethylamine]

Our Invitational test was just multiple choice, I think about 50 questions, no lab or anything. That was an invitational, though, so they probably didn't have the time or incentive to set up anything more complicated than that.

[gyourkoshaven]

Mine was 20 questions long, 18 were about knowledge of NPK, but no testing, and the last 2 were pH testing with indicator liquid.

[Mr. Cool]

Mine was 20 questions long, 18 were about knowledge of NPK, but no testing, and the last 2 were pH testing with indicator liquid.

sounds easy