Participation in GLOBE: Water Quality Test & Improved Spatial Skills Phoebe Liu, Sara M. Mierzwiak and Dr. Kevin Czajkowski

Recorded Phosphate Concentration (Unit: ppm):

• Pre-experiment tested naturally-occurring phosphate concentrations in the sediments and the results were used as a baseline for the tests.

• Sand and silt mixture showed most accurate test results, whereas red clay showed the greatest difference from actual concentration.

• Tested filtered phosphate solution with sand and silt mixture as the sediment and found no obvious improvement in test accuracy.

• Potential sources of error most likely came from lab equipment.

This project was aided by National Science Foundation Grant #NSF DBI-1461124 to the University of Toledo’s Lake Erie Center, “Undergraduate Research and Mentoring - Using the Lake Erie Sensor Network to Study Land-Lake Ecological Linkages”. The grant award provided financial support, scientific and educational expertise from the UT Lake Erie Center and faculty from participating departments (Department of Environmental Sciences, Geography & Planning, Civil Engineering), and filed and laboratory testing equipment and supplies. We thank the principal investigators: Dr. Carol Stepien and Dr. Kevin Czajkowski, the program manager Rachel, Lohner, and teaching assistants Ryan Jackwood, Lucas Groat, John Dilworth for help and logistic support. This is contribution #201X-XX from the Lake Erie Center.

Contact info: The Lake Erie Center and the Department of Geography and Planning, University of Toledo, 6200 Bayshore Rd., Oregon OH 44116

• Growth shown in 2011-2014 average scores by question. • 2011, 2013 and 2014 showed more growth in average

final score than 2012. • Questions 8, 9, 15, 16 showed highest improvement in

Post-test 1 & 2, whereas questions 1, 2 & 3 showed lowest improvement.

• Potential sources of error most likely came from test-takers.

• The CHEMetrics Phosphate Test Kit provides consistent test results under the disturbance of sediments. Since the results tend to be biased high, further studies are recommended before phosphate protocol is developed and introduced by GLOBE.

• Science teachers and students participating in SATELLITES showed improvements to their spatial skill test scores on average 4 points in Post-test 1 and 5 points in Post-test 2. Collecting data for GLOBE improves both teachers’ and students’ spatial skills.

• Data was collected by Dr. Kevin Czajkowski over 10 years of working with local school districts.

• The test consisted of 26 questions, 16 of which were designed to test spatial skills.

• The test had three parts: a Pre-test before the training started, Post-test 1 right after the training was over and Post-test 2 when the test subjects were done with data collection.

• The GLOBE Program brings teachers, students, communities and scientists together to study and research the environment. Phosphorus testing is not currently included in GLOBE, although it could help scientists in addressing Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs). This study tested the accuracy of CHEMetrics© Phosphate Test Kit, which could be used by students and citizens in phosphorus testing for GLOBE.

• Collecting data for the GLOBE Program also benefits teachers and students in developing their spatial skills, which is reflected in a specially designed test. This study also analyzed the spatial skill test scores of GLOBE participants.

Introduction

Phosphate Test

Results

Method

Discussion

Conclusions

Method

Contact Information

Acknowledgements

Results

Discussion

Spatial Skills

Phosphate Concentra-tion↓

Distilled water

Red Clay Euro Clay White Clay Silt/Sand

Turbidity

N/A High Low High Low High Low High Low

0 0 2.5 0.3 0 0 0 0 0 (0) 0 (0)

0.2 0.6 - - 0.8 0.6 0.6 0.4 0.6 (0.6) 0.6 (0.6)

0.4 1 - - 1 1 2 1 0.9 (1) 1 (1)

0.6 1 - - 1 1 2.5 1.5 1.5 (2) 1 (1)

0.8 2 - - 2 1.5 3 1.5 2 (2) 1.5 (1.5)

1 2.5 6 3 3 2.5 3 3 3 (2) 2 (2)

2 5 9 6 6 3 7 4 6 (6) 5 (6)

Dilute 50ppm phosphate stock to

various concentrations

Weigh sediments to create low/high turbidity samples

Add sediments to phosphate

solutions

Test with CHEMetrics©

Phosphate Test Kit

Filter sediments and retest

Note: “High Turbidity” contains 0.24ppm sediments; “Low Turbidity contains 0.004ppm sediments. Data in parenthesis are filtered results. “-” means data not collected

Teachers and students over the world studying hydrology protocols with the GLOBE program. (Source: www.globe.gov)