Posted on Monday, May 12, 2008
¾¨Ó㴫ý chemistry and biochemistry majors in Advanced Lab class participated in a service learning project with ¾¨Ó㴫ý's Preschool Lab.
The project was coordinated by Dr. Helen Boylan, ¾¨Ó㴫ý associate professor of chemistry; Diana Reed, ¾¨Ó㴫ý preschool head teacher; and Deborah Roud, ¾¨Ó㴫ý preschool teacher.
Parents of preschool students donated a variety of toys that were analyzed for lead content. The toys were initially screened using a spot test, a qualitative test that indicates the presence of lead through a color change. Some toys were subjected to additional testing with atomic absorption spectroscopy, a sophisticated instrumental technique. Only a few toys and household products showed the presence of lead, and those were well below the regulated level of 600 parts per million.
A commercially available test kit for lead was evaluated and was determined not to work well for toys.
Findings were presented at a parent forum May 6.
"The parents from the Preschool Lab that attended the program were impressed with the ¾¨Ó㴫ý students' presentation and poise," Reed said. "A typical parent comment was 'informative and interesting.'"
Contact Boylan at (724) 946-6293 (e-mail boylanhm@westminster.edu) or Reed at (724) 946-7174 (e-mail reedd@westminster.edu) for additional information.
