Environmental Science

What is one way you can reduce risk through reducing exposure? Hazard?

Discussion of risk, exposure, and hazard in the context of microplastics and packing peanuts.

What is the difference of fluorescence in well water compared to lake water?

Fluorescence of organic matter in tannin-rich water and fluorescence of chlorophyll in algae-rich water using a 405 nm laser

How did the factory workers get radium in their bodies and why was it so dangerous?

Description of radium in phosphorescent paint and its impact on the workers doing the painting. Video shot at the Radium Dial Memorial in Ottawa, IL.

For a net gain of a bond, is energy put in or released?

Hydrogen and oxygen conversion to water described by magnets, molecular models, a fuel cell, and burning a hydrogen-filled balloon

Why are there orange deposits on the sides of the creek?

Oxidation of iron(II) sulfide to iron(III) and sulfate ions at a local coal formation.

How did the coal-fired power plant in Peoria affect the surrounding environment?

Description of an event in June, 1970, where apparently flyash from a coal-fired power plant in downtown Peoria deposited sulfuric acid onto and damaged clothing (like nylon stockings) and car paint.

What happens to the isotopes during warm weather?

Beads in a shaker made from a divided Petri dish demonstrate how measuring the relative concentrations of light and heavy isotopes can be used to estimate global temperatures in the Earth’s past.

What causes the UV sensitive beads to change color when in the sun?

A look at some UV light sensitive materials and a brief discussion of the photochromic dyes that they contain.

What are the main components that make up the Earth’s atmosphere? How does that compare to the other planets in the solar system?

Description of the scale and composition of the Earth's atmosphere, with comparison to composition of the atmospheres of Venus, Mars, and Jupiter. Video shot at Earth in the solar system model on the Peoria Riverfront Park.

Can we send the same probes to Venus’s atmosphere as we can use in Earth’s atmosphere? Why or why not?

Description of the composition and pressure of Venus’s atmosphere, with comparison to the atmosphere of the Earth. Video shot at Venus in the solar system model on the Peoria Riverfront Park.

Why do helicopters need to be made differently for flight on Mars vs. flight on Earth?

The Ingenuity helicopter needed to be specially designed to produce sufficient lift in the low pressure atmosphere of Mars. To simulate this, a fan is placed in a vacuum desiccator and most of the air is removed, which prevents the fan from moving ribbons. The difference between the surface pressures of Earth and Mars is illustrated by stacks of LEGO bricks.

What makes up the majority of Mars’ atmosphere?

Visit to a dry ice facility near an ethanol plant in Pekin, IL. The carbon dioxide in the dry ice pile likely was a byproduct of ethanol production. Deposits of dry ice have been found on Mars, where carbon dioxide makes up the majority of the atmosphere.

Why do marble headstones erode faster than in granite?

Marble (calcium carbonate) reacts with acids to produce carbon dioxide, whereas granite (various minerals) does not react very much. The rate of reaction of the marble with the acids varies with the concentration and types of acids, in one case yielding a result that surprised me. Special thanks to my colleague Robert Gayhart for helpful discussions.

How does the composition of Jupiter’s atmosphere differ from that of the Earth?

Jupiter’s atmosphere is about 90% hydrogen and about 10% helium, markedly different from the rocky inner planets. Sorry, I didn't bring the corresponding LEGO brick atmosphere stick like in my similar videos. Video shot at the Jupiter model at the Peoria airport as part of the large solar system model centered in Peoria, IL

How do the PCBs in the river affect the wildlife and surrounding environment?

A visit to the lock and dam on the Fox River in De Pere, WI, with a brief description of PCBs, their contamination of the river by the paper industry, and the recently completed river remediation project.

Why was the coal factory turned into a park?

This site was the location of a coal gasification plant (to convert coal into flammable gases) near Lake Union in Seattle, WA. The plant is shut down and hazardous waste in the soil has been buried, and now the location is a park.

What are the pros and cons of using this type of machine for tree cutting?