Chapter 9. Observing the Effects of Pollution in Microcosms

Equipment and Materials

You’ll need the following items to complete this lab session. (The standard kit for this book, available from www.thehomescientist.com, includes the items listed in the first group.)

Materials from Kit

  • Goggles

  • Coverslips

  • Centrifuge tubes, 50 mL

  • Hydrochloric acid

  • Fertilizer concentrate A

  • Lead(II) acetate

  • Methylcellulose

  • pH test paper

  • Pipettes

  • Slides, flat

  • Yeast, live (baker’s or brewer’s)

Materials You Provide

  • Gloves

  • Foam cup

  • Pond sediment/vegetation (from Chapter 7)

  • Tablespoon

  • Water, spring or boiled tap

Background

Any externally applied change to the environment of a community forces changes to occur within the community until a new equilibrium is reached. For example, after a major ...

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