RSC ECG
  • Home
  • About
    • Committee
    • Annual reports
  • Environmental Briefs
  • Distinguished Guest Lectures
    • 2022 Disposable Attitude: Electronics in the Environment >
      • Steve Cottle
      • Ian Williams
      • Fiona Dear
    • 2019 Radioactive Waste Disposal >
      • Juliet Long
    • 2018 Biopollution: Antimicrobial resistance in the environment >
      • Andrew Singer
      • Celia Manaia
    • 2017 Inside the Engine >
      • Frank Kelly
      • Claire Holman
      • Jacqui Hamilton
      • Simon Birkett
    • 2016 Geoengineering >
      • Alan Robock
      • Joanna Haigh
      • David Santillo
      • Mike Stephenson
    • 2015 Nanomaterials >
      • Eugenia Valsami-Jones
      • Debora F Rodrigues
      • David Spurgeon
    • 2014 Plastic debris in the ocean >
      • Richard Thompson
      • Norman Billingham
    • 2013 Rare earths and other scarce metals >
      • Thomas Graedel
      • David Merriman
      • Michael Pitts
      • Andrea Sella
      • Adrian Chapman
    • 2012 Energy, waste and resources >
      • RAFFAELLA VILLA
      • PAUL WILLIAMS
      • Kris Wadrop
    • 2011 The Nitrogen Cycle – in a fix?
    • 2010 Technology and the use of coal
    • 2009 The future of water >
      • J.A. (Tony) Allen
      • John W. Sawkins
    • 2008 The Science of Carbon Trading >
      • Jon Lovett
      • Matthew Owen
      • Terry barker
      • Nigel Mortimer
    • 2007 Environmental chemistry in the Polar Regions >
      • Eric Wolff
      • Tim JICKELLS
      • Anna Jones
    • 2006 The impact of climate change on air quality >
      • Michael Pilling
      • GUANG ZENG
    • 2005 DGL Metals in the environment: estimation, health impacts and toxicology
    • 2004 Environmental Chemistry from Space
  • Articles, reviews & updates
    • Articles
    • Reviews
    • Updates
  • Meetings
    • Upcoming meetings
    • Meeting reports
  • Resources
  • Professional Qualifications
  • Index

Science outreach – Oxford Science and  Ideas Festival 2022

Niall Marsay 
Cranfield University
n.h.marsay@cranfield.ac.uk
ECG Bulletin January 2023
What is science outreach? At Oxford  Science and Ideas Festival (IF Oxford), it  is captivating curious minds of all ages and  backgrounds to access and shape new  ideas. This year, the ECG was present in  force to get people thinking about  environmental pollution.  

The tools of our trade
We ran four fantastic demos including a new activity inspired by recent headlines of sewage overflows in rivers: testing riverwater samples used a portable conductivity meter and various samples. Conductivity measurements establish the ability of water to pass electricity because of the presence of dissolved ions such as sodium, chloride, calcium, and magnesium. Water bodies tend to show a relatively stable conductivity, thus significant changes could indicate a pollution discharge into the aquatic environment. We discussed how clean our rivers were in rural and urban areas and how clean our drinking water is. Discovering that pool water has higher conductivity than river water surprised many, and led to thoughtful discussions about how we can use chemicals to keep environments healthy and unpolluted. 

Picture
Sink or float? results: Rubber tree and crayon sank (65% and 90% correct respectively), whilst plastic bag, packing peanut and lid floated
​Introduced earlier  this  year  to  the ECG outreach provision  was  sink  or float?,  a  simple  demo  using  several  types  of  plastic which the public votes on – will it sink or float? This  opened  discussions  about  what  plastics  are  made  of,  and  allowed us to measure our meaningful engagements – this  time, > 80. 
Hunting for microplastics (July 2018 Bulletin   p.22 (1))  –  comprises  of  trays  filled  with  soil  contaminated  with  plastic  pieces.  While  it  does  not  sound  fancy,  kids  love  routing  through  the  dirt  with  tweezers  and  a  magnifying  glass, and let our volunteers have deeper discussions about  soil pollution with parents. 
Our  ocean  acidification  (July  2019  Bulletin,  p.  22  (2))  demo  has  been  a  mainstay  of  ECG  outreach  and  always  draws  the  crowds.  We  start  off  with  a  slightly  alkaline  ‘ocean’ and get people thinking about acidity and alkalinity  using  the  pH  scale.  To  simulate  increasing  CO2  in  our  atmosphere, we add dry ice. The  “smoke” and bubbles get  everyone excited – even  the adults (and me!) – and makes  the  Universal  Indicator  in  our  ocean  change  colour  from  blue  to  green  to  yellow,  sometimes  even  to  red.  This  visualises drop in pH, and allows us  to explain how  ocean  acidification causes coral bleaching. Finishing on a negative  note,  however, is  not ideal,  and  although we  have  positive  climate  change  stories,  we  are  keen  to  develop  a  demonstration about fighting climate change – if you know  one, please do get in touch.




​The show must go on.

A  big  thanks  to  the  volunteer  team.  We  will  be  doing  more  events like this in the future, and we always need volunteers so  please do contact me at
n.h.maray@cranfield.ac.uk.
 
Picture
Team: Mark Powders, Rowena Fletcher Wood, Sophia Bahddo, Laura Alcock, Niall Marsay, Miles Folks.
References
1. Hunting for Microplastics July 2018 Bulletin p. 22.
2. Ocean Acidification July 2019 Bulletin, p. 22. 

 
Picture

Royal Society of Chemistry Environmental Chemistry Group

Burlington House
Piccadilly

London
W1J 0BA

    Contact us

Submit
© COPYRIGHT 2022. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Website by L Newsome
  • Home
  • About
    • Committee
    • Annual reports
  • Environmental Briefs
  • Distinguished Guest Lectures
    • 2022 Disposable Attitude: Electronics in the Environment >
      • Steve Cottle
      • Ian Williams
      • Fiona Dear
    • 2019 Radioactive Waste Disposal >
      • Juliet Long
    • 2018 Biopollution: Antimicrobial resistance in the environment >
      • Andrew Singer
      • Celia Manaia
    • 2017 Inside the Engine >
      • Frank Kelly
      • Claire Holman
      • Jacqui Hamilton
      • Simon Birkett
    • 2016 Geoengineering >
      • Alan Robock
      • Joanna Haigh
      • David Santillo
      • Mike Stephenson
    • 2015 Nanomaterials >
      • Eugenia Valsami-Jones
      • Debora F Rodrigues
      • David Spurgeon
    • 2014 Plastic debris in the ocean >
      • Richard Thompson
      • Norman Billingham
    • 2013 Rare earths and other scarce metals >
      • Thomas Graedel
      • David Merriman
      • Michael Pitts
      • Andrea Sella
      • Adrian Chapman
    • 2012 Energy, waste and resources >
      • RAFFAELLA VILLA
      • PAUL WILLIAMS
      • Kris Wadrop
    • 2011 The Nitrogen Cycle – in a fix?
    • 2010 Technology and the use of coal
    • 2009 The future of water >
      • J.A. (Tony) Allen
      • John W. Sawkins
    • 2008 The Science of Carbon Trading >
      • Jon Lovett
      • Matthew Owen
      • Terry barker
      • Nigel Mortimer
    • 2007 Environmental chemistry in the Polar Regions >
      • Eric Wolff
      • Tim JICKELLS
      • Anna Jones
    • 2006 The impact of climate change on air quality >
      • Michael Pilling
      • GUANG ZENG
    • 2005 DGL Metals in the environment: estimation, health impacts and toxicology
    • 2004 Environmental Chemistry from Space
  • Articles, reviews & updates
    • Articles
    • Reviews
    • Updates
  • Meetings
    • Upcoming meetings
    • Meeting reports
  • Resources
  • Professional Qualifications
  • Index