Lab Report For Chem Lab: Investigation Of Toxins In A Soil Sample

Investigation of Toxins in a Soil Sample
Abstract
In this lab experiment, we investigated a gas leak from the store which was situated close to a beach, and then we determined if any beach soil was contaminated. The core purpose of this experiment was to understand basic principles and to develop familiarity with fundamental functions (Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy). For this purpose, we used the GC-MS machine. Then we calculated whether the sand sample was contaminated or not. Once the calculations were complete, we found that the sand sample contained contamination, especially ethylbenzene and toluene. Both of these chemicals are harmful to aquatic life and human health. Thus, the beach should be closed to the public, and immediate attention should be paid on getting rid of these contaminants.
Introduction
Some days ago, a gas leak at a store situated close to a sandy beach was noticed. Gasoline is a petroleum product that contains aromatic or toxic compounds such as toluene, ethyl-benzene, and benzene. In this lab experiment, we were responsible for determining if the sand collected from the nearby beach contained contamination or not. The goal was to learn the basics of Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy, which were used for measuring the concentration of benzene and toluene in the sand sample of the beach.
The Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy is a highly effective, advanced and useful piece of equipment, which was used to find out the retention time of every component in the mixture. Once the retention time was found through a column, we observed that each component existed in the column which was then passed through the detector in order to produce an electric signal which we showed in the form of a peak on the chromatogram chart. The area of this peak was then used for creating a calibration curve.
Experiment
1 The first step involved an analysis of Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy, which was done with three standards of shock solution: 200uL spiked in 5 mL of hexane, 300uL spiked in 5 mL of hexane and 100uL spiked in 5 mL of hexane.
2 Then we plotted the area versus concentration from the peak area of Gas Ch...