College chemistry labs have changed a great deal since the 1980s, with most schools using "micro" quantities of reagents to ensure safety and minimize environmental impact. It's about time. There's no reason to expose kids to unecessarily large amounts of potentially dangerous chemicals.
Analytical chemistry courses involved mostly benign materials. Not so for organic. Istill recall when a lab partner managed to spill a substantial amount of carbon tet on fellow pre-med team mates during an Organic Chemistry I lab. Was it accidental? I've often wondered.
Some spill or other mishap occurred almost daily in that lab, and there were few precautions taken, beyond the standard-issue safety glasses.
Using smaller quantities of reagents demands more skill on the part of the student, "weeding out" those, like me, who were not meant for lab work, or at least teaching them to be less klutzy.
It also prepares serious students for the 'reality' they'll see if they move on to work in industry.
Recognizing that it's never too early to think green, many universities have incorporated environmental stewardship into their chemistry courses. A case in point is St. Olaf's College in Minnesota, which has evaluated the safety and environmental impact of its advanced undergrad Analytical Chemistry course. This poster, which was presented by Associate Professor Paul Jackson at February's Pittcon in Chicago, explains how: St Olafs Green Analytical Chemistry
