European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 14, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 16 chem labs the stars and stripes tuesday. January 14, 19b6 today s crossword a foul smelling memory ? by Jerry Harkavy associated press t o generations of College students organic chemistry evokes visions of tedious experiments in vapor listed laboratories equipped with Bunsen burners Racks Olf Ragile glassware and solvents that Loo often Burn and maim. A program developed at Bowdoin College in Brunswick Mains however May make that chem lab just a foul smelling memory. The program known As Mic Foscale has dramatically reduced the scale of Experiment that had been unchanged or a Century. Test lubes Are shrunk to the Solza of a baby s linger. Calibrated syringes replace cumbersome eyedropper and a stockroom of chemicals for 90 students can fit in a suitcase. You can make Earl nos out of the beakers  says Matthew Ennis. A Sophomore from Kalamazoo mich., displaying a piece of glassware that looks As though to were modelled to doll House scale. Aller rive years of lasting the Bowdoin Micro scale project is about to go nationwide with publication of a textbook based on the new teaching method. The program has been adopted by eight other schools Noire Dame Temple Baylor Rice. Arr Mack Hendrix ulan state and Wisconsin. The textbook due or publication in january was Willen by Bowdoin professors Dana w. Mayo and Samuel s. Bulcher along with Ronald m. Pike of inter Olmack College. There is also a lab manual with instruct ions for 52 experiments. Micro Scala has been praised Lor curbing air pollution. Reducing the risk of fire and explosion culling operating costs and easing the problem of logic Wasta disposal. To Mayo and his colleagues however the most significant Benefit was lha least expected students Learned better. Because quantities of chemicals used in Micro scale experiments Are 100 to 1.000 limes less than in conventional laboratories the Lime required to perform various techniques such As heating or distilling is Lar Shorter. Most of the time that s saved is drag Lime or boredom Lime. The student does t have Lima to be bored in this  says Mayo. That Means we can cram a lot More manipulations into an afternoon. It maxes the Iab More  the Micro scale prefect has its roots in the search Lor a solution to ventilation problems in Cleaveland Hall the College s 34-year-old Laboratory building. As the chairman of the chemistry department David s. Page tells it a student with family lies to the occupational safely and health administration had complained about air Quality in the lab and was threatening to seek Osha s intervention. That got action Page recalled but the $250.000 contractors estimate for a new ventilation system inspired a search for a less expensive solution. Mayo s approach scale Down tha Quantity of chemicals used in the experiments and wind up with a lower volume of flurries to blow out on the other end. Mayo and his colleagues began work on lha project in 19bo. Using $25,000 in seed Money from the College. Dana Mayo with two Liliet eff Latla. To study Micro Scala techniques and their Impact on Laboratory air Quality students at Bowdoin started working with the scaled Down equipment iwo years later. The glassware kit assembled to the College s specifications. Is no bigger than an average textbook and contains Olels ranging in size from one tenth of a ill Limiter to 5 Mill Illers the old kill had flasks of 25 to 500 mall Allters 500 Mill Illers being a bit bigger than one pint the smaller glassware is far less Likely to break. Sceptics said the new technique would prove too complicated for undergraduates but Mayo says that has t been the Case. Instead students have been forced to be More Las Tilous and develop belter lab techniques. There s not As much room for error Ennis Agrafas. Mayo Points Oul thai Bow Dolris program offers better preparation for students planning to go on to graduate school or Obs in Industry both of which use Micro scale techniques. Advocates of Mac Rociale say it could save America s colleges s3 million in chemical costs alone. At Bowdoin. Page says the $25,000 Cost of re equipping student lockers and laboratories is being recouped in less than three years. Other benefits can t be measured in dollars and cents especially the potential for eliminating the occasional gruesome Accident. There s so Little malaria around thai even if it caught fire it could t cause any  says Mayo. There Are also few ii any open flames in the lab where hot plates Are now used As sources of heal. Bowdoin used to generate a 55-gallon drum of organic solvent every four to six weeks ii now lakes six to nine months to accumulate that much waste. Page says the scaled Down approach also teaches something Aboul thrill. 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