http://www.ck12.org Chapter 1. Introduction to Physical Science
1.22 Field Study
- Define field study.
- Identify reasons why a field study might be done.
The environmental chemist in this photo is “fishing” for a sample of river water. He works for the US Environmental
Protection Agency. He is looking for evidence of pollution in the water.
Doing Science in the Field
Although experiments are the “gold standard” for scientific investigations, sometimes it’s not possible or desirable
to do experiments. Often it’s important to investigate a problem in the real world instead of in a lab. An investigation
that gathers evidence in the real world—as the environmental chemist above is doing—is called afield study.
Q:Why are field studies important for environmental scientists?
A:To learn about the environment, scientists need to take measurements and make observations in the real world.
This means gathering evidence in field studies; collecting samples of water from a river is one example of this
method.
Case Study: River Water Pollution
The environmental scientist above will gather samples of river water in several different locations. Then he will take
the samples back to a lab to analyze them. He will do tests to identify any pollutants in the samples. Taking samples
from different locations may help him identify the source of any pollution he finds. Pollution can enter a river from
a single source, such as a waste water pipe from a factory. This is called point-source pollution. Or pollution can