Hands-on classes “Measuring” at Nagasaki Prefectural Uku High School

Wanting to help students and children get a hands on understanding of the importance of measuring, HORIBARIANs head out to various locations to offer hands-on classes using the theme, “learn by measuring”. This time, HORIBA Advanced Techno, on September 10 and 11,  visited Nagasaki Prefectural Uku High School located on Ukujima, the northernmost island of the Goto Islands in Nagasaki Prefecture, and held  hands-on classes . Ukujima is located about two hours by high-speed boat from Sasebo Port and with a population of about 1,800, is surrounded by the sea and rich in nature. Five students in grades nine and ten (out of nine students in the whole school) attended our seminar. Our theme was using the island's nature to make measurements. During the seminar students used HORIBA's U-52 Multi-parameter Water Quality Meter, LAQUAtwin pH Pocket Water Quality Meters, and the Microplastic Observation Kit "PlaWatch" to measure the water quality of familiar things such as seawater, food, and drinking water, and microplastics contained in sand on the beach. None of the students had ever touched an analyzer before, so they seemed a bit nervous at first, but when they actually started using them, they found that operating the equipment was easier than they expected and soon got used to it. By using their own eyes and hands to measure, the students learned the joy and fun of measuring and discovered that science is interesting.

Ukujima is home to what have become rare creatures such as wild eels, killifish, and loaches. We fetched seawater from Ohama Beach, the largest beach on Ukujima stretching 600 meters in length, and measured the water quality. The students were surprised that a single measuring device could instantly measure a variety of items (up to 11 items, including pH and dissolved oxygen). We compared the results with those of the Katsura River (Kyoto Prefecture) and Yodo River (Osaka Prefecture), which we had measured in advance, and discussed the differences between river water and seawater, as well as the characteristics of each river and region.

The LAQUAtwin pH Pocket Water Quality Meter is an analyzer that can measure pH, electrical conductivity, Na (sodium) ions, K (potassium) ions, Ca (calcium) ions, F (fluoride) ions, and salinity. The students measured aquarium water, tap water, soft drinks (sports drinks, coffee, juice), lotion, sunscreen, and toothpaste. Sea urchins were kept in the school’s aquarium, so we checked to see if the salinity and pH of the aquarium water were close to those of seawater. We also had the students predict and discuss measured values ​​based on ingredients listed on products, chemical formulas, and taste. Another experiment we did was to check the pH and ion concentration of an unknown liquid and guess what the liquid was.

By having them measure things they regularly drink or come in contact with, we were able to get students interested in chemistry and analysis, making comments like, “I became interested in pH and ion concentrations through measuring them. I want to investigate other things, too," or "Using pH as an indicator to detect sour or bitter tastes and predicting values ​​from the ingredient list and measuring them, I learned how tastes can be expressed as values."

The water at Ohama Beach is so clear that you can see all the way to the bottom. It is said to be the most transparent in Nagasaki Prefecture. It has also been selected as one of the 100 best beaches for swimming by the Ministry of the Environment. 100 Best Swimming Beaches, It was so beautiful that it makes you want to just jump in.

No microplastics were detected in the sand collected from the beach. Having said that, plastic bottles and plastic containers that had drifted out to sea from other areas had washed up on the island’s beach, making us think about the problem of ocean plastic.

Many thanks to everyone at Uku High School for creating this valuable opportunity for us.
Our experience with Ukujima’s people, nature, and food, brought us closer to the island's charm and gave us a strong desire to protect its rich natural environment.
Please visit the Uku High School website to find their report on this hands-on classes.

By educating the children of our future, HORIBA will continue to convey the importance of measuring.

U-50 Multi-parameter Water Quality Meter 

LAQUAtwin pH Pocket Water Quality Meters

Microplastic Observation Kit "PlaWatch"