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KMID : 1059520070510060560
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Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
2007 Volume.51 No. 6 p.560 ~ p.568
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Studies of the Concept and Terminology of Heavy Metals Described in the Chemistry I Textbook
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Moon Kyung-Ah
Chae Hee-Kwon
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Abstract
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The aim of this study is to investigate the terminology of chemically unclear ‘heavy metals’ which were expressed in the Korean secondary science textbook in terms of the definition, the type and the meaning. Initial results showed that six of ‘Chemistry I’ textbooks among these texts defined a heavy metal with the density and described it as a metal which is hazardous and continuously accumulated in the human body. Specifically, cadmium, lead and mercury were presented as examples of the hazardous metal in all of the eight textbooks but non-metals such as arsenic and absolutely essential metals including chrome, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel and copper were also given in the texts. Most of the texts described the hazardousness and toxicity of the metal too simple to understand the mechanism of its intoxication despite considering all of the factors including its oxidation state, residual amount and reactivity with biomolecules of the human body. Such an ambiguous definition and explanation may excluded in the textbook because the chemically undefined chemical vocabulary leads students to cause an alternative conception of the heavy metal, which means that the metal could be identical with toxins.
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KEYWORD
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Heavy Metal, Textbook, Definition, Alternative Conception
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