610-280 Environmental Chemistry

Note

Credit Points

Coordinator

Prerequisites

One of Chemistry 610-141 or 610-161 AND one of 610-142 or 610-162.

Semester

Contact

Subject Description

On completion of 610-280 students should comprehend: the relationship between chemistry and the environment; the sources, reactions, transport, effects and fates of chemical species in the water, soil and air environments; the consequences of changes in the chemical composition of the environment for humankind; the integration of a chemically-centred study of the environment with other approaches to the treatment of environmental data.

Students should have developed: skills in recognising chemical-based environmental problems; an awareness of the possible effects and processes of chemicals on the environment; techniques to manipulate and interpret environmental data.

Students should appreciate the need for high quality environmental analysis; the links between the misuse of chemicals and pollution events.

The subject covers the topics: emissions to troposphere; behaviour of pollutants in troposphere; SMOG chemistry; air pollution potential (chemistry and meteorology); one of Greenhouse effect, ozone layer, acid rain; freshwater chemistry: structure and composition of water bodies; chemistry of nutrients; dissolved oxygen, Henry's Law, oxygen demand; selected examples of metal and organic priority pollutants; water quality and health; chemistry of soil (formation, constituents, properties); sources and characteristics of land contaminants; absorption of contaminants in soils; chemical assessment of contaminated land; reclamation of contaminated land.

Assessment

One 2 -hour written examination at the end of semester. Practical work will be continuously assessed and involve 4 reports, each of no more than five pages. Satisfactory performance in both the theory and practical work is required before credit can be granted for this subject.