CHEM3515 – ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY (4 credits)
Prerequisites: CHEM2010 Practical Chemistry I, CHEM2020 Practical Chemistry II
and CHEM2400 Analytical Chemistry I
Syllabus:
The atmosphere: Regions of the atmosphere, reactions and properties..Stratospheric chemistry - ozone formation and turnover. Tropospheric chemistry - smog, photochemical smog, exhaust gases, precipitation, composition of rain, acid rain. Atmospheric aerosols. Urban pollution, indoor air pollution. The chemistry of global climate – greenhouse gases, climate change.
The hydrosphere: Physical and chemical properties of water. Distribution of species in aquatic systems.Acid base chemistry. CO2 carbonate equilibrium. Organic matter and metals. Environmental chemistry of colloids and surfaces. Microbiological processes. Water pollution and waste-water treatment chemistry.
The terrestrial environment: Soil properties – soil formation and properties, chemical and physical. Soil pollution and soil quality.
The biosphere and xenobiotics: Global biogeochemical cycles. Persistent organic pollutants, toxic metals, pesticides. Toxicological Chemistry. Emerging Issues – e.g. personal care products, nanoparticles. Other environmental concerns e.g. energy issues, waste, recycling, Caribbean issues. Sampling and analysis – an overview of the fundamentals of environmental sampling design, sampling techniques and quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) essential to acquire quality environmental data.
Teaching: Two lectures, one tutorial and three hour practicals per week.
Method of: Final Theory Examination (3 hours) 60%
Examination: In-course test(s)/Assignment(s) 20%
Practicals 20% |
