Environmental Chemistry

NRES 351: Environmental ChemistryFall 2014

Class Schedule Lecture: Location: 206 David Kinley HallLecture: 2:00-2:50pm MWF

Instructor: Dr. Yuji AraiOffice: N-215 Turner Hall Phone: (217)244-3602Email: yarai@illinois.eduOffice hours: 3pm-4pm MWF or by appointment.

*Use my office hours or weekly appt. to clarify any questions.

Course Description: The course introduces major inorganic and organic chemical pollutants, their sources and the fate in environment.

Prerequisites: college algebra and two semesters of general chemistry are required. A semester of organic chemistry is recommended prior to the class. Attendance Policy: You are expected to attend every lecture unless classes have been officially cancelled by the University. If you miss a class, you are responsible for the material covered during that class. Please carefully read the classroom policy #3. If the professor is more than 15 minutes late for class, the class is considered cancelled and the students may leave.

The exam format is essay. Be sure to attend lectures and review sessions and …………take good notes.

Required textbook: An Introduction to Environmental Chemistry. J.E. Andrews et al., 2004. Second edition. Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 978-0-632-05905-8 Lecture Notes: Templates of lecture notes areavailable through Compass. Students are responsible for taking notes using templates.

Important!Dig out your general chemistry textbook!It is one of most useful books that you ever own.You will need it for this class.

Learning Objectives To understand the chemical properties/processes in

atmosphere, hydrosphere and pedosphere.

To familiarize yourself with common inorganic and organic pollutants in our environment

To examine factors influencing the fate and transport of contaminants in environment

To obtain an appreciation for environmental chemistry in natural systems

To be able to apply critical thinking skills to synthesize new knowledge

Enhance knowledge and skills in writing research papers and literature review

Grading and Exams:Course grades will be determined based on the following components: midterm exams, a final exam, problem sets and a term paper project. Grading Policy:Two midterm exams 20% ea. Problem sets 10%Final exam 30% (*Comprehensive exam)Term paper project 20%  Total 100%

Month Lecture Content

Aug Environmental Chemistry- Introduction

Sept Atmospheric Chemistry

Oct Chemistry of Solid Matters and Water Chemistry Nov Solid-Water Interfacial Chemistry (Sorption, Redox, microbial degradation)

Dec Case Studies  

Monthly Schedule

Important Deadlines Sept 29th, Exam 1 Nov 5th, Exam 2 Dec 18th, Final exam 4 Checkpoints for term paper

Review sessionsReview session #1: Sept 23rd (Tue) Time: TBA Location: TBA

Review session #2: Nov 1st (Sat) (away game) Time: 10-12pm. Location: TBADec 10th lecture will be used to review overall course materials

Objective: It is to gain the knowledge in 1) environmental chemistry that is related to your field/interest, 2) library database systems (Scopus and Web of Science), and 3) reference programs (e.g., refworks and endnote).  Suggested topics: Please pick an environmental pollutant (inorganic or organic pollutant) that you are interested in. You’ll write a review paper of chemical processes of a pollutant in environment. If the compound has been covered in lecture, both content and sources must differ from the lecture materials. You will not get any credit for information in the textbooks, even if you got it somewhere else. I am interested in you learning the chemical process through the extensive literature review and search. Please see me about the topic when you decide ASAP.  Checkpoint 1 (Sept 5th): Attending the library workshop guest lecture during class. This is 2/20% of your term paper grade.Checkpoint 2 (Sept 15th): This is 3/20% of your term paper grade. Prepare an outline of your paper.Checkpoint 3: This is 5/20% of your term paper grade. Write up the introduction with ≥8 references. You must make an appointment to see me to go over your progress BEFORE OCT 17th 2pm. You will be asked questions about the content of references that you selected. Read and understand the references when you see me. You should be also asked to show how to (un)format a bibliography using refworks in MS word.Checkpoint 4 (Nov 21st at 2pm): This is 10/20% of your term paper grade.

Term paper assignment

What is environmental chemistry?

It is the principal environmental chemical processes that are interlinked to physical and (micro)biological processes, resulting in the overall environmental response in lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere.

-Translocation /distribution of chemicals (concentration, dissipation, bioaccumulation)- Abiotic and or biotic transformation of chemicals (e.g., photochemical reactions, hydrolysis, dissolution, sorption, redox, volatilization and microbial degradation).

http://www.udel.edu/broge/CCZR/

1 yr of general bio, general

chem, general phys. & calculus,

One semester of general microbio,

organic chem, botany & statistics

Applied Sciences

hydrosphere

Atmosphere

Biosphere

Lithosphere

Pollution Issues Affect Illinois’ Environmental Quality

What is in air? Has IL’s temperature been changing? Water quality (Point and Nonpoint Pollution) Waste in soils and sediments including landfills Common household hazardous wastes, pharmaceutical chemicals and hormones

Air

Water

Soils

Landfills

Air Quality in IL

Major air pollutants are: ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, mercury(Hg) and lead(Pb).

Sources:Power plants, wood burning stoves, leaf burning, automobile exhausts, incinerators, and farming.

Examples:CO from poisonous gas from the incomplete burning of fossil fuelsNitrous dioxide (N2O) is released into the air from burning fossil fuels

Hg from coal-fired power plants and cement kilns.Pb emissions are from ore and metals processing and some leaded aviation gasoline.

Getting warmer in IL?

1990

2012

Climate Change (Wetter spring and fall, and drier summer)

Changes in:-soil temperature and moisture-hydrology-pest management

Water Quality in IL

River and stream water quality in IL has improved considerably since 1972. (In 1972, the Clean Water Act).

http://www.epa.gov/greatlakes/aoc/waukegan/

In 1975, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in Waukegan Harbor Transport/transformation in sediments and water column

-bioaccumulate in fish, which means thatolder and larger fish tend to have higher levels of PCBs

2012-2013: U.S. EPA Superfund dredging project. 134,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment.

http://www.epa.state.il.us/water/water-quality/report-1996/

Drinking Water Contaminants

Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) - The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water.

Contaminant MCL (mg/L)

Potential Health Effects from Long-Term

Exposure Above the MCL

Sources of Contaminant in Drinking Water

Mercury (inorganic)

0.002 Kidney damageErosion of natural deposits; discharge from refineries and factories; runoff from landfills

and croplands

Nitrate (measured as Nitrogen)

10

Infants below the age of six months who drink

water containing nitrate in excess of the MCL, blue-

baby syndrome.

Runoff from fertilizer use; leaking from septic tanks, sewage; erosion of natural deposits

Atrazine 0.003Cardiovascular system or

reproductive problemsRunoff from herbicide used on row crops

Glyphosate 0.7Kidney problems;

reproductive difficultiesRunoff from herbicide use

http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/#List

Non-point and point source pollution

In IL, the quality of groundwater in shallow aquifers has been reduced by the routine application of agricultural chemicals.

~10 % of the community water supply(CWS) wells in thestate are estimated to have water qualitywhich is either susceptible to pollution, or ofpoor quality, as a result of impacts by agricultural runoff.

(~ 22 % of the CWS wells using unconfined aquifers and ~2% of the CWS wells using confined aquifers have been affected)

Common household hazardous waste, pharmaceutical chemicals and

hormones In many industrialized areas, including the metropolitan areas of Chicago, Rockford, and St. Louis,groundwater has been degraded by improper storage or disposal of chemicals.

Crestwood, IllinoisCrestwood's public water supply was contaminated with perchloroethylene, or PCE, a dry-cleaning solvent linked to cancer, liver damage and neurological problems and vinyl chloride.

Composition and structure of the Atmosphere and Lithosphere

Mineral composition Density (g/cm3)

Siliceous rocks 2.65-2.9Dense Mg/Fe silicates 4.3Metal oxides, SiO2 5.5

Liquid metal (Fe, Ni Si) 10-12.3

Fe-Ni alloy 13.6

http://www.chemistryexplained.com/Fe-Ge/Gases.html

Global Distribution of Water and Hydrosphere Cycles

https://airandspace.si.edu/exhibitions/exploring-the-planets/online/earth/earth_hydro.html

http://writepass.com/journal/2012/11/wastewater-reuse-growing-unprecedented-populations-and-increasing-pressure/

Reservoir Volume

All water(fresh + salt)

1.386 billion km3

All fresh water(Underground, glaciers, lakes, and rivers)

10,633,450 km3

Surface fresh water (rivers and lakes)

93,113 km3