Environmental

Chemistry

NRES 351: Environmental

Chemistry
Fall 2014
Class Schedule

Lecture:
Location: 206David Kinley Hall
Lecture: 2:00-2:50pm MWF
Instructor:
Dr. Yuji Arai
Office: N-215 Turner Hall
Phone: (217)244-3602
Email: yarai@illinois.edu
Office 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 are

available 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%

Monthly Schedule
Month
Aug

Lecture Content

Environmental Chemistry- Introduction

Sept

Atmospheric Chemistry

Oct

Chemistry of Solid Matters and Water Chemistry

Nov
Solid-Water Interfacial Chemistry (Sorption, Redox,
microbial
degradation)
Important
Deadlines
Dec
Case
Studies
Sept 29th, Exam 1
Nov 5th, Exam 2
Dec 18th, Final exam

4 Checkpoints for term paper

Review sessions
Review session #1: Sept 23rd (Tue)
Time: TBA
Location: TBA
Review session #2: Nov 1st (Sat) (away
game)
Time: 10-12pm.
Location: TBA
Dec 10th lecture will be used to review overall
course materials

Term paper assignment

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. Youll 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.
st

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).

1 yr of general
bio, general
chem, general
phys. & calculus,
One semester of
general microbio,
organic chem,
botany &
statistics

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

Biosphere

Atmosphere

hydrosphere

Lithosphere

Pollution Issues Affect Illinois

Environmental Quality

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

Water

Landfills
Soils

Air

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 fuels
Nitrous 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?

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

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

2012

1990

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

In 1975, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

in Waukegan Harbor
Transport/transformation in sediments
and water column

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

-bioaccumulate in fish, which means that

older 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.gov/greatlakes/aoc/waukegan/

Drinking Water Contaminants

Contaminant

Mercury (inorganic
)

MCL (mg/L)

0.002

Potential Health Effects

from Long-Term
Exposure Above the
MCL

Sources of Contaminant in Drinking

Water

Kidney damage

Erosion of natural deposits; discharge from

refineries and factories; runoff from landfills
and croplands

Infants below the age of

six months who drink
Runoff from fertilizer use; leaking from septic
water containing nitrate in
tanks, sewage; erosion of natural deposits
excess of the MCL, bluebaby syndrome.

Nitrate (measured
as Nitrogen)

10

Atrazine

0.003

Cardiovascular system or
reproductive problems

Runoff from herbicide used on row crops

Glyphosate

0.7

Kidney problems;
reproductive difficulties

Runoff from herbicide use

http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/#List
Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) - The highest level of a
contaminant that is allowed in drinking water.

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 the
state are estimated to have water quality
which is either susceptible to pollution, or of
poor 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, Illinois
Crestwood'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

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

Mineral composition Density (g/cm3)

Siliceous rocks
Dense Mg/Fe silicates
Metal oxides, SiO2
Liquid metal (Fe, Ni Si)
Fe-Ni alloy

2.65-2.9
4.3
5.5
10-12.3
13.6

Global Distribution of Water and Hydrosphere

Cycles

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

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

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