Environmental Geochemistry

Instructor: Dr. Rahul Chopra

The focus of this course is to understand the chemistry of natural processes in the Earth’s environment. The course will cover topics related to the chemistry of air, water, and soil, and the effects of anthropogenic activities on our environment. A major focus of the course involves studying the science underlying issues of pollution at local and regional scales. Various pollutants in the air, water, and soil are examined in terms of their cycles, lifetimes and dispersal.

Week	Topic
1	The Chemistry of the Earth
2	Water Chemistry and Water Pollution The Chemistry of Natural Waters
3	Water Chemistry and Water Pollution Pollution and Purification of Water
4	Toxic Heavy Metals in the Environment Mercury, Lead, Cadmium, Arsenic, Chromium
5	Wastes, Soils, and Sediments Household and Commercial Waste; Hazardous Wastes
6	Toxic Organic Compounds in the Environment Pesticides, Insecticides, and Herbicides, and other toxic organic compounds
7	Atmospheric Chemistry and Air Pollution Chemistry of the Atmosphere
8	Atmospheric Chemistry and Air Pollution Chemistry of Ground Level Air Pollution
9	Environmental and Health Consequences of Polluted Air
10	Radioactive Contamination of the Environment

  

Grade Break- Up

Assignments: 20%                    Exams: 40%                             Term paper and Presentation: 40%

The course will contain weekly assignments. Students are also required to submit a 15-20 page paper and make a presentation on a particular issue/pollutant in the environment.

Texts and Readings

Course material will consist of selections of texts and papers. Lecture powerpoints will be provided electronically. The texts used in the course are as follows:

Environmental Chemistry by Baird, Colin and Cann, Michael, 4^th Edition, 2008, W.H. Freeman and Company, New York, 831 pp.

Key Concepts In Environmental Chemistry by Hanrahan, Grady, 2012, Academic Press, Elsevier USA, 365 pp.