ENVS1126 Fate of chemicals in the environment (3 cr)
Learning outcomes
After the course, the student knows the basic science about the behavior of chemicals in the environment. The objective is to provide an understanding of how molecular interactions and macroscopic transport phenomena determine the distribution in space and time of chemicals released into the environment.
Study methods
The course is 100 % web-based ( The course is divided into 5 modules. Each module consists of video lectures and a quiz. In addition, you are required to do a summary from a scientific article and review 2 summaries made by your fellow students. You are also welcomed to participate in the discussion, which is a great knowledge transfer tool for sharing experiences among the participants.
Content
1. Organic Matter in the Environment
2. Classes of Organic Compounds,
3. Bioconcentration
4. Soil-Water Partitioning
5. Sediment-Water Partitioning
6. Air-Water Partitioning
7. Multicomponent Partitioning
8. Transport
9. Chemical Reactions
10. Air Pollution
11. Organic Air Pollutants
12. Volatile Organic Compounds
13. Smog Chemistry
14. Secondary Organic Aerosols
15. Primary Organic Aerosols
16. Gas-Particle Partitioning
Materials
Schwarzenbach et al. Environmental Organic Chemistry (1st and 2nd editions). Lectures cover the following chapters: 1-16.
Assessment criteria
Course grading is based on the weekly assignments (quizzes and summary).