Environmental Chemistry

Code:

Q310

Acronym:

Q310

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Chemistry

Instance: 2014/2015 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Web Page:	http://moodle.up.pt/course/view.php?id=2046
Responsible unit:	Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Course/CS Responsible:	Bachelor in Physics

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
L:AST	0	Plano de Estudos a partir de 2008	3	-	5	-
L:B	0	Plano de estudos a partir de 2008	3	-	5	-
L:BQ	1	Plano de Estudos a partir de 2007	3	-	5	-
L:F	0	Plano de estudos a partir de 2008	3	-	5	-
L:G	0	P.E - estudantes com 1ª matricula anterior a 09/10	3	-	5	-
		P.E - estudantes com 1ª matricula em 09/10	3	-	5	-
L:M	0	Plano de estudos a partir de 2009	3	-	5	-
L:Q	18	Plano de estudos Oficial	3	-	5	-

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

The main objective is to improve the scientific training in Environmental Chemistry:
application of chemical principles to the understanding of environmental phenomena, without forgetting the role of living organisms; understanding the processes that take place in the environmental compartments and how human activity interacts with natural processes; combining the application of chemical principles to the great challenge to humanity - the recovery, maintenance and improvement of environmental quality.
Other objectives: to improve the ability to interpret texts, finding information, synthesize and transmit knowledge in the field of Environmental Chemistry; global perspective of Environmental Chemistry in the environmental compartments.

Learning outcomes and competences

Working method

Presencial

Program

1-GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1.1- Environment Science and Technology 1.2-The concept of sustainable development and current procedures to get it.

2-CHEMISTRY OF THE AQUATIC MEDIUM 2.1- The Chemical Water Cycle. Basic aspects of the Chemistry of the aquatic medium: Introduction. Gases in the water. Acidity of the water and carbon dioxide in water. Alkalinity. Calcium and other metals in water. Complexation and quelate formation. Bindings and structures of metal complexes. Concentration species calculations. Polyphosphates in water. Complexation by humic substances.Complexation and redox processes. 2.2-Redox phenomena. Meaning of oxidation-reduction phenomena. The electron and the redox reactions. Activity of electron and pE. The Nernst equation. The Nernst equation and chemical balance. Relations between pE and free energy. The limits of pE in water. Values of pE in natural waters systems. Diagrams pE-pH. Corrosion. 2.3-Interaction of phases. Chemical interactions involving solids, gases and water. Formation and relevance of sediments. Solubility. Nature of colloidal particles. Colloidal properties of the clays. Aggregation of particles. Adsorption and absorption at the solids surface. Ion exchange in the surface of sediments. 2.4-Introduction to Aquatic Microbial Biochemistry. Microbial changes of carbon, nitrogen, phosphor, sulphur, halogens, organo-halogenated, metals and semimetals speciation.

3-WATER POLLUTION 3.1-Nature and types of pollutants of the Aquatic Environment. Metals and semi-metals as pollutants. Organometallic species. Inorganic species. Organic species. Algae nutrients and eutrofization. Acidity, alkalinity and salinity. Oxygen, oxidizing and reducing agents. Organic Pollutants. Pesticides. Polychlorinatedbiphenyls in aquatic environment. 3.2- Water treatment. Treatment and use of water. Treatment of municipal water. Treatment of water for industrial use. Wastewater treatment. Industrial wastewater treatment. Removal of solids. Removal of dissolved organic species, calcium, other metallic cations, and other dissolved inorganic species. Sludge. Disinfection of water. Procedures for purification of natural waters. Recycling and reuse of water.

4-THE ATMOSPHERE AND CHEMISTRY OF ATMOSPHERE 4.1-Relevance and characteristics of the earth atmosphere. Physical characteristics. Transfer of energy. The stratospheric ozone layer and the ozone layer destruction. Transfer of mass, weather and climate. Temperature inversion and air pollution. Global climate and microclimates. Greenhouse effect. Chemical and photochemical reactions. Acid-base reactions. 4.2- Particles in the atmosphere. Physical behavior of the particles. Physical and chemical processes for particle formation. The composition of inorganic particles. Toxic metals. Radioactive particles. Composition of organic particles. Effects of particles. Control of particle emissions. 4.3-Inorganic pollutants in the atmosphere. 4.4-Organic compounds in the atmosphere.

PRACTICAL

1 - PROBLEM SOLVING 1.1. Chemical equilibrium problems solving on aquatic media typical species, including atmosphere-water column and water column-sediment interfaces. 1.2. Oxidation-reduction phenomena in aquatic medium.

2 – LABORATORY WORKS

Mandatory literature

000091990. ISBN: 1-56670-633-5

Complementary Bibliography

000071891. ISBN: 0-19-856440-6
000060017. ISBN: 0-7167-3153-3
Radojevic Miroslav; Practical environmental analysis. ISBN: 0-85404-594-5
Baird Colin; Environmental chemistry. ISBN: 0-7167-3153-3
Colin Baird and Michael Cann; Environmental Chemistry, W. H. Freeman, 2008. ISBN: 978-1429201469
Stanley E. Manahan; Environmental Chemistry, CRC Press, 2009. ISBN: 978-1420059205

Teaching methods and learning activities

In addition to formal classes: Written works on an environmental subject. Small evaluation tests throughout the course on theoretic topics and practical application problems: -to promote the study all over the course -acquiring progressively knowledge, the student also acquires interest for the environmental topics, improving training and final mark. Problems solving. Practical works of environmental interest. 

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

designation	Weight (%)
Exame	65,00
Teste	20,00
Trabalho escrito	5,00
Trabalho laboratorial	10,00
Total:	100,00

Eligibility for exams

Presence in 75% of the total number of practical sessions.

Calculation formula of final grade

A- Final exam classification: 65% B- Tests: 20% C- Synthetic text: 5% D- Practical evaluation: 10 %

Failure to perform a test or the synthetic text imply the assignment of zero values to these elements of evaluation.

Final classification: A x 0,65 + B x 0,20 + C x 0,05 + D x 0,10

Minimum acceptable classification in the final exam: 8.0 values in 20.0 values These criteria apply to both in the first exam season and in the appeal.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

Special cases:

Written work on a subject in the ambit of the curricular unit and final exam. The final score is calculated as follows: 15 % for the written work and 85 % for the final exam. Minimum acceptable classification in the final exam: 8.0 values in 20.0

Classification improvement

Final score improvement: Written exam. The final score is calculated according to the evaluation criterion of the academic year in which the student was approved.