CHEM3310 Environmental Chemistry [UG]

The availability of units in Semester 1, 2, etc. was correct at the time of going to press but may be subject to change. For the most up-to-date information click on the Timetable link below.

Credit: 6 points Availability: Semester 1 (See Timetable) Old unit code: 510.310

Content: This unit introduces the concepts and techniques of environmental chemistry. The lectures discuss general features, properties and compositions and demonstrate how chemistry is of major importance in understanding environmental processes.

Topics covered include the chemistry of the atmosphere and influence of anthropogenic emissions on this chemistry; residence time and cyclic processes; focus on the stratosphere and troposphere: chemistry of the ozone layer, ozone formation, destruction and depletion, transport and deposition of trace gases, hydroxyl and nitrate radicals, classical and photochemical smog, car exhaust pollution, emission control, acid deposition, global warming; the aqueous environment; aqueous solutions; composition of natural waters; methods of solving complex equilibria, activity correction, closed and open carbonate systems, alkalinity, buffer intensity, complex ion, solubility; the solid–solution interface: reactive solids, structure, surface charging; the electrochemical double layer, colloid aggregation; redox reactions in natural waters; oxygen pressures, microbial mediation, carbon, nitrogen, sulphur and phosphorus cycles.

Some current environmental problems are covered in depth to demonstrate that solutions to these problems require an understanding of the scientific principles, together with social and political change.

Assessment: This comprises an end-of-semester examination (50 per cent), assignments (20 per cent) and laboratory work (30 per cent).

Supplementary assessment is not available in this unit except in the case of a bachelor's pass degree student who has obtained a mark of 45 to 49 and is currently enrolled in this unit, and it is the only remaining unit that the student must pass in order to complete their course.

Unit Co-ordinator(s): Dr Sam Saunders

Location: UWA (Crawley)

Mode: on-campus

Unit Rules:

Prerequisites: CHEM2210 Structure Determination and Physical Chemistry and CHEM2220 Analytical and Physical Chemistry

Contact hours—lectures: 2 hrs per week; labs: 50 hrs

Assistance with study skills, including English language skills, is available free of charge from Student Services for all enrolled students (see http://www.studysmarter.uwa.edu.au/). Student Services location: Second Floor, South Wing, Guild Village; telephone: 6488 2423.

Books and other material wherever listed may be subject to change. Book lists relating to 'Preliminary Reading', 'Recommended Reading' and 'Textbooks' are, in most cases, available at the University Co-operative Bookshop (from early January) and appropriate administrative offices for students to consult. For first-year units the Bookshop will endeavour to make available photocopies of book lists for individual units. Books marked with an asterisk (*) are available in paperback.