Environmental Chemistry   (1505H)

Academic year:

2012/2013.

Attendance requirements:

1102A / 1301H

ECTS:

3

Study level:

Study program:

Teacher:

Aleksandar R. Popović, Ph.D.
full professor, Faculty of Chemistry, Studentski trg 12-16, Beograd

Assistants:

—

Hours of instruction:

Weekly: three hours of lectures (3+0+0)

Goals:

Major goal of the course is to familiarize students with basic processes in the environment and chemical foundations, characteristics and causes of the processes occurring in atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and biosphere, most important pollutants and fundamental chemical reactions responsible for their transformation in the environment.

Outcome:

Most important study outcome of this course is to develop in student minds clear connection between theoretical physical and chemical laws and conditions and processes in the environment.

Teaching methods:

Lectures.

Extracurricular activities:

—

Coursebooks:

Main coursebooks:

1. P. Pfendt: Environmental Chemistry - part 1 (in Serbian), Textbook Publishing Co, Belgrade, 2009.
2. D. Veselinović, I. Gržetić, Š. Djarmati, D. Marković: Physicochemical foundations of environmental protection - book 1: Conditions and processes in the environment (in Serbian), Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Belgrade, 2005.
3. D. Marković, Š. Djarmati, I. Gržetić, D. Veselinović: Physicochemical foundations of environmental protection - book 2: Sources of pollution, consequences and protection (in Serbian), University of Belgrade, 2005.

Supplementary coursebooks:

1. R. Wayne: Chemistry of Atmosphere, Oxford University Press, 2002.
2. G. W. van Loon, C. J. Duffy: Environmental Chemistry- A Global Perspective, Oxford University Press, 2005.
3. C. Baird, M. Cann: Environmental Chemistry, W. H. Freeman and Co., 2005.

Additional material:

—

Lectures:

0 points (3 hours a week)

Syllabus:

1. Pollutants. Thermal pollution of surface waters. Eutrophication. Classification of environmental pollutants.
2. Plants and microorganisms as chemical factors in environment. Redox conditions in water and soil.
3. Soil formation and composition. Inroganic and organic components of soil. Humic substances.
4. Chemical processes in soil. Classification of soil pollutants.
5. Sources of food and agricultural product’ pollution. The most important pollutants of food. Chemical barrier. Chemodynamics of pollutants. Bioconcentration and biomagnification.
6. Origins of Earths atmosphere. Structure of atmosphere. Specificities of atmospheric chemistry. Aerosol.
7. Stratospheric and tropospheric aerosol. The basic chemistry of ozone layer. Anthropogenic destruction of ozone layer.
8. Smog. The “green-house” effect. Acid rains.
9. Composition of troposphere air. Biogenic and geochemical sources of components of tropospheric air. Atmospheric reactions forming components of tropospheric air.
10. Interactions of gases and water aerosol. Carbon dioxide/carbonate equilibrium. Natural sources of air pollution. Air self-purification process.
11. Structure of clean water. Physical characteristics of clean water. Isotopic composition of natural waters. Other characteristics of natural waters.
12. Water as dispersing environment. Thermal stratification of waters. Sulphur compounds in waters. Alkalinity and acidity of waters.
13. Iron in waters. Origin of cations in waters. Organic substances in waters. Water as a life-occurring media. Saprobic levels. Hydrological cycle. Chemodynamics of rain water.
14. Major anthropogenic sources of air pollution. Ecochemical characteristics of anthropogenic sources of air pollution. Harmful effects of air pollutants on humans, plants and materials. Principles of protection of air from pollution.
15. Classification of water pollutants. Sources of water pollution. Basic characteristics of drinking water. Waste water treatement principles.

Colloquia:

30 points

Written exam:

70 points