Environmental Chemistry, Environmental Cycles

Major Topics:

The hydrosphere, the atmosphere, the geosphere, the biosphere, and the anthrosphere

Energy and matter cycles

Technology and its effect on the environment

Industrial Ecology

Interchange of materials between the 'spheres'

	the carbon cycle
	the nitrogen cycle
	the oxygen cycle
	the phosphorous cycle
	the sulfur cycle

While you need not memorize these cycles you should understand the chemistry involved in each, be able to explain it, and answer questions pertaining to the cycles.

Chemistry topics:
(Basic chemistry topics which are applied in this chapter)

Overhead copies

Homework assignment:

1. Distinguish between a "universe", a "system" and its "surroundings". Why are these definitions important in thermodynamics?

2. Define ecology. How does it relate to environmental chemistry?

3. Energy is not created or destroyed. So why is it true that the flow of useful energy through an environmental system is essentially a one way process?

4. From what you know of the chemistry of copper and iron, explain why copper was used for centuries before iron, even though iron is more suitable for many practical applications.

5. Synthetic materials usually require more more energy and non-renewable resources to manufacture them. Why then might these materials be a better choice for buildings, from an ecological viewpoint?

6. Examine the water cycle diagram (Fig 1.4). If the average temperature of the earth is increasing, as it appears to be, which of the total amounts and fluxes are likely to change and in which direction?

On-line Discussion for Week 1 - 3.

Industrial pollution can be ameliorated by different methods. In recent years there has been a push to replace "end of pipe" with "pollution prevention" methods. Look at the article "Dow's Dioxins" for an example of a "beyond the end of pipe" mess. Give an example of a pollution remediation scheme and tell if it can be classed as pollution prevention or not. Suggest industries where end of pipe is extensively used and propose likely areas where pollution prevention could be successful. Look at the other students' examples and comment on the practicality of these or point out where they might cause other problems.

Discussion answer should be posted on the Course Homepage Bulletin Board.

Definitions .

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