Southeast Missouri State University
Course Syllabus
Department of Chemistry Course Number: CH450/EV450/CH650/EV650
Title of Course: Environmental Chemistry Revised: Fall 2009
I. Catalog Description and Credit Hours:
A study of the sources, reactions, transport, and fate of chemical entities in the air, water, and soil environments. (3 credit hours). Two lecture hours and two lab hours.
II. Prerequisites:
CH341 Organic Chemistry I and CH342 Organic Chemistry Lab I, or consent of the instructor.
III. Purposes or Objectives of the Course:
· To provide students with the basic theory of chemical and physical processes that occur in the environment (air, water, and soil).
· To provide students with laboratory skills to measure chemicals in environmental samples and understand chemical processes in environmental systems.
· To provide students with an understanding of the biogeochemical cycles of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur.
· To provide students with an appreciation for the scientific uncertainties of alternative fuels.
IV. Expectations of Students:
· Students are expected to demonstrate proficiency in the theories underlying environmental processes on periodic quizzes and exams.
· Students are expected to apply environmental chemistry theories in laboratory experiments and communicate their results in written lab reports.
V. Course Content or Outline
Chemistry of the atmosphere / 2
Stratospheric ozone / 2
Tropospheric smog / 2
Acidic precipitation / 2
Atmospheric aerosol particles / 2
Urban and indoor atmospheres / 2
The greenhouse effect and climate / 2
Scientific debates associated with alternative fuels / 2
Chemistry of natural water systems / 4
Aqueous organic matter / 2
Aqueous metals / 2
Aqueous colloidal particles / 2
Water treatment / 2
Carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur cycles / 1
Chemistry of soils / 1
Laboratory Experiments / Lab Hours
Quantification methods used in environmental chemistry / 4
Measurement of precipitation acidity / 4
Effect of CO2 concentration on greenhouse warming / 4
Removal of aqueous organic contaminants using charcoal filters / 4
Measurement of Pb in plastic consumer products / 4
Binding of metals to humic materials / 6
Measurement of Ca, Mg, Na, and K in soil / 4
VI. Textbook and/or Other Required Materials or Equipment
Textbook: Environmental Chemistry A Global Perspective, 2nd Ed., 2005, by Gary vanLoon and Stephen Duffy
Laboratory Fee: Each student will be assessed a $10 lab fee to cover all the normal costs for materials associated with the laboratory. Additional fees will be charged for any equipment broken during the laboratory.
VII. Basis for Student Evaluation
Quizzes / 25%
Journal article summaries / 10%
Labs / 25%
Midterm Exam / 20%
Final Exam / 20%
(CH650/EV650)*
Quizzes / 20 %
Journal article summaries* / 10%
Labs / 20%
Oral presentation* / 10 %
Midterm Exam* / 20%
Final Exam* / 20%
* Students enrolled in CH650/EV650 will be required to give an oral presentation on an environmental chemistry topic. They will be required to submit an additional journal article summary and will have two additional questions (designed to demonstrate higher order thinking) on the midterm and final exams.
The weight of evaluation criteria may vary at the discretion of the instructor and will be indicated at the beginning of each course.
VIII. Grading Scale
(CH450/EV450)90.0 – 100% / A
80.0 – 89.9% / B
70.0 – 79.9% / C
60.0 – 69.9% / D
<59.9% / F
(CH650/EV650)
90.0 – 100% / A
80.0 – 89.9% / B
70.0 – 79.9% / C
< 69.9% / F
The grading scale may vary according to each instructor and will be communicated at the beginning of the course.
IX. Academic Policy Statement:
Students will be expected to abide by the University Policy for Academic Honesty regarding plagiarism and academic honesty. Refer to:
http://www6.semo.edu/judaffairs/code.html
X. Student with Disabilities Statement:
If a student has a special need addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and requires materials in an alternative format, please notify the instructor at the beginning of the course. Reasonable efforts will be made to accommodate special needs.
XI. Programs Serviced by This Course
B.S. in Environmental Science
B.S. in Secondary Education, Science Option
B.A. in Chemistry
B.S. in Chemistry
M.N.S in Applied Chemistry
M.N.S. in Biology (Environmental Biology option)
M.S. in Environmental Science