General Environmental Chemistry

General Environmental Chemistry

• Environmental Chemistry is the study of chemical processes in the environment.
• The effects of technology on the environment are analyzed.

Disciplines Involved

• Basic sciences such as chemistry, physics, biology, hydrology, meteorology, and geology.
• Mathematics and Engineering.
• Socioeconomic disciplines.

Technology

• The use of automation and machinery.
• The positive and negative effects of technology on the environment.

Role of Environment

• Raising environmental awareness to minimize damage.
• Scientists are morally obligated to consider the consequences of their actions.
• Focus in creating molecular solutions for profit.

Environmental Chemistry Definition

• Study of the sources or origin of environmental chemicals, according to Manahan 2009.
• Focuses on transport, reactions, and effects on chemical species in water, air, soil, and living environments.
• Examines effects of technology.

Illustration of Environmental Chemistry

• Fossil fuel coal to sulfur to oxidation.
• H2SO4 sulfates settle in oceans, soil, and plants, leading to assimilation.
• Environmental chemistry includes aquatic, soil, and atmospheric pollution.
• Environmental chemicals result from human activities like sanitation, agriculture, manufacturing, and transportation.

Proportions of Atmospheric Gases

• Nitrogen (N2) comprises 78.084%.
• Oxygen (O2) is 20.946%.
• Argon (Ar) at 0.9340%.
• Carbon Dioxide (CO2) at 0.035%.

General Environmental Chemistry

• Treats Industrial processes, waste, and water treatment, each of which can all damage chemical concentrations.
• These processes can also cause imbalance.

The Universe

• A small planet, average star, back water galaxy.
• The environment involves physical and biological things that affect organisms.

Major Zones of the Environment

• Elements include the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, biosphere, and anthrosphere

Definitions of the Different Zones

• The atmosphere is a layer of gases covering earth's surface.
• It consists of different regions based on composition and temperature and moderates Earth's temperature.
• The hydrosphere includes Earth's water (oceans, freshwater, underground water, ground water, surface water, etc.) and cycles in the atmosphere.

Earth's Water Supply

• 97% is ocean.
• 2% is locked up in polar ice caps.
• 1% is fresh water.

Geosphere

• This is solid earth.
• This layer of earth supports plant life.

Biosphere

• It contains living organisms.

Categories of Organisms

• Biotic: Living organisms.
• Abiotic: Non-living organisms.

Anthrosphere

• It is part of the environment that is made or modified.
• It is used for our purposes.

Environmental Chemistry and You

• Those who are ecologically illiterate chemical engineers can be dangerous.
• Awareness about the effects of your projects is paramount
• Solving environmental problems involves using chemical processes.

Environmental Misconceptions

• Decomposition involves one substance disappearing. Large organic molecules being broken down into smaller ones.
• Diffusion/Osmosis involves anything can diffusing and is not just the movement of small molecules in and out of cells, which requires energy.

Biosphere Ecological Concepts

• Ecology studies environmental influences/factors, and how organisms interact.

Ecological Considerations

• "Ecology" is from Greek, about ecosystems; "eco" from "oikos" of household.

Woma Python

• Nocturnal species analyzed pitcher plants.

EcoSphere

• Encompasses all living organisms interacting with their environment.

Ecosystem

• It constitutes community (plants, animals, microorganisms) and non-living interactions around its organisms.
• Includes nest-building swans and urban ecosystems.

Unidirectional Flow of Ecological Energy

• Nutrient recycling and structural adaptation.
• Diagrams show the energy & nutrient flow.
• The diagram demonstrates the cycle of solar energy and the levels and direction it flows through ecosystems
• It also indicates how heat is lost in this transfer

Annual Global Mean Energy Budget

• A large portion is incoming solar radiation
• Some radiation is absorbed and some is emmitted
• Some radiation is reflected

Photosynthesis and Respiration

• The photosynthesis equation is 6CO2 + 6H2O + Solar Energy -> C6H12O6 + 6O2
• The respiration equation is C6H12O6 + 6O2 -> 6CO2 + 6H2O + Energy

Chemical Energy is Affected by Rate of Production and Consumption

• The difference between plant production vs chemical loss defines formula for net primary production.
• NPP signifies Gross reproduction rate as defined by respiration output

Habitat VERSUS Niche

• Habitat is the environmental region which an organism thrives
• The role/job of an organism in its habitat is its niche

Limiting Factors

• Primary productivity is based on CO2 amount
• A plants energy in a time period is defined by NPP

Biomes

• Subclassified by: Forests, grassland, deserts, oceans, lakes, or rivers

Ecological Level

• Atoms -> Molecules -> Organelles -> Cells -> Tissues -> Organs -> Organ Systems -> Organisms -> Population -> Community -> Ecosystem -> Biome -> Biosphere

Threatening Eco-Catastrophe

• Exponential population growth needs food, energy and industrial goods which affects eco levels
• This depletes resources & spreads pollution

Population Formula

• Factors of: Birth-Death rate + Net migration

Equation for Forecasting Population

• Factors: growth rate & specific time

Ways To Slow Population Growth

• Reduce children, Increase the amount of time between each generation

Definitions

• Natality: Birth ratio within a population
• Fertility: Number of children at a given age.
• Mortality: Another term for death
• Survivorship: Survival fraction, age-sex snapshot.
• Life Expectancy: Expected years one can live upon estimate.
• LifeSpan: Maximum age a population can reach

General Fertility Rate

• Average live birth rate across 1000 in a population

Sustaining the earth principle

• Development to meet needs without comprising future generations

Common Laws of Ecology

• Principle of Background, Interconnectedness, no chemical interferences
• Limits of Tolerance/Carrying range

Complexity

• Principle of Common Resources

Environmental Properties Are For ALL

• Internet, antarctica, air etc

Green Chemistry

• Using the correct formula is key in synthesizing

What To Consider With Green

• Pollution, Atom-Economy, Synthesis
• Safer chemicals, renewable sources
• Less waste, derivatives

Formulas

Where FW = Formal Weight:

• Formula = [FW product/ FW Reactants] * 100
• FW pertains to desired outcome
• Ionic compositions measure on amount
• Water classification via measurement

Chemistry

• The amount of Total Dissolved Solids

Measuring Ions

• Freshwater levels less than 1500 mg total, per liter
• Brackish water 1500 - 5000 range
• Saline measures greater then 5000

Acidic Equilibria

• Example: pH in h2O, how it impacts environment
• Example in ppt

Estimating Formula

• Estimating H2MOb with Riccis formula
• Estimations on charge

Chemical Reactions

• Environmental Factors which causes
• Chemical interactions & rates with
• Decay (integration) time
• Reactions in chemical components

Biogeochemical Cycles

• Consist in: Chemistry, Human Intervention

Dynamic cycles

• Nutrient cycles
• Essential to healthy ecosystems
• Limited amount per cycle
• 97% is within survival needs

Hydrologic and water cycle

• Power supplied by gravity
• Overview of water distribution
• One can disrupt by: withrdrawal of water
• Or disturbing in the form of vegetation clearing
• Water cycle describes the flow of water through the Earth

Carbon Cycle

• It is the building block of molecules and transfers carbon
• Very important, small amounts would cool earth, larger would warm the planet

Methane (CH4)

• Pressure that last 12 year

Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

• From decades to thousands of years of pollution.
• It stems from factories and burning different types of fuel

Carbon Foot Print

• Total amount of green gases

Humans Effects Are Major

• Power Plants
• Transportation.
• Emission charts showcase the amount by each emitter
• Emission mitigation techniques are being developed
• Climate Change conventions are key in reversing current damage

Nature Also Affected by Pollutants Cycle

• Some are affected by climate.
• The lithosphere is greatly affected

The Nitrogen Cycle

• Is cycles, affects all spheres. Nitrogen is the main contributor in this effect
• Nitrogen is not immediately useful
• It must transform accordingly
• Cycle plays with microorganisms

Phosphorous Cyle

• Phosphorous cycle affects many components in life
• Phosphorus is a main agent which cycles
• Cycle is determined endogenically. It is contained subsurface
• Exogenic cycles have atmospheric influences

Sulphur

• It cycles in liquid cycles from various
• Components by: gas, metal, bonds.

Sulphur Cycle

• It is a combination of water snow
• A dry deposit involving sulfates, dioxide fuel emissions from micro organisms that process it
• Has organic deposits from sulfide minerals that interact with plants.

Intervention of the Sulphur Cycle

• Occurs when sulfur with oil and coal is burned
• Refining petroleum, melting compounds

Rain is Now Unnatural

• Acid is increased, endogenic affects soil

Thermodynamics

• Is required to understanding global energy problems.

Energy Transformation

• Systems affect the energy flow in the atmosphere, biosphere, anthrosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere.

1st Law Of Thermodynamics

• ENERGY cannot created & destroyed, is constant

2nd Law Of Thermodynamic

• Describes span energy must achieve a specific destination . (Degradation)

Thermodynamic energy

• Spontaneity: Can spontaneously express.
• High quality in quality is necessary

Delta H Of Surr

• Must be where absorbed/ transferred properly

Spontaneous Process

• It moves lower energy system that increases the system.
• It reduces the amount children, increases the amount of time from each generation

Converting Heat to Work

Heat can be calculated as it undergoes

• Isentropic Process
• Isobaric Process
• Isothermal Process
• Isochoric Process

Steps to Carnot Cycle

• Is Heat expansion must be in mechanical order, system must be in correct order accordingly
• reversible

Different Forms of Energy

• Gravitationally, Nuclear, Thermal, Chemical, Radiant.