Chemical Transformation of Environmental Contaminants

3 credits · Nicholas School of Environment

Mechanisms and principles underlying organic contaminant transformations in the ambient environment. Topics include hydrolysis, oxidation/reduction, direct and indirect photolysis, and reactions with disinfectant chemicals. Reactions will be considered in context of both natural (e.g. surface water and cloudwater) and engineered (e.g. drinking water, wastewater, and groundwater remediation) systems. Approaches will include both qualitative (reaction mechanism and product identification) as well as quantitative (reaction kinetics and stoichiometry) aspects of environmental reaction chemistry. Prerequisites: CEE 563/ENVIRON 540 or one semester of organic chemistry.