Chemicals in the Environment: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

0.5 credits · Undergraduate

The world is made up of chemicals: some are natural and some are invented and manufactured by humans. New chemicals are often intended to make our lives safer and easier (e.g., plastics, pesticides, personal care products) but may have unanticipated consequences once they are released into the world. In this seminar course, students will discover what properties of chemicals can lead to risks for the environment and for human health. Through discussion of how chemicals in the environment are understood by scientists, and described in popular media, students will develop improved scientific literacy to better evaluate risk in their own lives. Restricted to first-year students. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.