Environmental Organic Chemistry

Undergraduate

This course examines major physical and chemical attributes and processes affecting the behavior of organic compounds in environmental systems, including volatilization, sorption/attachment, diffusion, and reactivity. Emphasis is placed on legacy pollutants (e.g. TCE, PCBs, DDT) and along with emerging contaminants of concern (e.g. pharmaceuticals, explosives, etc). The course reviews basic concepts from physical chemistry and examines the relationships between chemical structure, properties, and environmental behavior of organic compounds. Physical and chemical processes important to the fate, treatment, and transformation of specific organic compounds are addressed including solubility, volatilization, partitioning, sorption/attachment, bioaccumulation, and bulk environmental transformation pathways. Equilibrium and kinetic models based on these principles are used to predict the fate and transport of organic contaminants in the environment. Priority given to seniors or permission of instructor. QR , SC TTh 11:35am-12:50pm