CH3041 - Environmental Chemistry

Credit points:	03
Year:	2010
Student Contribution Band:	Band 4
Administered by:	School of Pharmacy & Molecular Sciences

Chemistry of the natural environment. Atmospheric chemistry (ozone chemistry, aerosols), aquatic chemistry (marine, freshwater, groundwater), terrestrial (soils, clay minerals, humic matter), microbial redox chemistry (pE/pH diagrams) and inferfacial chemistry (KF,KD). Biogeochemical cycles (N, P, S). Analytical chemistry. Techniques that are used in environmental monitoring of air, water and soils. Classical methods (gravimetry, titrimetry), chromatography (GC, HPLC, IC), spectroscopy (ND-IR, fluorescence, colorimetry, AA). Electroanalytical techniques. Sampling methods and quality control. Pollution chemistry. Nuclear and alternative energies, toxicology, greenhouse gases, smog, indoor air quality, water pollution, acid sulphate soils, persistent organics (DDT, PCB, dioxin), insecticides, herbicides, heavy metals (Pb, Hg), wastes and waste treatment

Learning Outcomes

• to address current understanding of the causes, effects and responses to pollution;
• to stress the role of molecular processes in global element cycles;
• to survey instrumental and analytical techniques appropriate to monitoring, and provide practical experience in the use of these methods;
• to provide a general framework on the aspects of chemistry that are inherent in environmental and earth sciences.

Graduate Qualities

• The ability to adapt knowledge to new situations;
• The ability to define and to solve problems in at least one discipline area;
• The ability to think critically, to analyse and evaluate claims, evidence and arguments, and to reason and deploy evidence clearly and logically;
• The ability to deploy critically evaluated information to practical ends;
• The acquisition of coherent and disciplined sets of skills, knowledge, values and professional ethics from at least one discipline area;
• The ability to speak and write clearly, coherently and creatively;
• The ability to generate, calculate, interpret and communicate numerical information in ways appropriate to a given discipline or discourse;
• The ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences;
• The ability to lead, manage and contribute effectively to teams;
• The ability to work individually and independently.

Prerequisites:	(CH1011 AND CH1012) AND ALLOW CONCURRENT OR (CH1001 AND CH1002) AND ALLOW CONCURRENT
Inadmissible Subject Combinations:	CH2041

Availabilities
Cairns, Limited, Study Period 2
Census Date 26-Aug-2010
Face to face teaching (Every Week of SP 2)
Coord/Lect:	Assoc. Professor Michael Liddell.
Contact hours:	13 hours lectures 36 hours practicals - Includes 3 field trips 36 hours - Flexible delivery learnJCU podcast
Assessment:	end of semester exam (30% - 40%); quizzes or tests (15% - 25%); essays (5% - 15%); marks for practical exercises (30% - 40%).

Note: Minor variations might occur due to the continuous Subject quality improvement process, and in case of minor variation(s) in assessment details, the Subject Outline represents the latest official information.