CHEM 301

COURSE HANDOUTS/NOTES

Introduction: Environmental Chemistry, Properties of Water, Water Quality and Natural Water Bodies                                   

Introductory Lecture                                                                                 

Anomalous Properties of Water

Environmental Chemistry Definitions

Canadian Drinking Water Guidelines

European Standards for Drinking Water

Comparison of International Drinking Water Standards

Mechanisms Controlling World Water Chemistry, Science (1970), 170, 1088-1090

Review of Important Chemical Principles and Units of Measure    

Equilibrium constants: K_w, K_a, K_sp             Acids/bases: pH, pK_a

Redox: oxidation states, E^o                         Thermodynamics: DG^o

Chemistry Review Handout   and   Solutions to Review Exercises

More on Expressions of Chemical Concentration

Introduction to Activity and Activity Co-efficients

Chemical Composition of Natural Water                                           Readings: Chapter 9, 15.2 -15.4

                                                                                                            Textbook Study Questions;  1 - 11 (Chap 9)

            Hydrologic and biogeochemical cycles, role of dissolved gases and solids

            Introduction to alkalinity, hardness, dissolved organic matter

Physical Properties of Natural Waters

Composition of Natural Waters

Typical Ion Concs and Residence Times

Practice Problems and Solutions

Vertical Profiles of the Elements in the Worlds Oceans

Water Constituents and Pollutants

Redox Boundaries of Water

Excel spreadsheet Ionic Strength Calculations

Excel spreadsheet Activity Coefficient Calculations

Excel spreadsheet Charge Balance, Ionic Strength and Debye-Huckel Activity Co-efficients

Distribution of Chemical Species in Aquatic Systems                       Readings: Chapter 10

                                                                                                            Textbook Study Questions; 1 - 9 (Chap 10)

Acid - Base Equilibria: carbonates, phosphates and ammonia equilbria

Redox Equilibria: electrode potentials, Nernst equation and pE

            pE and pH relationships  Practice Problems with Solutions

Excel Spreadsheet pH Speciation for Generic Monoprotic acid

Excel Spreadsheet pH Speciation for Phosphate system

More on Residence Times and Box Models;  Examples (scanned solutions)

Gases in Water                                                                                      Readings: Chapter 11

                                                                                                              Textbook Study Questions; 3 - 12, 14

Solubility of inert and reactive gases: Henry’s law, temperature effects    

Excel Spreadsheet Temperature Dependence of O2 solubility

Excel Spreadsheet pH Dependence of Total Carbonates and Alkalinity

Example Questions - Carbonates

Organic Matter in Water                                                                        Readings: Chapter 12

                                                                                                                Textbook Study Questions; 1, 2, 4, 6, 8

            Origins, fate and chemical interactions involving humic material: DOM, POM

            Ni - FA_CO2- complexation example

Anthropogenic molecules: soaps and detergents, complexing agents, biocides

            Pb - NTA complexation example    

Metals in the Hydrosphere                                                                    Readings: Chapter 13                                 

                                                                                                                                                    Textbook Study Questions; 1 - 7

                Classifications, complexes, phase interactions

Excel Spreadsheet  pH speciation of Aluminum

            Complexes with humic substances

            Humics as Complexing Agents

            Solution to the Ni-Fulvic Acid Example problem  

Colloids and Surface Interactions (brief)                                                          Readings: Chapter 14

                                                                                                                Textbook Study Questions; 5

            Surface properties, adsorption phenomena, partitioning

            Clay minerals and cation exchange capacity

Microbial Catalysis (brief)                                                                      Readings: Chapter 15

                                                                                                                Textbook Study Questions; 1 - 3, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12

            Oxidation: BOD, COD and TOC

Nitrification and Denitrification reactions: pE^o(w)

Water Pollution and Waste Water Treatment Chemistry                     Readings: Chapter 16, 19  

                                                                                                                               Textbook Study Questions; Chap 16 - 2, 3, 6, 8

                                                                                                                                          Chap 19 - 3, 4, 8

            Introduction and Overview of Water Treatment

            Treatment and disinfection chemistry: chlorination, ozonation and advanced oxidation

                    Chlorination

            Remediation and waste disposal technologies

                    Summary of Treatment or Removal Processes

                    Common Chemical Tertiary Treatments

                    Hydroxylapatite precipitation

ADDITIONAL COURSE RESOURCES

Textbook Website

          Library References