Environmental Science Concentration:

Environmental Chemistry

Supporting Department: Chemistry
(College of Liberal Arts & Sciences)

Concentration objectives:
The concentration is designed to stimulate intellectual curiosity, to instruct students in logical reasoning, and to provide students with the knowledge and skills in Environmental Chemistry qualifying them to enter industry or to continue their education leading to advanced degrees.A firm foundation in chemistry is provided with an emphasis on organic and analytical chemistry. The students are taught to think independently through hands on experience with modern research quality chemical instrumentation applied to environmental chemical problems. The creative use of theory and methodology for problem solving is emphasized. Typical environmental problems range from the concentration PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) in the marine food chain to the determination of Freon in the atmosphere.
  

The students are trained in literature searching and provided with the literature tools that can be employed by them to keep abreast of new developments in a rapidly changing field. The number of chemistry papers published practically doubles every ten years and keeping abreast of new developments is of the utmost importance. Furthermore, the students will be taught by example by being instructed by faculty actively engaged in Environmental Chemistry research.

Required course work:
  

Course Descriptions:

CHEM 3210: Descriptive Inorganic Chemistry
First semester. Two credits. Two class periods.

Prerequisite: CHEM 1126 or 1128 or 1148 or 1138.
Introduction to bonding, structure, spectroscopy, physical properties, and reactivity of inorganic compounds.

CHEM 3332Q: Quantitative Analytical Chemistry
Second semester. Four credits.
Two class periods and two 3-hour laboratory periods.
Prerequisite: CHEM 1126 or 1128 or 1148 or 1138. Recommended preparation: CHEM 263. Open to sophomores or higher.
Fundamentals of analytical Chemistry. While it is a course for chemistry majors, it is also suitable for students in other technical fields who have an interest in learning quantitative analytical chemistry procedures applicable to analytical instrumentation. Traditional wet chemical techniques and instrumental methods. Quantitative chemistry and chemical computations. A fee of $20 is charged for this course.
  

CHEM 3334: Instrumental Analysis I
First semester. Four credits.

Two class periods and two 3-hour laboratory periods.

Prerequisite: CHEM 3332.  Recommended preparation: CHEM 3564.
Instrumental analytical techniques including molecular spectroscopy, atomic spectroscopy, electrochemistry, separations, and introductory
electronics. This course is an extension of the instrumental portion of CHEM 3332. A fee of $20 is charged for this course

CHEM 2443: Organic Chemistry
Either semester. Three credits. (Two credits for students who have passed CHEM 2241.)
Prerequisite: CHEM 1126 or 1128 or 1148 or 1138. Open to sophomores or higher.
Structure and reactions of the simpler classes of the compounds of carbon.

   
CHEM 2444: Organic Chemistry
Either semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: CHEM 2443. Open to sophomores or higher.
A continuation of CHEM 2443.

 
CHEM 2445: Organic Chemistry Laboratory
Either semester. Three credits. (Students who have passed CHEM 2446 will receive only 2 credits for CHEM 2445. Students who have passed CHEM 2242 will receive only 2 credits for CHEM 2445, but 3 credits will be used for calculating GPA scores.)

Two 3- hour laboratory periods and one 1-hour discussion period.
Prerequisite or corequisite: CHEM 2444. Open to sophomores or higher.
A fee of $20 is charged for this course.
   

CHEM 3563-3564: Physical Chemistry
Both semesters. Four credits each semester.

Prerequisite: CHEM 1126 or 1128 or 1148 or 1138; PHYS 1230, or 1402, or 1602, or 1502; MATH 2110 or 2130 for CHEM 3563; and MATH 2410 or 2420 for CHEM 3564.
A study of gases, liquids, solids, solutions, and thermodynamics in CHEM 3563 and kinetics, atomic and molecular theory and spectroscopy in CHEM 3564.

CHEM 5370: Environmental Chemistry I

Contact department for semester.  3 credits. 

Lecture.

Recent advances in studies of sources, reactions, transport, effects and fate of chemical species in air, water and soil environments. Emphasis on analytical methods for studying environmental phenomena and sampling methods.

MATH 2110Q: Multivariable Calculus
Either semester. Four credits.

Four class periods.

Prerequisite: Prerequisite: MATH 1132 or 1152 or a score of 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement Calculus BC exam. Recommended preparation: A grade of C- or better in MATH 1132. Not open for credit to students who have passed 2130 or 2143.
Two- and three-dimensional vector algebra, calculus of functions of several variables, vector differential calculus, line and surface integrals.