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 210: Descriptive Inorganic Chemistry
First semester. Two credits. Two class periods.

Prerequisite: CHEM 126 or 128 or 130 or 138.
Introduction to bonding, structure, spectroscopy, physical properties, and reactivity of inorganic compounds.

CHEM 232Q: Quantitative Analytical Chemistry
Second semester. Four credits.
Two class periods and two 3-hour laboratory periods.
Prerequisite: CHEM 126 or 128 or 130 or 138. 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 234: Instrumental Analysis I
First semester. Four credits.

Two class periods and two 3-hour laboratory periods.

Prerequisite: CHEM 232.  Recommended preparation: CHEM 264.
Instrumental analytical techniques including molecular spectroscopy, atomic spectroscopy, electrochemistry, separations, and introductory
electronics. This course is an extension of the instrumental portion of CHEM 232. A fee of $20 is charged for this course

CHEM 243: Organic Chemistry
Either semester. Three credits. (Two credits for students who have passed CHEM 141.)
Prerequisite: CHEM 126 or 128 or 130 or 138. Open to sophomores or higher.
Structure and reactions of the simpler classes of the compounds of carbon.

   
CHEM 244: Organic Chemistry
Either semester. Three credits. Prerequisite: CHEM 243. Open to sophomores or higher.
A continuation of CHEM 243.

 
CHEM 245: Organic Chemistry Laboratory
Either semester. Three credits. (Students who have passed CHEM 240 will receive only 2 credits for CHEM 245. Students who have passed CHEM 142 will receive only 2 credits for CHEM 245, 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 244. Open to sophomores or higher.
A fee of $20 is charged for this course.
   

CHEM 263-264: Physical Chemistry
Both semesters. Four credits each semester.

Prerequisite: CHEM 126 or 128 or 130 or 138; PHYS 123, or 132, or 142, or 152; MATH 210 or 220 for CHEM 263; and MATH 211 or 221 for CHEM 264.
A study of gases, liquids, solids, solutions, and thermodynamics in CHEM 263 and kinetics, atomic and molecular theory and spectroscopy in CHEM 264.

CHEM 370: 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 210Q: Multivariable Calculus
Either semester. Four credits.

Four class periods.

Prerequisite: MATH 116, 121, or 136 or a score of 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement Calculus BC exam. Recommended
preparation: A grade of C- or better in MATH 116. Not open for credit to students who have passed MATH 220 or 230 or 245. Open to sophomores
or higher.
Two- and three-dimensional vector algebra, calculus of functions of several variables, vector differential calculus, line and surface integrals.