Environmental chemistry is the study of biotic and abiotic chemical processes in the environment, the effects of human activity on them, and how these in turn affect human and wildlife health. It is an interdisciplinary field of science that includes biological, ecological, atmospheric, aquatic and soil chemistry, heavily dependent on chemical analysis and effect analysis in vivo, in vitro and in silico. Within environmental chemistry you will study the contaminants journey from source, their fate (reactions, transport) in the environment, and finally the effects (toxicity). That information will lay base to identify the hazard, exposure and risk of the chemicals. The course is designed to provide a fundamental survey of concepts and definitions of environmental chemical and toxicological concepts.

In the organic chemistry section, you will learn about the use of the chemicals, be introduced to their inherent properties, the distribution in the environment and organisms, abiotic transformation and metabolism of organic contaminants. Examples of a range of historical and currently used problematic organic chemicals will be discussed and put in a regulatory perspective. Fundamental for a proper risk assessment is a robust analytical method to determine the exposure and environmental levels. For that purpose, you will get an introduction to chemical analysis methods adopted for a range of different organic contaminants.

Furthermore, the course will give a basic survey of chemical reactions of inorganic chemicals in natural waters; thermodynamics, kinetics and chemical equilibrium in nature; inorganic environmental chemistry, especially the sources of heavy metals, their distribution and potential health risks and environmental hazards.

The course will also give a basic survey of atmospheric chemistry, composition and processes: ozone chemistry of the stratosphere, photochemistry of the troposphere, atmospheric particles, cloud chemistry. Sources, transport, chemistry, deposition and effects of atmospheric contaminants; greenhouse gases and climate change.