Environmental chemistry 656979 224128643 2008-07-07T13:07:22Z Itub 426390 +cat [[Image:BN-forest.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Forest]]s contain many examples of what environmental chemistry encompasses]] '''Environmental chemistry''' is the [[science|scientific study]] of the chemical and biochemical phenomena that occur in natural places. It should not be confused with [[green chemistry]], which seeks to reduce potential pollution at its source. It can be defined as the study of the sources, reactions, transport, effects, and fates of chemical species in the [[Earth's atmosphere|air]], [[soil]], and water environments; and the effect of human activity on these. Environmental chemistry is an [[Interdisciplinarity|interdisciplinary]] science that includes [[Atmospheric chemistry|atmospheric]], [[Aquatic chemistry|aquatic]] and [[soil chemistry]], as well as heavily relying on [[analytical chemistry]] and being related to [[Environmental science|environmental]] and other areas of science. Environmental chemistry involves first understanding how the uncontaminated environment works, which chemicals in what concentrations are present naturally, and with what effects. Without this it would be impossible to accurately study the effects humans have on the [[Natural environment|environment]] through the release of [[chemicals]]. Environmental [[chemist]]s draw on a range of concepts from chemistry and various environmental sciences to assist in their study of what is happening to a chemical species in the [[Ecosystem|environment]]. Important general concepts from chemistry include understanding [[chemical reaction]]s and [[Chemical equation|equations]], [[solution]]s, [[Units of measurement|units]], [[Sampling (statistics)|sampling]], and [[Analytical chemistry|analytical techniques]] <ref name="Williams">Williams, Ian. ''Environmental Chemistry, A Modular Approach''. Wiley. 2001. ISBN 0-471-48942-5</ref>. ===Contamination=== A [[contaminant]] is a [[Chemical substance|substance]] present in nature due to human activity, that would not otherwise be there <ref>[http://www.buzzardsbay.org/glossary.htm Glossary to the Buzzards Bay Watershed Management Plan<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> <ref>[http://amsglossary.allenpress.com/glossary/browse?s=c&p=84 AMS Glossary<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>. The term contaminant is often used interchangeably with ''[[pollutant]]'', which is a substance that has a detrimental impact on the environment it is in <ref>[http://www.soil.ncsu.edu/publications/BMPs/glossary.html Glossary<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> <ref>[http://www.sustainabletable.org/intro/dictionary/ Sustainable Table: Dictionary<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>. Whilst a contaminant is sometimes defined as a substance present in the environment as a result of human activity, but without harmful effects, it is sometimes the case that toxic or harmful effects from contamination only become apparent at a later date <ref name="harrison">Harrison, R.M (edited by). ''Understanding Our Environment, An Introduction to Environmental Chemistry and Pollution, Third Edition''. Royal Society of Chemistry. 1999. ISBN 0-85404-584-8</ref>. The "medium" (e.g. soil) or organism (e.g. fish) affected by the pollutant or contaminant is called a ''receptor'', whilst a ''sink'' is a chemical medium or species that retains and interacts with the pollutant. {{further|[[Pollution]], [[Pollutant]]}} ===Environmental indicators=== Chemical measures of water quality include [[Oxygen saturation|dissolved oxygen (DO)]], [[Chemical oxygen demand|chemical oxygen demand (COD)]], [[Biochemical oxygen demand|biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)]], [[Total dissolved solids|total dissolved solids (TDS)]], and [[pH]]. {{Expand-section|date=June 2008}} ==Applications== Environmental chemistry is used by the [[Environment Agency]] (in [[England]] and [[Wales]]), the [[United States Environmental Protection Agency|Environmental Protection Agency]] (in the [[United States]]) the [[Association of Public Analysts]], and other [[List of environmental organizations|environmental agencies]] and research bodies around the world to detect and identify the nature and source of pollutants. These can include: *[[Heavy metals|Heavy metal]] contamination of land by industry. These can then be transported into water flows and be taken up by living organisms. *Nutrients such as nitrate and phosphate leaching from [[Agriculture|agricultural]] land into water courses, which can lead to [[algal bloom]]s and [[eutrophication]]. ==Methods== {{Expand-section|date=June 2008}} [[Quantitative]] chemical [[Analytical chemistry|analysis]] is a key part of environmental chemistry, since it provides the data that frame most environmental studies.<ref name= vanLoonDuffyp7>{{cite book | last = vanLoon | first = Gary W. | coauthors = Duffy, Stephen J. | title = Environmental Chemistry | publisher = [[Oxford University Press|Oxford]] | date = 2000 | location = Oxford | pages = 7 | isbn = 0-19-856440-6}}</ref> Common analytical techniques used for quantitative determinations in environmental chemistry include classical wet chemistry, such as [[gravimetric analysis|gravimetric]], [[titration|titrimetric]] and [[electrochemistry|electrochemical]] methods. More sophisticated approaches are used in the determination of trace metals and organic compounds. Metals are commonly measured by atomic spectroscopy and [[mass spectrometry]]: [[Atomic absorption spectrophotometry|Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry]] (AA) and [[Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy|Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission]] (ICP-AES) or [[Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry|Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometric]] (ICP-MS) techniques. Organic compounds are commonly measured also using mass spectrometric methods, such as [[Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry]] (GC/MS) and [[Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry]] (LC/MS). Non-MS methods using GCs and LCs having universal or specific detectors are still staples in the arsenal of available analytical tools. Other parameters often measured in environmental chemistry are [[Radiochemistry|radiochemical]]s. These are pollutants which emit radioactive materials, such as alpha and beta particles, posing danger to human health and the environment. Particle counters and Scintillation counters are most commonly used for these measurements. [[Bioassay]]s and [[immunoassay]]s are utilized for toxicity evaluations of chemical effects on various organisms. ==See also== * [[Green chemistry]] * [[Green Chemistry (journal)|Green Chemistry]] Journal * [[Journal of Environmental Monitoring]] * [[List of important publications in chemistry#Environmental chemistry|Important publications in Environmental chemistry]] ==References== <references/> ==Further reading== *Stanley E Manahan. ''Environmental Chemistry, Fifth edition''. 1991. *Stanley E Manahan. ''Environmental Chemistry''. CRC Press. 2004. ISBN 1-56670-633-5. *Julian E Andrews, Peter Brimblecombe, Tim Jickells, Peter Liss, Brian Reid. ''An Introduction to Environmental Chemistry''. Blackwell Publishing. 2004. ISBN 0-632-05905-2. *Rene P Schwarzenbach, Philip M Gschwend, Dieter M Imboden. ''Environmental Organic Chemistry, Second edition''. Wiley-Interscience, Hoboken, New Jersey, 2003. ISBN 0-471-35750-2. ==External links== *[http://www.envirofacs.org/links.htm List of links for Environmental Chemistry] - from the American Chemical Society's Division of Environmental Chemistry *[http://www.liv.ac.uk/chemistry/links/refenviron.html List of links for Environmental Chemistry] - from the WWW Virtual Library *[http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/03067319.asp International Journal of Environmental Analytical Chemistry] {{BranchesofChemistry}} [[Category:Biochemistry]] [[Category:Environmental chemistry| ]] [[Category:Chemistry]] [[ar:كيمياء بيئية]] [[bn:পরিবেশ রসায়ন]] [[ca:Química ambiental]] [[cs:Chemie životního prostředí]] [[da:Miljøkemi]] [[de:Umweltchemie]] [[es:Química ambiental]] [[id:Kimia lingkungan]] [[it:Chimica ambientale]] [[ms:Kimia alam sekitar]] [[ja:環境化学]] [[pt:Química Ambiental]] [[ru:Химия окружающей среды]] [[su:Kimia lingkungan]] [[sv:Miljökemi]] [[tl:Kimikang Pampaligid]] [[th:เคมีสิ่งแวดล้อม]] [[zh:环境化学]]