Chem 250 – Environmental Chemistry

Fall 2009

Instructor: Brad Baker

Office: Sequoia Room 426C (office in the rear left corner)

Phone: 278 – 7409

Email: bbaker@csus.edu

Office Hours: Mondays, 12:00 to 1:30 pm in Sequoia 426C

Wednesdays, 2:30 to 4:00 pm in Sequoia 426C

and by appointment

Course website: http://www.csus.edu/indiv/b/bakerb/Chem250/Chem250.htm

Instructor: Roy Dixon

Office: Sequoia Room 446C (office in the rear right corner)

Phone: 278 – 6893

Email: rdixon@csus.edu

Office Hours: Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday 11:00 to 12:00 in Sequoia 446C

Course website: http://www.csus.edu/indiv/d/dixonr/index.htm# (this is Dr. Dixon's main website; the class website can be accessed from there)

Lecture Meeting Time: Wednesday 5:30 – 8:00 pm

Lecture Location: Sequoia 325

Exams: October 7 (first hour) November 4 (first hour), and December 16 (5:15 – 7:15pm).

Textbook: Principles of Environmental Chemistry, Second Edition, by James E. Girard (required)

-More textbooks should be available on September 10 or 11 according to the bookstore.

Prerequisites: A C- or better in Chem 1A and 1B or equivalent.

Overview: This course deals with the environmental chemistry of the Earth’s air, water, and soil. The natural chemistry of these systems will be discussed as well as human introduced disruptions. Examples of topics that will be discussed are: the ozone layer and the ozone hole, photochemical smog, climate change, acid rain, ground water quality, surface water quality, storm water issues, water treatment technologies, soil chemistry and contamination, and diffusion processes.

Tentative Lecture Schedule:

September 2 – Introduction and biogeochemical cycles (Baker – Chapter 1)

September 9 – Natural tropospheric chemistry (Baker – Chapter 2, p. 40-56; Chapter 4)

September 16 – Photochemical smog (Baker – Chapter 4)

September 23 – Natural stratospheric ozone chemistry (Baker – Chapter 5, p. 124-136)

September 30 – Stratospheric ozone depletion (Baker – Chapter 5, p. 136-141)

October 7 – Exam 1, Aerosols and Cloud Chemistry (Dixon – p. 56-62; 171-176)

October 14 – The greenhouse effect/Earth's climate (Baker – Chapter 3)

October 21 – Global climate change (Baker – Chapter 3)

October 28 – Persistent organic chemicals in the environment (Baker – Chapter 14)

November 4 – Exam 2, Insecticides, Herbicides, and Insect Control (Baker – Chapter 15)

November 11 – Veteran's Day holiday – class does not meet

November 18 – Precipitation, water chemistry (Dixon – Chapter 7)

November 25 – Faculty furlough day (Chapter ??) – assignment will be given the previous week

December 2 – Inorganic metals in the environment (Dixon – Chapter 13)

December 9 – Toxicology (Dixon – Chapter 16)

December 16 – Exam 3 (5:15 – 7:15pm)

Grading: Your final grade will be based on 3 one hour exams (22% each) a literature report (22%), and participation (12%). Exams will cover material covered up until the time of the exam. Some exam questions may require knowledge of material covered on previous exams. Details regarding the literature report will be handed out separately. Participation includes: attendance, participating in class discussions and activities, and successfully completing any assigned homework.

Assignment of grades: The following grading scheme (excluding +’s and –‘s) can be considered "typical":
A 90 – 100%
B 80 – 89%
C 70 – 79%
D 60 – 69%