Course Description
Environmental soil chemistry applies and extends the concepts of chemistry and physics to the investigation of problems related to the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of soil and their importance in relation to the management of contaminants, pesticides, and production inputs.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Term Paper
Athena Title
Environmental Soil Chemistry
Prerequisite
CRSS 3050 or CRSS(FANR) 3060 or permission of department
Semester Course Offered
Offered spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
Environmental Soil Chemistry covers an introduction to the principal chemical constituents and processes occurring in soils and sediments. The objective of the course is to provide students with a conceptual framework for understanding chemical reactions in heterogeneous natural systems and how to apply that framework to evaluate human and societal interaction with soils. Applications to biogeochemistry and environmental quality are presented, but fundamental principles are emphasized. Students are expected to use these fundamental concepts of how soil chemical phenomena articulate in natural systems as a guide to their assessments and recommendations for improving agricultural soils or for remediating/restoring human-impacted soils.
Topical Outline
1 Introduction Math and chemistry review 2 Introduction Human interaction with the soil chemical environment 3 Minerals Chemical bonds and crystal structure Primary minerals/clay structure 4 Minerals Secondary minerals and chemical weathering 5 Organic Matter Carbon cycling and functional groups Biological components in organic matter 6 Organic Matter Organic matter and humic substances 7 Thermodynamics 8 Aqueous Geochemistry Water and ion hydration chemistry 9 Aqueous Geochemistry acid/base, complexation speciation/model and sampling methods 10 Mineral Solubility saturation index/meta stability stability diagrams/modeling 11 Redox electron activity/redox in soils Predominance diagrams 12 Review/Midterm 13 Sorption Overview of sorption processes and impact on society Surface charge and electric double layer 14 Sorption Quantitative adsorption Specific retention/modeling 15 Sorption cation exchange Soil Acidity Acid-mine drainage: The consequences of resource extraction 16 Soil Salinity/Sodicity Irrigation in the western U.S. Final Review
Syllabus