Environmental chemistry

Lore & Background

Environmental chemistry involves first understanding how the uncontaminated environment works, including which chemicals in what concentrations are present naturally and with what effects. Without this baseline, it would be impossible to accurately study the effects humans have on the environment through the release of chemicals. Environmental chemists draw on traditional chemical concepts as well as sampling and analytical techniques.

Reader's Guide

Environmental chemistry is significant because it provides the data that frame most environmental studies. It detects and identifies the nature and source of pollutants, including heavy metals, PAHs, nutrients, urban runoff, organometallic compounds, and radiochemicals. The field uses quantitative chemical analysis, including classical wet chemistry and sophisticated techniques such as atomic spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and bioassays. Environmental chemistry is distinct from green chemistry, which seeks to reduce potential pollution at its source. Its applications include monitoring water quality through measures such as dissolved oxygen, chemical oxygen demand, biochemical oxygen demand, pH, nutrients, heavy metals, and pesticides.

Did You Know?

• A contaminant is a substance present at a level higher than fixed levels or that would not otherwise be there, and may be due to human activity and bioactivity.
• The term contaminant is often used interchangeably with pollutant, but a contaminant may be without harmful effects, though toxic effects can become apparent later.
• A receptor is the medium or organism affected by a pollutant or contaminant, while a sink is a chemical medium or species that retains and interacts with the pollutant.
• Common analytical techniques for trace metals include Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS) and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS).