CIEG 833: Fate of Organic Pollutants in the Environment (3 credits)
OBJECTIVE:
To understand and predict, based on molecular
structure,
the partitioning, speciation, and abiotic and microbial transformation
of organic compounds in environmental systems. At the end of the
semester, students are expected to apply the
concepts learned to predict properties and environmental behavior
of organic pollutants.
FORMAT:
This course is mostly lecture-based, but will also
include
mini-discussion sessions. Because we only meet once a week and
because the amount of material to cover is large, students are expected
to complete
the assigned readings before coming to class. Each week we
will discuss a specific property/process of organic compounds, with
particular emphasis
on the underlying principles involved.
PREREQUISITES:
CIEG632, CIEG634, CIEG636, and preferably at least one
semester
each of organic chemistry and physical chemistry (thermodynamics and
kinetics).
TIME / PLACE:
Monday, 5:20 - 8:00 p.m., DuPont 302 (moved from
Colburn 104).
INSTRUCTOR:
Pei Chiu,
344B DuPont Hall, 831-3104, pei@ce.udel.edu.
OFFICE HOURS:
Wednesday 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. You can
also make appointments with me by phone or email, or simply stop by my
office.
TEXTBOOK:
"Environmental Organic Chemistry" *2nd Ed.,
Schwarzenbach,
R. P., Gschwend, P. M., and Imboden, D. M., Wiley, 2002.
*Using the first edition is discouraged, because
the second edition contains a significant amount of
material that's not in the first edition.
REFERENCES:
(1) Larson, R. A. & Weber, E. J. "Reaction
Mechanisms
in Environmental Organic Chemistry", Lewis, 1994.
(2) Brezonik, P. L. "Chemical Kinetics and Process
Dynamics
in Aquatic Systems", Lewis, 1994.
REQUIREMENTS: (200 points total)
1. Mid-Term Exam (60 points)
A mid-term exam will be held in class around
spring break and
will cover all the materials discussed in Parts I and II (i.e.,
partitioning).
The time and location of the exam will be announced later.
2. Final Exam (80 points)
The time and place for the final exam will be as
scheduled by the university. The
exam will be cumulative, although Part III (i.e.,
transformation) will carry
more weight.
3. Critical Reviews (60 points = 30 points x 2)
You will critically review two assigned research papers, one on partitioning and ther other on transformation. Each review is expected to be not merely a summary of the paper but rather a critical analysis of the study, including the rationale based on which the study was conducted, the hypothesis(es) the author(s) set out to test, the experimental or modeling approach taken, the quality of the data and data analysis, the validity of the conclusions, and the implications and significance of the work. It may be helpful to think about these questions: Would you have taken a different approach and why/how? Would you interpret the data differently? Is there an alternative or competing theory out there and, if so, does the study address this satisfactorily and convincingly?
Your critical reviews should be between 10 and 15
pages,
excluding cover page, references, and appendix. The cover page
shall include
title of the article, course number, your name, and all the other basic
information.
Use 12-point Times or Times New Roman font, double space, and 1-inch
margins
for all sides. Number all pages except the cover page. Use
the
Author-and-Year
style for references (for example, see Applied
and
Environmental Microbiology). Include references
wherever necessary, unless it is
your
own original contribution. Both critical reviews are
due on Monday, May 14 by 5:00 p.m.
Late Policy applies (below).
Note - and this is important - that although most of
you have written papers and reports before, I still strongly encourage
you to review the Academic
Dishonesty section of the Code of Conduct before you start writing.
ATTENDANCE:
Attendance is not mandatory, and no points will be
deducted
due to absence. However, absence is not an acceptable reason for
late assignments.
LATE POLICY:
A late assignment (critical review) will lose 6 points
per school
day and will not be accepted or graded after one week.
GRADING: Total number of points = 200. You will need 120 points to pass.
If the total number of points you earn is greater
than
or equal to
170 points, you will receive an A
160 points, you will receive an A-
150 points, you will receive a B+
140 points, you will receive a B
130 points, you will receive a B-
120 points, you will receive a C
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE and READING ASSIGNMENTS (to be completed BEFORE class):
02/05 Scope, objectives, and
house-keeping
details.
Overview of organic chemicals in environments. Review of basic
organic
chemistry.
Reading Assignment: Chapters 1 and 2.
02/12 Principles of Organic Partitioning:
Molecular
interactions and thermodynamics.
Reading Assignment: Chapter 3.
02/19 Vapor pressures, activity
coefficients,
and water solubility of organic compounds.
Reading Assignment: Chapters 4 and 5.
02/26 Partitioning: air—water,
air—organic
solvent, and organic solvent—water.
Reading Assignment: Chapters 6 and 7.
03/05 Organic acids and bases.
Reading Assignment: Chapter 8.
03/12 Sorption of
organic solutes to
natural
organic matter.
Reading Assignment: Chapter 9.
03/19 Partitioning of
organic solutes into living organisms.
(*I may try to arrange a guest lecture by professor Di Toro,
who is an expert on this topic).
Reading Assignment: Chapter 10.
03/26 Spring break. No class.
04/02 Thermodynamics
and kinetics of
transformation. Sorption of
nitroaromatics to inorganic surfaces.
Reading Assignment: Chapter 12 and Section 11.3.
04/09 Non-redox reactions: nucleophilic
substitution
and elimination.
Reading Assignment: Chapter 13.
04/16 Abiotic oxidation-reduction
(redox)
reactions.
Reading Assignment: Chapter 14.
04/23 Microbial and enzymatic
tranformation.
Reading Assignment: Chapter 17.
04/30 Direct photolysis.
Reading Assignment: Chapter 15.
05/07 Indirect
photolysis.
Reading Assignment: Chapter 16.
05/14 Review and Q/A. Concluding
remarks
and
feedback. Course evaluation. Critical reviews due by 5 p.m.