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TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES VISAYAS

Capt. Sabi St., City of Talisay, Negros Occidental

College of Engineering Technology

Office of the Program Coordinator

LEARNING OUTLINE

CHT 233A
Environmental Chemistry

DEPARTMENT: Chemical Engineering Technology

COMPILED BY:

ALPHA J. HERMOSURA

2020

VISION
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LEARNING GUIDE

Week No.: __1__

TOPIC/S: Introduction to Environmental Chemistry

EXPECTED COMPETENCIES:

At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:

1. describe the different divisions of the environment;
2. analyze the possible consequences of the overuse of natural resources;
3. explain the various effects of negligent human activities on the environment; and
4. discover the role of green chemistry in the environment.

CONTENT/TECHNICAL INFORMATION:

I ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Environmental Chemistry is the scientific study of the chemical and biochemical

phenomena that occur in natural places. It involves the study of the sources,
reactions,transport, effects,and fates of chemical species in the air, water, and soil
environments; and the effect of human activity on these.

Our physical environment can be divided into:

A. The Atmosphere
The atmosphere is the gaseous envelope that surrounds the solid body of the planet. It
has a thickness of more than 1100 km, and about half its mass is concentrated in the lower 5.6
km.

B. The Hydrosphere
The hydrosphere is the layer of water that, in the form of the oceans, covers about
70% of Earth’s surface and over 97 % of this water exists in oceans.

C. The Geosphere
The geosphere, is that part of the Earth upon which humans live and from which they
extract most of their food, minerals, and fuels. It is divided into layers, which include the
solid, iron-rich inner core, molten outer core, and the lithosphere - which consists of the
upper mantle and the crust.

D. The Biosphere
The Biosphere is the earth's relatively thin zone of air, soil, and water that is capable
of supporting life, ranging from about 10 km into the atmosphere to the deepest ocean floor.
Life in this zone depends on the sun's energy and on the circulation of heat and essential
nutrients.
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E. The Anthroposphere

The Anthroposphere is that part of the environment “made'' or modified by humans and
used for their activities.

F. The fauna and flora.

The terms fauna and flora are collective names given to animals and plants respectively.
There is a continuous interaction between the various sections of the environment and the flora
and fauna. An assembly of mutually interacting organisms and their environment in which
materials are interchanged in a largely cyclical manner is known as ecosystem. The
environment in which a particular organism lives is called habitat.

II Natural Resources

A natural resource is what people can use which comes from the natural environment.
There are two types of natural resources: renewable and non-renewable. The former are
inexhaustible, like solar radiation, or their renewal is relatively rapid, as is the case with
biomass. Non-renewable resources are those that exist in nature in a limited way because their
regeneration involves the passage of many years, such as minerals and fossil fuels.

Natural resources include:

A. Fossil fuel

Fossil Fuels, which include petroleum, coal, and natural gas, are energy-rich substances
that have formed from long-buried plants and microorganisms. They provide most of the
energy that powers modern industrial society.

B. Forest wood

Forests are very important for maintaining ecological balance and provide many
environmental benefits. In addition to timber and paper products, forests provide wildlife
habitat, prevent flooding and soil erosion, help provide clean air and water, and contain
tremendous biodiversity. Forests are also an important defense against global climate change.
Forests produce life-giving oxygen and consume carbon dioxide, the compound most
responsible for global warming through photosynthesis, thereby reducing the effects of global
warming.

C. Soil/Land

Soil, a mixture of mineral, plant, and animal materials, is essential for most plant growth
and is the basic resource for agricultural production.

D. Water

Clean freshwater resources are essential for drinking, bathing, cooking, irrigation,
industry, and for plant and animal survival. About 65 percent of the global freshwater supply
is used in agriculture and 25 percent is used in industry.
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E. Energy

Humans use energy for industrial production, transportation, heating, cooling, cooking,
and lighting. The world energy supply depends on different resources. Traditional fuels such
as firewood and animal waste for example, are significant energy sources in many developing
countries. Fossil fuels account for more than 90 percent of global energy production but their
use causes air pollution and are considered to be problematic resources.

III Natural Resources Consumption

Almost everything we do involves materials that have been extracted, processed, or

transformed. Look at your smartphone . It likely contains cobalt from Africa, copper from
Chile and aluminum from Australia.

Effects of Depletion of Natural Resources

1. Water shortages

Poor farming practices, deforestation, and pollution are major causes of water resource
depletion due to contamination, wastage, and the destruction of natural water catchment areas.

2. Oil depletion

Oil is an essential commodity in manufacturing, planting, mining, and transportation

among many activities, and its depletion would be devastating.

3. Loss of forest cover

Approximately 18 million acres of forest cover are destroyed annually. This means that
half of the world’s natural forest cover has already been cleared.

4. Depletion of minerals

There has been an increase in the exploitation of minerals such as phosphorus, gasoline,
copper, and zinc among others to sustain the seven billion people on earth.

5. Extinction of Species

Due to the changes in the living conditions of animals as a result of resource

overexploitation and habitat degradation, some species may go extinct. Forested regions are
known to be a habitat for thousands of animals but deforestation is progressively destroying
forest habitats. Practices such as overfishing and pollution have similarly led to a drastic
reduction in the number of marine species such as the tuna fish.

IV HUMAN ACTIVITIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT

The ecosystem encompasses all living things (animals, plants and microorganisms) and
non-living things (earth, climate, soil, sun, weather, and atmosphere). All these components
are interconnected and any activity that disturbs the natural balance of these components affects
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the ecosystem. Anthropogenic activities (relating to or resulting from the influence of human
beings on nature) top the list.

A. Population Increase and the Environment

(https://www.slideshare.net/Bilhami/human-population-growth-and-environmental-impacts)

B. Urbanization and the Environment

(https://www.slideshare.net/ssuser87ec8f/urbanization-impacts)
C. Industrialization and the Environment

(https://slideplayer.com/slide/14378195/)

V Environmental Pollution resulting from Industrialization

A. Smog and acid precipitation

Smog is a type of air pollution produced when sunlight acts upon motor vehicle exhaust
gases to form harmful substances such as ozone (O3), aldehydes and peroxyacetylnitrate
(PAN). Before the automobile age, most smog came from burning coal. Burning gasoline in
motor vehicles is the main source of smog in most regions today. Powered by sunlight, oxides
of nitrogen and volatile organic compounds react in the atmosphere to produce photochemical
smog. Ozone in the lower atmosphere is a poison—it damages vegetation, kills trees, irritates
lung tissues, and attacks rubber.
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B. Soil and water pollution

The agriculture and mining industries have profoundly contributed to soil and water
pollution. Mining disturbs groundwater aquifers. While processing mined materials various
beneficiation processes are employed to separate the useful fraction of the ore, leaving a residue
of tailings which are laden with various chemicals which pollute the soil and water bodies in
the surrounding.

C. Modifications of the climate

Human activities are reaching a point at which they may be adversely affecting the climate.
Global warming, due to the emission of large quantities of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse
gases into the atmosphere has resulted in substantial climatic change. Another way is through
the release of gases, particularly chlorofluorocarbons (Freons) that may cause destruction of
vital stratospheric ozone.

VI Green Chemistry

Green chemistry is the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate
the use or generation of hazardous substances. It reduces pollution at its source by minimizing
or eliminating the hazards of chemical feedstocks, reagents, solvents, and products.

Green chemistry is also known as sustainable chemistry.

Green chemistry:

➢ Prevents pollution at the molecular level

➢ Is a philosophy that applies to all areas of chemistry, not a single discipline of chemistry

➢ Applies innovative scientific solutions to real-world environmental problems

➢ Results in source reduction because it prevents the generation of pollution

➢ Reduces the negative impacts of chemical products and processes on human health and the
environment

➢ Lessens and sometimes eliminates hazard from existing products and processes

➢ Designs chemical products and processes to reduce their intrinsic hazards

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(https://greenchemuoft.ca/resources.php)
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(https://www.slideshare.net/ithuu/green-chemistry-description-and-benefits)

(https://www.slideshare.net/ithuu/green-chemistry-description-and-benefits)
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(https://www.slideshare.net/ithuu/green-chemistry-description-and-benefits)