Principles Of Environmental Chemistry

1015 Pages·2013·23.15 MB·English

by  James E. Girard

PRINCIPLES OF
ENVIRONMENTAL
CHEMISTRY

Dedicated to my wife, Connie Diamant, the real environmentalist
in our home.
Image © Vividfour/ShutterStock, Inc.
BRIEF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1 Planet Earth: Rocks, Life, and Energy
CHAPTER 2 Earth’s Soil and Agriculture: Feeding the Earth’s People
CHAPTER 3 The Earth’s Atmosphere
CHAPTER 4 Global Warming and Climate Change
CHAPTER 5 Chemistry of the Troposphere
CHAPTER 6 Chemistry of the Stratosphere
CHAPTER 7 Analysis of Air and Air Pollutants
CHAPTER 8 Water Resources
CHAPTER 9 Water Pollution and Water Treatment
CHAPTER 10 Analysis of Water and Wastewater
CHAPTER 11 Fossil Fuels: Our Major Source of Energy
CHAPTER 12 Nuclear Power
CHAPTER 13 Energy Sources for the Future
CHAPTER 14 Inorganic Metals in the Environment
CHAPTER 15 Organic Chemicals in the Environment
CHAPTER 16 Sustainability and Green Chemistry
CHAPTER 17 Insecticides, Herbicides, and Insect Control
CHAPTER 18 Toxicology
CHAPTER 19 Asbestos
CHAPTER 20 The Disposal of Dangerous Wastes
APPENDIX A Solubility Products, K
sp
APPENDIX B Dissociation Constants for Acids and Bases in Aqueous Solution at 25°C
APPENDIX C Standard Redox Potentials in Aqueous Solutions
APPENDIX D Carbon Compounds: An Introduction to Organic Chemistry
APPENDIX E Answers to Even-Numbered Questions
GLOSSARY
INDEX
Image © Vividfour/ShutterStock, Inc.
CONTENTS
PREFACE
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
CHAPTER 1 Planet Earth: Rocks, Life, and Energy
The Formation of the Universe
Galaxies and Stars
The Planets in Our Solar System
The Sun
Differentiation of the Earth into Layers
Heating of the Earth
The Core
The Mantle
The Crust
Plate Tectonics
Relative Abundance of the Elements in the Earth
Formation of the Oceans
Formation of the Atmosphere
Rocks and Minerals
The Rock Cycle
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Rocks as Natural Resources
Ores and Metals
Iron
Aluminum
Copper
Strategic Metals
Mineral Reserves
The Origin of Life on Earth
The Uniqueness of the Earth
The Environment
Ecosystems
Producers and Consumers
The Flow of Energy Through Ecosystems
What Is Energy?
Energy Transformations
Food Chains and Trophic Levels
Energy and Biomass
Concentration Units
Molarity and Molar Solutions
Parts per Million
Parts per Billion
Nutrient Cycles
The Carbon Cycle
The Nitrogen Cycle
The Oxygen Cycle
The Phosphorus Cycle
Nature’s Cycles in Balance
Additional Sources of Information
Keywords
Questions and Problems
CHAPTER 2 Earth’s Soil and Agriculture: Feeding the Earth’s People
Population Growth
Population Arithmetic
The Development of Modern Agriculture
Soil
Soil Texture
The Inorganic Component
Humus: The Organic Component
Soil pH
Soil Erosion
Plant Nutrients
Nitrogen
Anhydrous Ammonia
Ammonium Salts
Urea
Phosphorus
Potassium
Secondary Nutrients: Calcium, Magnesium, and Sulfur
Micronutrients
Mixed Fertilizers
The Use of Synthetic Inorganic Fertilizers
Organic Fertilizers
Composting
New Varieties of Crop Plants
Can We Feed Tomorrow’s World?
Additional Sources of Information
Keywords
Questions and Problems
CHAPTER 3 The Earth’s Atmosphere
The Major Layers in the Atmosphere
Temperature Changes in the Atmosphere
Pressure and Density Changes in the Atmosphere
Composition of the Atmosphere
Units Used to Describe Atmospheric Chemistry
Parts per Million, Parts per Billion, and Parts per Trillion
Molecules per Cubic Centimeter
Micrograms per Cubic Meter
Energy Balance
Electromagnetic Radiation
The Earth’s Heat Balance
Particles in the Atmosphere
Suspended Particulate Matter
Aerosol Particles
Anthropogenic Sources of Particulate Matter
Residence Times of Particles
Control of Particulate Emissions
Additional Sources of Information
Keywords
Questions and Problems
CHAPTER 4 Global Warming and Climate Change
Global Temperature from the Ice Ages to Present Time
The Increase in Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide
Infrared Absorption and Molecular Vibrations
Residence Time of Atmospheric Gases
Atmospheric Water Vapor
Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide
Atmospheric Methane
Atmospheric Nitrous Oxide
Atmospheric Chlorofluorocarbons
Radioactive Forcing
Radiative Forcing Caused by Human Activity
Radiative Forcing Caused by Nature
Evidence for Global Warming
Effects of Global Warming
Slowing Global Warming
Additional Sources of Information
Keywords