2025 (Current Year) Faculty Courses School of Materials and Chemical Technology Department of Chemical Science and Engineering Graduate major in Chemical Science and Engineering
Environmental Chemistry
- Academic unit or major
- Graduate major in Chemical Science and Engineering
- Instructor(s)
- Sakae Toyoda / Keita Yamada
- Class Format
- Lecture (Face-to-face)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 1-2 Mon / 3-4 Thu
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- CAP.I405
- Number of credits
- 200
- Course offered
- 2025
- Offered quarter
- 1Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 19, 2025
- Language
- English
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
Environmental chemistry is a wide field of study that deals history of environmental problem, environmental laws, pollutants treatment methods, energy resource issue, etc., based on the understanding of existence and variation of environmental substances. This course focuses on material cycles of intra and inter sub-compartments of the Earth system, geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere and provide the concept of environmental problems based on changes in material cycles.
The purpose of this course is to understand the concepts of environmental problems from the point of view of disturbance of material cycles by human activities.
Course description and aims
Students will be able to:
1) explain the natural cycles of environmental substances intra and inter sub compartments of the Earth system, geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere.
2) explain the environmental problems based on the changes in the natural cycles of environmental substances induced by the human activities
3) explain the mechanisms, effects, monitoring and prediction of environmental problems
Keywords
environmental problems, elemental cycles, Earth system, geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
At the end of each class, students are given exercise problems related to the lecture given that day to solve.
Students must familiarize themselves using course materials provided before coming to class.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Guidance: Introduction to Environmental Chemistry | Understand the concept of Environmental Chemistry |
| Class 2 | Atmosphere and environmental problems 1: Global warming | Explain the mechanisms of global warming |
| Class 3 | Atmosphere and environmental problems 2: Destruction of ozone layer | Explain the mechanisms of formation and destruction of ozone layer |
| Class 4 | Atmosphere and environmental problems 3: photochemical oxidants | Explain the formation mechanism of photochemical oxidants |
| Class 5 | Atmosphere and environmental problems 4: Aerosols and acid rain | Explain the various roles of aerosols |
| Class 6 | Hydrosphere and environmental problems 1:Ocean acidification | Explain the mechanisms of ocean acidification |
| Class 7 | Hydrosphere and environmental problems 2: Eutrophication | Explain the mechanisms of eutrophication |
| Class 8 | Hydrosphere and environmental problems 3: Groundwater pollution | Explain the mechanisms of groundwater pollution |
| Class 9 | Geoshere and environmental problems: Soil pollution | Explain the mechanisms of soil pollution |
| Class 10 | Biosphere and environmental problems 1: Endocrine disruption chemicals | Explain the types and sources of the endocrine disruption chemicals |
| Class 11 | Biosphere and environmental problems 2: Bioaccumilation of chemicals | Explain the mechanisms of bioaccumulation of chemicals |
| Class 12 | Biosphere and environmental problems 3: Plastics pollution | Explain the plastic pllution |
| Class 13 | Energy and environmental problems: Methane hydrate | Explain the distribution and formeation mechanism of gas hydrate and its environmental impact |
| Class 14 | Term-end exam |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
None required.
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Gamo T, Environmental Geochemistry, Baihu-kan (In Japanese) ISBN978-4-563-04907-2
Evaluation methods and criteria
Students’ course scores are based on final exams (50%) and exercise problems (50%).
Related courses
- CAP.I419 ： Analytical Techniques for Environmental Chemistry
- CAP.I435 ： Advanced Geochemistry
- CAP.I536 ： Advanced Material Cycle Analysis
- CAP.I481 ： Introduction to the Frontiers of Environmental Chemistry
Prerequisites
No prerequisites.