Intro to Envi Chem

INTRODUCTION
TO
ENVIRONMENTAL
CHEMISTRY
Rhona C. Adajar
The Chemistry of the
Environment
Environmental Chemistry
Environmental chemistry is the study of

chemical processes that occur in water,
air, terrestrial and living environments,
and the effects of human activity on
them.
It includes topics such as

astrochemistry, atmospheric
chemistry, environmental modelling,
geochemistry, marine chemistry and
pollution remediation.
Environment
Environment
Environmental chemistry helps
to develop methods and
procedures to reduce the
contaminants or the chemicals in
the air, which improves the quality
of air. Cleaner air with fewer
chemicals leads to less damage
to the lungs.
Environment
Environmental chemistry focuses on the
presence and impact of chemicals in soil, surface
water, and groundwater.
Environmental chemists study how chemicals -

usually contaminants - move through the
environment. This is referred to as chemical “fate
and transport”. They also study the effects of
these contaminants on ecosystems, animals, and
human health.
Environment
● THE CHEMISTRY OF THE ATMOSPHERE
● THE CHEMISTRY OF WATER
● THE CHEMISTRY OF SOIL
What Are the Top 5 Environmental
Concerns
● Biodiversity for 2020?
● Pollution
● Deforestatio
n
● Climate
Change
● Effects of
Covid-19
Pandemic
BIODIVERSITY
The term biodiversity (from
“biological diversity”) refers
to the variety of life on Earth
at all its levels, from genes to
ecosystems, and can
encompass the evolutionary,
ecological, and cultural
processes that sustain life.
BIODIVERSITY
Biodiversity includes not only
species we consider rare,
threatened, or endangered
but also every living thing—
from humans to organisms
we know little about, such as
microbes, fungi, and
invertebrates.
WHY IS BIODIVERSITY
IMPORTANT?
● Biodiversity is important to most aspects of our lives.
● we value biodiversity both for what it provides to humans, and for
the value it has in its own right.
● many basic needs humans obtain from biodiversity such as food,
fuel, shelter, and medicine.
● ecosystems provide crucial services such as pollination, seed
dispersal, climate regulation, water purification, nutrient cycling,
and control of agricultural pests.
THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY
● Major direct threats to biodiversity
include habitat loss and
fragmentation, unsustainable
resource use, invasive species,
pollution, and global climate change.
● The underlying causes of

biodiversity loss, such as a growing
human population and
overconsumption are often complex
and stem from many interrelated
factors.
POLLUTION
Pollution is the introduction of
harmful materials into the
environment. These harmful
materials are called
pollutants. Pollutants can be
natural, such as volcanic ash.
They can also be created by
human activity, such as trash
or runoff produced by
factories. Pollutants damage
the quality of air, water, and
land.
DEFORESTATION
Deforestation is the
purposeful clearing of
forested land. It can be
defined as the large-scale
removal of trees from forests
(or other lands) for the
facilitation of human
activities. It is a serious
environmental concern since
it can result in the loss of
biodiversity, damage to
natural habitats, disturbances
in the water cycle, and soil
CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate change refers to
long-term shifts in
temperatures and weather
patterns. These shifts may be
natural, such as through
variations in the solar cycle.
But since the 1800s, human
activities have been the main
driver of climate change,
primarily due to burning fossil
fuels like coal, oil and gas.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Burning fossil fuels generates
greenhouse gas emissions
that act like a blanket
wrapped around the Earth,
trapping the sun’s heat and
raising temperatures.
Examples of greenhouse gas

emissions that are causing
climate change include
carbon dioxide and methane.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Many people think climate
change mainly means
warmer temperatures. But
temperature rise is only the
beginning of the story.
Because the Earth is a
system, where everything is
connected, changes in one
area can influence changes in
all others.
CLIMATE CHANGE
The consequences of climate
change now include, among
others, intense droughts,
water scarcity, severe fires,
rising sea levels, flooding,
melting polar ice,
catastrophic storms and
declining biodiversity.
EFFECTS OF COVID-19
The global disruption caused by the
COVID-19 has brought about several
effects on the environment and
climate. Due to movement restriction
and a significant slowdown of social
and economic activities, air quality
has improved in many cities with a
reduction in water pollution in
different parts of the world.
EFFECTS OF COVID-19
Besides, increased use of PPE (e.g.,
face mask, hand gloves etc.), their
haphazard disposal, and generation
of a huge amount of hospital waste
has negative impacts on the
environment.
INTRODUCTION
TO
ENVIRONMENTAL
CHEMISTRY
Rhona C. Adajar

Intro to Envi Chem

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INTRODUCTION

Environmental chemistry is the study of

It includes topics such as

Environmental chemists study how chemicals -

● The underlying causes of

Examples of greenhouse gas

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