KE817: Aquatic Environmental Chemistry (5 ECTS)

STADS: 10004601

Level
Master's level course

Teaching period
The course is offered in the spring semester.

Teacher responsible
Email: raewyn.town@sdu.dk

Timetable
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Prerequisites:
None

Academic preconditions:
A bachelor degree in chemistry, biology, nanobioscience, biomedicine, biochemistry and molecular biology, chemical engineering, or environmental technology must be passed.

Course introduction
To give students an introduction to the chemistry of aquatic systems, with focus on trace metal speciation.

Expected learning outcome
After completing the course student will be able to:

• discuss the general features of environmental aquatic chemistry
• explain key concepts of dynamic metal speciation in terms of timescales and fluxes
• give detailed descriptions of several techniques for determination of metal and organic speciation
• describe the basis for relationships between chemical speciation and bioavailability
• critically discuss literature reports in the field.

Subject overview
The nature of metal species in aquatic ecosystems: low concentrations (total concentrations in the sub nM range); many complexants are heterogeneous and poorly characterised. Principles of ion binding, classical and heterogeneous systems (affinity distributions). Speciation analysis. Speciation dynamics - rates of processes, lability concepts. Speciation/bioavailability relationships. Free ion activity model and biotic ligand model as simplified limiting cases of kinetic regime.

Literature

• Jacques Buffle (Editor), George Horvai (Editor): In Situ Monitoring of Aquatic Systems: Chemical Analysis and Speciation, Wiley, 2000.(Man behøver ikke at købe bogen, den findes på SDUBs læsesal). Noter..

Website
This course uses e-learn (blackboard).

Prerequisites for participating in the exam
None

Assessment and marking:

1. The project assignment will take the form of a written literature report and oral presentation thereof, and satisfactory participation. Pass/fail, internal examiner.

Expected working hours
The teaching method is based on three phase model.
Intro phase: 18 hours
Skills training phase: 14 hours, hereof:
 - Tutorials: 14 hours

Educational activities Study phase: 102 hours

Language
This course is taught in English.

Course enrollment
See deadline of enrolment.

Tuition fees for single courses
See fees for single courses.