Chemistry of the

Environment
By: Adam Abdullah and Mohamed Amir
 What is Water?
• It is the most known substance known because of it’s abundance and
uses
• And the most popular solvent
 What are the uses of Water?
Drinking and
cooking
Home
Cleaning and
sanitation
Uses of
Water
As a solvent
Industry
Watering
Crops
 What is Tap Water?
• It is a mixture of natural materials (dissolved salts) because of humans
• Experiments involving water should use distilled water instead of tap, as the
chemicals in the tap water could interfere with the experiment and give
unwanted side reactions
• Distillation removes impurities and uses the idea that different substances have
different boiling points
What are the Substances in Natural Water?
Some are beneficial and some are harmful
1. Dissolved Oxygen
2. Metal compounds
3. Plastic
4. Sewage
5. Harmful microbes
6. Nitrates and phosphates from fertilizers
 Beneficial Substances in Natural Water
Dissolved Oxygen Metallic Compounds

The number of living organisms is determined by the As water passes over rocks, It dissolves some of the
oxygen levels metals in them

It enters by photosynthesis from aquatic plants and Lots of metal ions from group 2 and transition metals
diffusion from the environment. Removed by are needed to support good health
respiration

Affected by temperature and whether it’s salt or

freshwater

Examples:
1. Calcium: Supports the health of teeth and bones
2. Iron: Needed for production of hemoglobin in RBCs
 Harmful Substances in Natural Water
Some Metallic compounds Sewage
Heavy Metals (lead Pb, Mercury Hg,) • Wastewater made by humans
usually enter from mining, smelting, includes multiple contaminants
corrosion, waste disposal, and metal • Sewage water can leak into
processing plants drinking water as a result of
natural disasters like earthquakes
• Harmful substances can cause
diseases such as Diarrhea and
Cholera

Examples:
1. Lead: Liver/Kidney damage
2. Mercury: Linked to damage in the
nervous system
 Harmful Substances in Natural Water
Nitrates and Phosphates
NPK fertilizers increase crop numbers and health by
adding nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Heavy
rain causes NPK to run off soil into waterways, leading
to algae growth and deoxygenation. Penta-sodium
triphosphate, used in biological washing powders, can
enter waterways through washing, causing water
deoxygenation and animal death.
Plastics
Plastics are polymers used a lot in daily life. They are
insoluble in water so they are easier to remove. They
generate a lot of waste and cause a lot of pollution
Poor disposal and lack of use of biodegradable plastics
means they are increasingly polluting clean water
sources
 1. Screening

2. Sedimentation

Steps to Purify
3. Filtration
Domestic Water

4. Active Carbon Filter

5. Chlorination
Steps to Purify Domestic Water?
1. Screening: Remove large insoluble pieces such as rocks, branches,
and plastic bags
2. Sedimentation: The water is taken to a sedimentation tank where the
soil and sand drop to the bottom as sediment
3. Filtration: Removes smaller insoluble particles like sand
4. Water can contain dissolved substances that can cause a bad smell or
taste. They are removed by using an active carbon filter
5. Chlorination: Before water can be given to homes, it has to be
disinfected. Different countries do this in different ways but most
countries do this by adding small amounts of chlorine to kill bacteria.
 Testing for Purity of Water
Physical Test:
Check for Boiling Point Result: Boils at 100 degrees Celsius

Chemical Test:
1. Anhydrous Copper(II) sulfate turns from white to blue when water is
added
2. Anhydrous Cobalt(II) turns from blue to pink when water is added
 What is Air?
Air is a mixture of gases that make up the atmosphere of the Earth.
Composition of gas
gas proportion

Nitrogen 78%

21 0.9 0.04 0.06

Nitrogen
Oxygen 21%
Oxygen
Argon
Carbon Dioxide
argon 0.9%-1%
Water Vapour and
other noble gasses

Carbon dioxide 0.04%

78

Water vapor and other noble 0.06%

gases
 Nitrogen
Uses:
• it is used in packing food products
• fertilizers
• liquid nitrogen is used for freezing
• in making ammonia
• for making silicon chips

 What properties does nitrogen have?

• Colourless
• Odorless
• Unreactive due to strong triple covalent bond.
• It doesn’t allow substances to burn.
• Slightly soluble in water.
• We breathe it in and out.
• It reacts with hydrogen to make ammonia which is a step in making fertilizers.
 Oxygen
Uses:
• used as a breathing aid (for example oxygen cylinders)
• used in welding and cutting by being burnt with acetylene which is a hydrocarbon fuel gas to give a very hot flame that
melts metals.
• making steel from cast iron

 What properties does oxygen have?

• Being reactive gas allows substances to burn
• It is produced by photosynthesis and it is essential for respiration
• Test it by glowing a splint resulting in relighting it
 How do we test for the percentage of oxygen in the air and how do we calculate it?
The percentage by volume of oxygen in the air can be established using experiments involving the reactions of metals such as
copper with the air. To do this a known volume of air can be passed over a piece of copper that has been strongly heated
Two gas syringes are placed on each side of a glass tube containing a sample, and air is passed over the hot copper. Oxygen
reacts with the sample, producing copper oxide. The air volume decreases as oxygen is used up, and the original sample's
oxygen volume can be determined by subtracting the final volume.
If the volume of air remaining in the syringe was 79cm3, we can calculate the volume of oxygen used was 100 – 79 = 21cm3.
This shows that 20% of the air is made up of oxygen gas.
 Carbon Dioxide
Uses:
• Used in making carbonated fizzy drinks.
• Used in fire extinguishers
• HOW? The gas is denser than air, and so it smothers the fire, preventing air from getting to it.
• It is also used in refrigeration and freezing ( solid CO2=dry ice)
•
• What are the properties of carbon dioxide?
• Colourless
• Odorless
• Does not support burning
• Soluble in water giving a solution of weak acid called carbonic acid (H2CO3)
• Denser than air
• Main Product of respiration
• Main Reactant of photosynthesis
• Weakly acidic gas
 What is Air Pollution?
It is the presence of harmful substances.

Air pollution happens due to:

• Carbon monoxide
• Particulates
• Sulfur dioxide
• Oxides of nitrogen
• Carbon dioxide
• Methane
 Carbon Monoxide
• It is considered a pollutant as it can poison and kill living organisms; it
reacts with the hemoglobin of the red blood cells to form
carboxyhemoglobin, preventing it from carrying oxygen.
• It is formed due to incomplete combustion of carbon.
- Complete combustion: CH4 + 2O2 → CO2 +4H2O (Carbon dioxide the complete
combustion of carbon )
- Incomplete combustion: 2CH4 + 3O2 →2CO + 4H2O (poisonous gas)
 Particulates
• Tiny solid carbon particles called soot are produced from incomplete
combustion
• Increases the risk of respiratory problems and cancer.

Octane + oxygen → particulate (soot) + water

• Diesel vehicles are a significant source of particulates

 Sulfur Dioxide
• Contributes in acidic rain as when it rises in the air it mixes with water vapor
forming sulfuric acid (H2SO4).
• Acidic rain causes the death of water creatures, acidify soil causing deforestation,
and reacts with limestone in buildings and sculptures corroding it.
• Formed due to the combustion of sulfur-containing fossil fuels
• It could be treated by reacting with limestone in filters of chimneys, a process
called desulfurization.
 Oxides of Nitrogen
• Contributes also in acidic rain

• Formed in engines due to the reaction of nitrogen and oxygen at very

high temperature
 Methane
• Comes from the decomposition of vegetation and waste gases from
digestion in animals.
• High levels of methane lead to the greenhouse effect, increase in
global warming, which leads to climate change.
 Ways to Reduce Air Pollution
1. Catalytic converter:
• Car fuels contain carbon; carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide are released as waste fumes.
• The converter contains a catalyst that helps in the reaction of the harmful gases producing less
harmful gases like nitrogen and carbon dioxide instead of oxides of nitrogen and carbon
monoxide. The catalyst is a transition metal like platinum which works best at temperatures
around 200 degrees Celsius
• CO is oxidized to CO2 while NO is reduced to N2.
• Unburned hydrocarbons are also oxidized to CO2 and H2O.
• It requires the use of unleaded petrol, as the lead compounds “poison” their catalysts.
 Ways to Reduce Air Pollution
2. Flu gas desulphurization:
• Is the process of the removal of sulfur dioxide from the waste
acidic gases at power stations, before they go out of the flu
(chimney). Slack lime (calcium hydroxide) or lime which is
calcium oxide is used to remove sulfur dioxide.

Examples:
Lime + sulfur dioxide → calcium sulfite
Slacked lime +sulfur dioxide → calcium sulfite + water
Calcium sulfite + oxygen + water → hydrated calcium sulfate
• Using low-sulfur fuel to minimize sulfur dioxide emission.
• Using unleaded petrol which causes brain damage
 Green House Gases and their Effect
• Some gases in the Earth's atmosphere trap heat radiating into space
from the Earth. This is called the greenhouse effect and the gases
involved are called greenhouse gases.
• They include: methane and carbon dioxide
Effect:
The greenhouse effect is the process through which heat is trapped
near the Earth's surface by substances known as 'greenhouse gases.'
Imagine these gases as a cozy blanket enveloping our planet, helping to
maintain a warmer temperature than it would have otherwise
 Global Warming
Greenhouse gases Source

Carbon dioxide - Respiration

- Decomposition
- combustion

methane - Decomposition of vegetation and waste gases from digestion in

animals

• Emission of methane and carbon dioxide are contributing in the

increase of global warming
• Also human activities are causing the release of high amounts of CO2
like deforestation which is the cutting down trees for fuel or building
etc.
• As CO2 increase the general mean temperature increases also.
 Climate Change
Increased global warming will lead to climate changes –
changes in the average weather experienced over 30
years or more
Climate change causes:
• Climate changes make it impossible to grow certain
crops
• Melting polar Ice and the thermal expansion of
seawater could lead to the rising of sea levels and
flooding low land cities and islands could disappear
• Extinction of some species that can’t adapt to the
new climate
 Carbon Dioxide Formation and how to Reduce it
Formation of Carbon Dioxide in the lab:
• This gas is easily made in the lab by adding hydrochloric acid to marble chips
• It is collected by downward delivery as it is heavier than most other gasses
• We can test for carbon dioxide gas as it will turn Lime water milky or it will put out
a lighted splint
Reducing the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere:
1. There have been many Climate Change Conferences where agreements have
been made to start reducing emissions from burning fossil fuels and polluting
industries like oil, coal and gas
2. Reduce our reliance on fossil fuels for transportation and electricity generation
3. Remove Carbon Dioxide from the atmosphere
4. Plant additional trees (afforestation)
 Reducing the Amount of Methane
1. Both rotting vegetation and
livestock emit methane. People
have tried to come up with
solutions like dietary changes
and trying to catch the methane
2. Educating people on the harmful
effects of a meat-rich diet
3. Landfill methane can be trapped
and burnt as a clean energy
source
 Methane CH4
• It’s found in gas deposits on the
ocean floor and on land as natural
gas and we use this natural gas as
an energy source.
• It also forms wherever bacteria
break down plant material and in
the absence of oxygen.
• Some animals give out methane as
a waste product of digestion.
 Ammonia NH3
• It is a colorless gas with a strong choking smell.
• It is less dense than air.
• It reacts with hydrogen chloride gas to form a white smoke of tiny particles of solid
ammonium chloride.
• It is very soluble in water.
• It reacts with acid to form salts:
NH3 + HNO3 -> NH4NO3
2NH3 + H2SO4 -> (NH4)2SO4
3NH3 + H3PO4 -> (NH4)3PO4
• This is an important compound because it Is needed to make fertilizers.
• It makes nitric acid (HNO3)
 Fertilizers
• Plants need water, carbon dioxide, and sunlight to perform
photosynthesis to make their own food. They also need
Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K). We call
them NPK fertilizers.
• Plants obtain these elements from the soil through the
roots as a solution

Fertilizer: Is any substance added to the soil to make it more

fertile
• Animal Manure is a natural fertilizer
• Synthetic fertilizers are nitrogenous chemicals added to
the soil to:
I. Aid the growth of healthy plants and increase crop
yield
II. Make soil more fertile by replacing the
nitrogen/nutrients depleted from the soil
• All fertilizers need to be soluble to be absorbed by the
plant’s roots
 What is in the Fertilizers
Synthetic fertilizers used such as:
⁻ Ammonium nitrate NH4NO3
⁻ Ammonium sulfate (NH4)2SO4
⁻ Ammonium phosphate (NH4)3PO4
⁻ Potassium sulfate K2SO4
What It Does Fertilizer Neutralization

N To Make proteins in the plant (Growth) Ammonium Nitrate NH3+HNO3-> NH4NO3

Ammonium Sulfate 2HN3+H2SO4-> (NH4)2SO4

P To Improve Crop yield Ammonium Phosphate 3NH3+H3PO4-> (NH4)3PO4

K To protect plants against diseases Potassium nitrate Occurs Naturally

 Consequences of Overuse of Fertilizers
• In Rivers: Fertilizers can seep into rivers from farmlands. They help
algae to grow, covering the surface. When the algae die bacteria feed
on them and use up the oxygen dissolved in the water, leading to the
death of fish
• In water supply: The nitrates in rivers can end up in our water supply.
When they end up in our body it makes the body carry around less
oxygen in the blood which can lead to illnesses.
 Sulfur
• Brittle yellow solid non-metal that is insoluble in water
• Has a low melting point
• A molecule of sulfur has 8 atoms
• Doesn’t conduct electricity
• It burns in oxygen to give sulfur dioxide
 Sulfur Dioxide
• Acidic gas, forms when sulfur is gently heated
• Colorless toxic gas, heavier than air, strong
chocking smell
• Produced by burning fossil fuels
• It removes the color from colored compounds
• It can kill bacteria
• Sulfur dioxide which changes a filter paper soaked
in acidified aqueous potassium manganate from
purple to colourless
• It’s the main cause of acid rain
 Sulfuric Acid
• Pure sulfuric acid is a viscous, dense liquid with a high
boiling point
• It is a strong acid
Uses of Sulfuric Acid:
1. Car Batteries
2. Making detergents, paint pigments, and explosive
3. Often used as a drying agent for gasses (Except ammonia
because it reacts with it)
4. As a dehydrating agent. It decomposes water or its
components
5. Sucrose or glucose turns slowly brown then black in the
presence of acid and then it produces steam
6. Dehydrate alcohols to form alkenes
7. Making ammonium sulfate, for use as a fertilizer