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Chemistry of The Environment
Chemistry of The Environment
Chemistry of The Environment
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
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 Plastics
NPK fertilizers increase crop numbers and health by Plastics are polymers used a lot in daily life. They are
adding nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Heavy insoluble in water so they are easier to remove. They
rain causes NPK to run off soil into waterways, leading generate a lot of waste and cause a lot of pollution
to algae growth and deoxygenation. Penta-sodium
triphosphate, used in biological washing powders, can Poor disposal and lack of use of biodegradable plastics
enter waterways through washing, causing water means they are increasingly polluting clean water
deoxygenation and animal death. sources
1. Screening
2. Sedimentation
Steps to Purify
3. Filtration
Domestic Water
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%
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