SOC-34806 Applications in Soil and Water Chemistry

Course

Credits 6.00

Language of instruction:

English

Assumed knowledge on:

SBL-21806 Soil Quality or SOC-21306 Soil Pollution and Soil Protection or AEW-31306 Water Quality (or comparable courses).

Continuation courses:

SBL-35306 The Carbon Dilemma; Thesis Soil Chemistry and Chemical Soil Quality; Thesis Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management.

Contents:

Various aspects of chemical interactions of compounds in the soil-water environment (nutrients, contaminants) and their applications are part of this course. Most relevant process studied is speciation (especially adsorption and complexation). Applications focus on practical calculation and measurement procedures (what should be measured).
Lectures: fundamental aspects and practical applicability of speciation processes in soil, groundwater and surface water; applications to soil remediation, soil fertility, water quality, risk assessment, etc.
PC practical: structural approach in solving chemical equilibria (speciation calculations) using a computer model (ECOSAT).
Lab practical: determination of adsorption behaviour of heavy metals to solid and suspended particles (clay, oxides, organic matter); chemical analysis (AAS, TOC, pH); parameter fitting (multiple linear regression).
Tutorials: assignments related to lecture topics; simulation of adsorption behaviour using a speciation model (ECOSAT).

Learning outcomes:

After successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:
- conduct laboratory experiments to determine adsorption isotherms, analyse important chemical soil and water characteristics and interpret experimental results;
- analyse speciation problems in soil-water systems and perform speciation calculations with a computer speciation model;
- describe and predict compound behaviour in soil and surface water;
- indicate applicability of speciation in soil and water chemistry.

Activities:

- attend lectures and tutorials; hand in assignments;
- conduct laboratory experiments; write practical report;
- do PC practical on speciation calculations.

Examination:

Hand in assignments (2 per week; 6 total) and practical report; complete pc practical.
Contribution to final mark: average of all assignments 50%, practical report 25%, PC-practical 25%.
Each part should get a minimal score of 5.5 (scale 0-10).

Literature:

Textbook: Applications in Soil and Water Chemistry (reader).
Textbook: PC practical Speciation Calculations.
Manual practical Applications in Soil and Water Chemistry.