IEP 281 Water and Air Pollution Chemistry

Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, the learner will be able to:

1. classify water pollutants as physical, chemical and biological. Give examples of each type of pollutant; indicate pollutant sources and reasons why specific pollutants are hazardous.
2. sketch and label a cross-sectional drawing of the atmosphere.
3. discuss air pollution, criteria pollutants, pollutant sources, air pollutant environmental impacts and control technologies.
4. discuss strategies to manage air quality such as point of impingement (POI) dilution versus elimination of air pollutants at their source.
5. calculate maximum mixing depth and ventilation coefficient given monthly average air temperature at ground level and wind velocity.
6. define adiabatic lapse rate, stable air, unstable air, neutral air, inversions, effective stack height and wind velocity. Explain the effect of these variables on air pollution dispersion.
7. perform basic mass balance modeling to predict steady state concentration of pollutants (either conservative or non-conservative).
8. prepare and dilute aqueous solutions.
9. perform a quantitative chronic toxicity test to assess the amount of pesticide residue in a soil sample (milligrams of pesticide per kilogram of oven dried soil). The method involves geometric dilution, treatment replication, statistical analysis and presenting data using spreadsheet software.
10. perform drinking water treatment tests to determine optimum alum dosing and chlorine residual.
11. operate a spectrophotometer for quantitative analysis of a water sample for iron and present the results using a spreadsheet.
12. discuss the origins and environmental impact of acidic precipitation and acidic mine drainage and critique the concept of "critical loads" in environmental management.
13. operate an atomic absorption spectrophotometer for quantitative analysis of a water sample for iron and present the results using a spreadsheet.
14. calibrate and use a barometer.
15. calibrate a variable speed air-sampling pump to a required flow rate. Express the flow rate in cubic metres per minute at a standard temperature and air pressure.
16. operate a calibrated variable speed pump and an impingement tube to determine the amount of a gaseous fraction expressed in units of moles, mass or volume within an air sample and report the concentration in units of mass over volume of air sampled at a standard temperature and air pressure and in units of volume over volume of air sampled at the same temperature and air pressure.
17. use a computer model to predict downwind dispersion and maximum point of impingement of an air pollutant given a set of variables such as wind speed, air stability, emission rate, etc.
18. complete arithmetic and geometric dilution calculations,
19. calculate air pollution concentration,
20. undertake simple mass balance modeling, and
21. apply spreadsheet skills to analyze experimental data.
22. differentiate between chronic and acute toxicityand the role of these concepts on establishing water quality standards.
23. explain light absorbance, light transmittance and Beer’s Law in the context of spectrophotometry.
24. explain the use and operation of an atomic absorption spectrophotometer.
25. discuss water sampling methods, sampling techniques, sample collection technologies, sampling plans, quality assurance, accurate labels and records.
26. draw a flow chart illustrating the unit operations for drinking water treatment.
27. draw a flow chart illustrating the unit operations for wastewater treatment.
28. describe the physical and chemical characteristics of air including composition, density, molar mass and molar volume.