Trent University Department of Chemistry

CHEM 3610H: River and Ocean Chemistry

2017 Winter

Peterborough

Instructor: / Email:
Office Location: / Office Hours: / Telephone:
Academic Administrative Assistant: / Email:
Office Location: CSB D105 / Telephone: 705-748-1011 ext. 7505

Course Description: This course focuses on the parameters controlling the natural water chemistry in surface and subsurface systems. These key processes involve chemical reactions and kinetics, pH control of equilibria, chemical speciation and photochemical processes. This course combines theory and environmental applications.

Course Pre-requisites: CHEM2400H (240H) and CHEM/ERSC 2600Y (241). Excludes CHEM-345H

Required Text: N/A

Recommended Texts / Learning System / Blackboard Information

  1. Principles of Environmental Geochemistry by G. Nelson Eby (2004)
  2. Aqueous Environmental Geochemistry by Donald Langmuir (1997)
  3. Principles and Applications of Geochemistry by Gunter Faure (1998)

Copies of these textbooks are on reserve at Bata Library

Course Format

Meeting Type / Day / Time / Location
Lecture / Wednesday / 2:00-3:50pm / SC 115
Seminar/Tutorial / Thursday / 12:00-12:50 / BL 401

Learning Objectives:

I have developed the course to address several learning outcomes. By the end of the course a successful student should:

  1. Understand the conceptual aspects of chemical speciation including conditional stability constant and metal binding by organic and inorganic ligands;
  2. Have a good understanding of how photochemical processes can affect dissolved organic matter and associated chemicals
  3. Assess the role of major redox reactions in fresh and sea waters;
  4. Predict the role of carbonate system in natural waters with an emphasis on pH control;

Course Evaluation

Type of Assignment / Weighting, % / Due Date
Assignment #1 (problems) / 15 / Week04
Assignment #2 (problems) / 15 / Week05
Assignment #3 (problems) / 15 / Week07
Assignment #4 (problems) / 15 / Week09
Assignment #5 (problems) / 15 / Week11
Final / 25 / Exam session

Note: The final date to withdraw from winter half courses without academic penalty is Friday March 10, 2017. After this date students remain registered in Winter-term courses and receive final grades.

Week-by-week schedule

  1. Properties of waters: properties and composition
  2. Acid-base chemistry: generalities
  3. Acid-base chemistry: acidity and alkalinity
  4. Dissolved organic matter in natural waters
  5. Metals in waters: stability constants and speciation
  6. Metals in waters: complexation and kinetics
  7. Photochemical processes: example of iron
  8. Chemical limnology
  9. Marine chemistry
  10. Estuarine chemistry
  11. Introduction to stable and radioactive isotopes
  12. Review session

Although specific dates are not listed, I will follow the order of topics as given and will regularly communicate in class and on the learningSystem/Blackboard about the pacing of the lectures. For this reason, it is important for you to attend class and log on to the learningSystem/Blackboard regularly.

Course Policies:

There will be five assignments weighted equally. The assignments will be due in one week from the date of issue. Penalty for late assignments and lab reports is 20% per day and per weekend/holidays.

Department and/or Course Policies:

Chemistry Department Policy on Completion of Course Work:

The Department of Chemistry considers that completion of all components of a course is necessary for a student to be given credit in that course. Therefore, it is the policy of the Department that a student must complete, and hand in if applicable, all material associated with each component of the course. This applies equally to work that is handed in or completed too late to earn any marks in the course, in conjunction with the policy of the course instructor on lateness.

Students who fail to meet this requirement for reasons that would make it reasonable to assign an ”incomplete” mark for the course should consult the instructor well before on which final marks are due for the course in question. In the absence of an incomplete standing being assigned, the student will receive a mark of “0” and an “F” grade in the course.

University Policies

Academic Integrity:

Academic dishonesty, which includes plagiarism and cheating, is an extremely serious academic offence and carries penalties varying from failure on an assignment to expulsion from the University. Definitions, penalties, and procedures for dealing with plagiarism and cheating are set out in TrentUniversity’s Academic Integrity Policy. You have a responsibility to educate yourself – unfamiliarity with the policy is not an excuse. You are strongly encouraged to visit Trent’s Academic Integrity website to learn more.

Access to Instruction:

It is TrentUniversity's intent to create an inclusive learning environment. If a student has a disability and documentation from a regulated health care practitioner and feels that he/she may need accommodations to succeed in a course, the student should contact the Student Accessibility Services Office (SAS) at the respective campus as soon as possible, (Peterborough, Blackburn Hall, Suite 132, 705-748-1281 or email

Safe Assignment:

Assignmentsmust be submitted electronically to the SafeAssign drop box in Blackboard. SafeAssignutilizes plagiarism-checking software. Further information about SafeAssign will be provided on the class LearningSystem/Blackboard site.

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