Environmental chemistry

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The Environmental Chemistry (Engl. Environmental chemistry ), in similar import also environmental chemistry called, is an interdisciplinary scientific area of research with the spread, transformation and the effects of chemicals on the animate and inanimate environment busy. Both substances from natural sources are examined, e.g. B. from volcanoes (gases) and organisms (poisons) as well as those from anthropogenic sources, e.g. B. from traffic, industrial processes and fertilizer use.

history

Environmental chemistry emerged in Germany as an independent research area at the end of the 1960s in the run-up to the beginning of the major environmental protection discussions, with the chemist Friedhelm Korte in particular representing this then new research direction and probably also coining the term ecological chemistry . However, much of the content overlap with the resulting also about this time concept of ecotoxicology (Engl. Environmental toxicology and ecotoxicology ).

Sub-areas of environmental chemistry

The main research areas of environmental chemistry include:

  • the transformation of substances in the environment (soil, water, air)
  • the transport or distribution of environmental chemicals
  • Problems of waste disposal , especially waste incineration
  • the interaction or influence of environmental chemicals or their conversion / degradation products on the environment (humans, animals, plants, etc.)

Due to the interdisciplinary subject, environmental chemistry is closely interrelated with other areas of science such as B. on biology , ecology , meteorology and chemistry .

Methods

The analysis methods largely correspond to those used in environmental analysis or analytical chemistry , biochemistry and ecotoxicology .

literature

Reference books

  • Claus Bliefert : environmental chemistry . Wiley-VCH, Weinheim 2002, ISBN 3-527-30374-X .
  • Karl Fent: Ecotoxicology. Environmental chemistry, toxicology, ecology . 3rd edition, Thieme Verlag Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 978-3-13-109993-8 .
  • Friedhelm Korte (Ed.): Textbook of ecological chemistry: Basics and concepts for the ecological assessment of chemicals Stuttgart, New York: Thieme, (most recently) 2001.
  • Volker Koß: environmental chemistry. An introduction to study and practice . Springer Verlag Berlin, 1997, ISBN 3-540-61830-9 .
  • Bruno Kürbiß: Responsible Care. Occupational safety and environmental protection in chemical plants , Verlag Europa-Lehrmittel, Haan-Gruiten 2008, 184 pages, ISBN 978-3-8085-7165-1 .
  • Rene P. Schwarzenbach , Philip M. Gschwend, Dieter M. Imboden: Environmental Organic Chemistry . Wiley-Interscience, Hoboken, New Jersey 2003, ISBN 0-471-35750-2 .
  • Georg Schwedt : Pocket Atlas of Environmental Chemistry. Wiley-VCH, Weinheim 1996, ISBN 3-527-30872-5 .
  • Bruno Streit : Lexicon of Ecotoxicology . VCH, Weinheim. Approx. 8500 keywords from ecotoxicology and environmental chemistry, 2nd edition 1994, ISBN 3-527-30053-8 .
  • Gary W. Van Loon, Stephen J. Duffy: Environmental Chemistry: A Global Perspective . Oxford University Press 2005, ISBN 978-0-19-927499-4 .
  • Bernd Beek (Ed.): Bioaccumulation - New Aspects and Developments . The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry Vol. 2 Part J, Springer Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York 2000, ISBN 3-540-62575-5 .
  • Bernd Beek (Ed.): Biodegradation and Persistence . The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry Vol. 2 Part K, Springer Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York 2001, ISBN 3-540-62576-3 .

Essays