Table of Contents - Hartwick College

Environmental Chemistry
Hartwick College offers an American Chemical Society (ACS) approved
B.S. degree in Environmental Chemistry. The word environment in its
broadest sense means an individual’s or community’s surroundings.
Environmental chemistry is thus the study of the composition and
changes in composition of our surroundings. Environmental chemistry
applies chemistry to a wide variety of situations including, but not limited
to, the broad categories of natural water, air, and soil chemistry; water,
air, and soil pollution; pollution remediation; water, waste water, air, and
hazardous waste treatment; pollution prevention (also known as green
chemistry); toxicology; and resource availability and use. Some specific
issues you may be familiar with that fall under these broad categories
include ozone depletion, global warming, indoor air pollution, availability
and use of fossil fuels, alternative energy sources, acid rain, and many
others.
Requirements for a major in Environmental Chemistry include courses in
biology and/or geology as well as in chemistry and auxiliary courses in
math and physics. A required senior research project involves laboratory,
library, and possibly field work, interpretation of data, and oral and
written reports of the results.
In addition to the independent research required for their senior project,
environmental chemistry majors often collaborate with faculty on ongoing
research and/or complete internships with state and federal agencies,
environmental consulting firms, or other universities.
Hartwick’s major in Environmental Chemistry prepares students for
entry-level positions in consulting firms, industry, state and federal
government agencies, and research laboratories or for entry into graduate
school to pursue a master’s or doctoral degree.
Faculty
Meredith E. Newman, coordinator; Richard L. Benner
Courses
315 Environmental Chemistry (3 credits) (3 one-hour lectures
weekly). This course examines the transport, reactions, and effects of
chemical species in aquatic, terrestrial and atmospheric environments.
Topics will include the application of chemical principles to current
environmental problems such as: acid precipitation, water pollution and
treatment, hazardous waste treatment, soil chemistry, pesticide behavior,
global warming and photochemical smog formation. Prerequisite: Chem
108 or 109. (LAB)
316 Environmental Chemistry Lab (2 credits) (1 four-hour
laboratory weekly). The laboratory introduces basic procedures in
environmental monitoring (air, water and soil sample collection and
analysis). The laboratory must be taken concurrently with 315
Environmental Chemistry.
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