Chemistry of The

Environment.

 
 
Made by: Taha Javed
X-K 
Water:
Water is the most common of all liquids. It covers two thirds of our planet and is
essential for plant and animal life. The human body needs over two liters of clean
water a day to replace to replace the water lost through sweating, breathing and
going to the toilet.

Tests for detecting presence of water

There are two ways in which presence of water can be detected:

 Using Anhydrous Cobalt (II) Chloride.

Cobalt (II) Chloride paper is used to test for presence of water. Cobalt chloride,
CoCl2, is a fascinating compound that changes color in response to humidity. As
humidity increases, cobalt chloride changes color from sky blue to purple to pink.
However if there is no traces of water present the color of the dry blue Cobalt (II)
chloride paper remains unchanged. The equation for the reaction is: CoCl2+
H20Co2+(aq)+2Cl(aq)

 Using Copper (II) Sulfate

Pure Copper (II) sulfate is white. It is also known as anhydrous copper (II)
sulfate because it has no water in it. When water is present in a sample of copper
(II) sulfate it turns blue. It is still a dry solid, because the individual water
molecules are trapped within the ionic lattice surrounding the copper (II) ions.
Solutions of copper (II) sulfate are also blue. The color change of the copper (II)

sulfate in the presence of water or water vapors can be used to detect for presence
of water. The equation for the reaction is CuSo4 +H2O CuSo4 . 5H20.

Test for detecting presence of impurities in water

using melting and boiling point:
Presence of impurities in a substance can be very easily detected through the use of
its melting and boiling points. If impurities are present in a substance the melting
point of the following substance decreases and the boiling point of the substance
increases. In case of water the melting point is exactly “0” degree Celsius and the
boiling point is exactly “100” degree Celsius. If the melting of ice (solid water)
occurs at a temperature lower than the standard melting point i.e 100 degree
Celsius then it can be said that impurities are present in the water. Similarly if
water (liquid) changes its state to vapor (gas) on heating at a temperature higher
than the actual boiling point of water it can be deduced that the following sample
of water contains impurities.
Why is distilled water used in practical chemistry
rather than tap water.
In practical chemistry distilled water is used rather than tap water for many
reasons. Firstly, Distilled water is basically inert, meaning nothing is in the water
but hydrogen and oxygen. Distillation kills most organic matter and removes
minerals from the water, making it an ideal control element for science projects
and laboratory tests. Secondly, The distillation process also removes the electrical
charge from the atom and molecules in water. Thirdly, the use of distilled water in
practical chemistry assures that the outcome of the test is fair. Because distilled
water basically contains nothing in it, since it is inert, it won't affect the outcome of
tests completed for Chemistry projects. As a control element, when conducting
multiple tests, water that is pure won't change the results of the test. If there were
minerals or live organisms in the water, this could lead to results that are not fair,
but biased, which means the results are not accurate .

Substances dissolved in water obtained from natural

resources
Water is a good solvent and so, it will dissolve a great variety of substances. Some
dissolved substances, which are naturally occurring like mineral salts and oxygen,
are beneficial to living organisms. However, some dissolved substances are
harmful to living organisms and are therefore pollutants. From farmlands, the main
impurities are dissolved fertilizers which are leached from the soil as their water
passes through. Industrial pollution is a severe problem. Here, factory waste such
as detergents, solvents and chemicals can pollute the rivers and seas, if they are
discharged without being neutralized or filtered out first. Some of the chemicals
found in industrial waste are long term pollutants, such as compounds of the metals

lead, mercury and cadmium. Moreover detergents also contribute to sea-water

pollution. Furthermore water from natural resources may also contain raw
untreated sewage waste from industries which is a very harmful substance. Plastic
is another substance is very common in natural water bodies because plastic
products are used in large amounts by urban population and the waste plastic is
dumped into natural water bodies, this plastic is not only harmful to the

environment but also to aquatic life. As water in natural water bodies is not
treated it may also contain many harmful microbes such as Escherichia Coli.
Eventhough many substances found in natural water bodies can be harmful there
are some substances which can be beneficial Dissolved mineral salts in water
bodies are absorbed through the roots of plants, and help to make simple protein.
Dissolved oxygen found in natural water bodies is helpful as it is essential for
aquatic life. However harmful substances found in natural water are very damaging
to water bodies as some of the metal compounds found in industrial waste, such as
compounds of lead mercury and cadmium. These are particularly because their
concentration can build up in fish and other aquatic creatures which can eventually
be eaten by man and can cause various health problems such as cancer and organ
failure. Plastic found in natural water bodies can also be very dangerous as it can
cause ingestion, suffocation and entanglement of hundreds of marine species.
Marine wildlife sometimes mistaken plastic waste as prey and most die of
starvation as their stomachs are filled with plastic debris. Sewage from industries is
also very harmful as it contains harmful microbes such as E.coli which are very
harmful to not only humans but also to aquatic life. Dissolved fertilizers containing
nitrates which are leached from soil as their passes through can cause a pollution
problem known as eutrophication which is the growth of excessive algae which
will block sunlight to the ocean causing aquatic plants and animals to die.
Detergents containing phosphate are excellent fertilizers of algae. Large amount of

detergents in water bodies will lead to growth of algae which may cause
deoxygenation of river and under these conditions anaerobic bacteria may attack
decaying vegetation hence producing toxic waste.

Treatment of Domestic water supplies

Sedimentation and filtration

Sedimentation is a common way of treating water. It is a process that removes
solids that float and settle in the water. The process relies on the use of
sedimentation tanks that remove larger solids. Subsequent treatment processes may
be used after sedimentation. Sedimentation is one of the methods that
municipalities use for treating water. It is a physical water treatment process in
which gravity is used to remove suspended solids from water. Advantages of using
sedimentation process are:

 Fewer chemicals are required for subsequent water treatment.

 It makes any subsequent process easier.
 The cost is lower than some other methods.
 There is less variation in the quality of water that goes through the process

After sedimentation the water is filtered, disinfected and then distributed

Use of carbon to remove taste and odors

Water from natural water bodies contains objectionable odor and taste. The odors
and taste is not due to any one substance but rather to a mixture of substances. A

filter with granular activated carbon (GAC) is a proven option to remove certain
chemicals, particularly organic chemicals, from water. GAC filters also can be
used to remove chemicals that give objectionable odors or tastes to water such as
hydrogen sulfide (rotten eggs odor) or chlorine.
Chlorination
Many harmful pathogens can be found in raw water from rivers or lakes. In order
to combat waterborne diseases caused by these pathogens different disinfection
methods are used to inactivate pathogens, one of the most popular method is
chlorination. Chlorine inactivates microorganisms by damaging its cell membrane.
Once the cell membrane is weakened, the chlorine can enter and disrupt cell
respiration and DNA activity (two processes necessary for the survival of the cell)
after chlorination water can be considered safe for human consumption.

Fertilizers
Fertilizers are substances added to plants to ensure that crop yields are maximized
and plant health is preserved as much as possible. Fertilizers provide the plant with

nutrients for its growth. Ammonium salts and nitrates help the plant with growth,
and manufacturing of DNA, chlorophyll and amino acids. NPK fertilizers or
fertilizers containing Nitrogen, Phosphorus and potassium are modern fertilizers
used to provide the plant with all the mineral ions required for its proper growth
and functioning. Nitrogen is good at making the leaves grow, Phosphorus
improves fruit and/or flower production as well as root growth, Potassium is great
for overall plant health
Air quality and climate
Air is an important natural resource. Not only do we use oxygen in the air to
breathe, we also extract other gases from air to use as raw material in industries.
Air is a mixture of several gasses. It contains elements and compounds that are
needed by all living things. As air is a mixture, its composition varies from time to
time and from place to place. A typical sample of dry air contains 78% Nitrogen,
21% oxygen and 1% other gases. These other gasses consist of 0.97% noble gasses
(mostly argon) and 0.03% carbon dioxide

Air pollutants, their sources and adverse effects.

Air pollution is caused by solid particles (called particulates) and poisonous gasses
in the air. These substances are called air pollutants:

1. Oxides of Nitrogen

Sources
 In a car engine or chemical factory, where the temperatures are very high,
nitrogen combines with oxygen in the air to form nitrogen monoxide or
nitric oxide (NO). Nitrogen monoxide reacts with oxygen to form a brown
gas, nitrogen dioxide (NO2)
 During thunderstorms, heat energy is released by lightening causes nitrogen
and oxygen in the air to react to form oxides like nitrogen monoxide and
nitrogen dioxide
 Effects
 Oxides of Nitrogen can irritate the eyes and lungs and cause breathing

difficulties. Moreover it can react with water to form acid rain which
corrodes buildings and harms aquatic life and plants

2. Carbon dioxide

Sources
 Is produced from the complete combustion of carbon containing
substances for example charcoal

Effects
 As carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas higher levels of the substance can
lead to increased global warming which will lead to climate change leading

to many natural disasters such as floods due to melting of glaciers

3. Carbon Monoxide

Sources
 Carbon Monoxide is produced due to incomplete combustion of carbon
containing substances for example wood and patrol
 Effects
 High levels of Carbon monoxide can cause breathing problems and even
death

4. Methane

Sources
 Methane is formed from the decomposition of vegetation and waste gasses
from digestion in animals

Effects
 Methane is a greenhouse gas so It can lead to global warming leading to
adverse climate changes and natural disaster

Sulfur dioxide

Sources
 Can be formed due to combustion of fossil fuels in motor vehicles, power
stations and factories
 Sulfur dioxide can also be formed due to volcanic eruptions.

Effects
 Sulfur dioxide can irritate the eyes and lungs and cause breathing difficulties
  When Sulfur dioxide reacts with water in the atmosphere it forms acid rain,

which corrodes building and harms aquatic life and plants .

Global warming
Greenhouse gases such as methane and carbon dioxide trap radiation. An example
is CO2, which absorbs infrared radiation and thus reduces the amount of heat
energy escaping into space. When solar radiations passes through the atmosphere
and some radiation if reflected by the atmosphere into space, Solar radiations
warms the Earth’s surface but some infrared radiation or heat rise from the surface
and escapes into the environment. Greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere trap some
of the heat and warm the earth’s surface. In a nutshell greenhouse gasses such as
CO2 and CH4 are present in the atmosphere can absorb and trap the heat coming to
the earth’s atmosphere from the sun, the earth absorbs the sun’s heat and emits
infrared radiation which is absorbed by the greenhouse gasses present in the
atmosphere, this increases the amount of heat in the atmosphere hence producing a
warming effect known as greenhouse effect which leads to global warming
Strategies to reduce the effects of environmental issues

 Climate Change
The effects of Climate change can be reduced by decreasing the usage of fossil
fuels such as coal because burning of fossil fuels/ combustion produces carbon
dioxide, a harmful greenhouse gas which contributes largely to the greenhouse
effect and climate change. The usage of more renewable energy resources such as
wind, solar, hydroelectric power and hydrogen will reduce the dependency on
nonrenewable resources such as Fossil fuels. Furthermore afforestation can be very
useful for reducing the effects of climate change as plants absorb CO2 (greenhouse
gas) through the process of photosynthesis and help to maintain a safe percentage
of the gas in the atmosphere. Animal agriculture produces two greenhouse gasses
Nitrous oxide and Methane, both of these gasses are greenhouse gasses and hence
are extremely harmful, in fact Methane, mainly produced by enteric fermentation
and manure storage, is a gas which has 28 times higher effect than carbon dioxide
and Nitrous oxide, arising from manure storage and the use of organic/inorganic
fertilizers, is a molecule with a global warming potential 265 times higher than
carbon dioxide.
  Acid rain
Firstly combustion of fossil fuels release sulfur dioxide which can pollute the
environment and cause acid rain so switching from fossil fuels to more renewable
energy resources will reduce the amount of sulfur dioxide in atmosphere hence
reducing the amount of acid rain. Exhaust gases and oxides such as nitrogen,
carbon monoxide and unburnt hydrocarbons are a major source of air pollution and
acid rain. To reduce the adverse effects on atmosphere because of these gasses the
exhaust system of most vehicles are now fitted with catalytic converter which
converts harmful pollutants into harmless substances by redox reaction. Moreover
low sulfur fuels can be used to reduce the emission of Sulfur dioxide from vehicles
as sulfur dioxide is the principle contributor to acid rain. Furthermore
desulfurization can be done to remove sulfur dioxide from waste gasses formed
when fossil fuels undergo combustion by using a flue gas desulfurization plant. As
sulfur dioxide passes through the plant it reacts with an aqueous suspension of
calcium carbonate to form solid calcium sulfite and CO2 gas
Oxides of Nitrogen formed in car engine and its removal
In a car engine, where the temperatures are very high, nitrogen combines with
oxygen in the air to form nitrogen monoxide or nitric oxide

N2 + O2 2NO

Nitrogen monoxide may also react with oxygen later to form, nitrogen dioxide
(NO2)

Oxides of nitrogen in car engines can be removed by usage of catalytic converters.

Catalytic converters use reduction and oxidation (redox) reactions to reduce
harmful emissions. They use a reduction catalyst composed of platinum and
rhodium which helps reduce nitrogen oxide by removing nitrogen atoms from
nitrogen oxide molecules. Catalytic converters also work to remove nitrogen
oxides and carbon monoxide from exhaust. The equation of this reaction is

2 NO (g) + 2CO (g) → N2 (g) + 2CO2 (g)

Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis is the process through which plants (autotrophs0 manufacture their
own food, photosynthesis is the reaction of Carbon dioxide with water in the
presence of chlorophyll (in plant) using energy from light to form glucose and
oxygen.

Word equation:
Carbon dioxide + water ( in the presence of chlorophyll and light)  Glucose +
Oxygen

Chemical equation
6CO2 + 6H20 (in the presence of light and chlorophyll) C6H12O6 + 6O2