Chemical concentrations

in water, air and soil

 Air

Nonvariable Gases
Nitrogen 78.08%
Oxygen 20.95%
Argon 0.93%
Neon 0.002%
Variable Gases
Water Vapor 0.1 - 5.0%
Carbon Dioxide 0.035%
Ozone 0.000006%
 Water
• Strongly dipolar molecule
• Hydrogen bonding
– Liquid at atmospheric pressure and
room temperature
– Large heat capacity
– Solid is less dense than liquid
• Units
mass/volume
 Water
• Takes a lot of added heat to change temperature
• Absorbs or releases more heat than many substances for
each degree of temperature increase or decrease
Steam
Temperature oC

Boiling

Water

Melting

Ice
Water Cycle
Water Distribution
Ecosystems and Nutrient
Cycles
 Definitions
• Ecology – the study of the interrelation-
ships between plants and animals that live
in a particular physical environment
• Ecosystems – communities of organisms
that interact with one another and their
physical environment
• Habitats – places where a populations of
organisms live
 Human Influences on
Ecosystems
• We normally separate non-human (natural)
aspects of ecosystems from human
(anthropogenic) influences
• Many ways to describe
– chemical − biological − physical
– land use − pollution − global
• Response may be complex due to the
interrelationships
• Primary interest is on health, but how to define
 Role of Energy
• Primary source of energy that drives
ecosystems is the sun
• Process starts with primary producers that
convert inorganic carbon into organic
compounds that store energy
• Photosynthesis
6CO2 + 6H2O + energy → C6H12O6 + 6O2
 Role of Energy
• Stored energy can then be recovered in the
“reverse” reaction, respiration
C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + energy
• Release energy is available to drive other
reactions, e.g. cell metabolism and growth
• On simplest level, ecosystems involve
– energy transfer processes
– Carbon-cycling
(inorganic → organic → inorganic)
– oxygen cycling (O2, carbonates, organics)
Food Webs
Carbon Cycle
Carbon Cycle
 Carbon Cycle
• Inputs of “new” CO2 comes naturally from
minerals and anthropogenically from the
combustion of fossil fuels
• Plants are responsible for most of the CO 2
that is converted to organic carbon
• Carbon is lost to deep ocean zone via the
solubility and biological pumps
• Carbon cycles within the biosphere by
photosynthesis and respiration
Nitrogen Cycle
Nitrogen Cycle
 Nitrogen Cycle
• Atmosphere provides an abundant reservoir
of N2
• N2 is converted to biologically available
forms naturally by nitrogen-fixing
organisms and anthropogenically by
combustion
• Nitrogen cycles between NO3-, NO2-,NH3,
and organic N by different organism
• N2 is returned to atmosphere by
denitrification under anaerobic conditions
Phosphorus Cycle
Phosphorus Cycle
 Phosphorus Cycle
• Inputs from mineral weathering and
fertilizer use
• Biological cycling between phosphates and
organic P
• Some chemical cycling
• Losses through precipitation and burial in
sediments
Sulfur Cycle Sulfur Cycle
 Sulfur Cycle
• Natural inputs from minerals
• Anthropogenic inputs from fossil fuel
combustion, mining, and metal processing
• Biological cycling elemental S, sulfides,
sulfates, organic S
• Chemical cycling via precipitation and
volatilization
• Losses through precipitation