Analytical Environmental Chemistry

The course gives a detailed description of important instrumental chemical analytical techniques and sampling techniques for different types of samples (including water, sediments, soil and air). The course includes methods like spectrophotometry (UV / VIS), different types of absorption spectrometry and molecular spectrometry (for atoms and molecules), mass spectrometry using ICP-MS, potentiometry with various ion selective electrodes and other electroanalytical methods such as potentiometric stripping analysis and different voltammetric techniques. Laboratory activities include analysis of various important components in soil, air and water, and is especially dedicated to the natural environmental chemistry and environmental monitoring.

The course covers a range of selected modern analytical methods, with a special focus on important instrumental methods for determination of chemical parameters relevant to natural environmental chemistry and environmental monitoring.
After completing the course the student should be able to:
- Perform sampling and analyze important chemical parameters in soil/sediments, air, water, and vegetation samples, and have knowledge about contamination, storage/preservation of samples.
- Understand and explain the physical-chemical principles, the quantitative and qualitative use, and sources of errors for different types of absorption and emission spectrometry (from NMR to gamma radiation), with a special focus on IR, UV/VIS and X-ray spectroscopy.
- Understand and explain the physical-chemical principles, the quantitative and qualitative use, and sources of errors for mass spectrometry using ICP-MS, and be able to explain and describe the difference between low, medium and high resolution ICP-MS and the analytical consequences of the different resolution levels.
- Understand and explain the physical-chemical principles, applications of, and sources of errors for potentiometry with ion selective electrodes, together with construction of some selected frequently used ISE electrodes.
- Understand and explain the physical-chemical principles, applications of, and sources of errors for other electrochemical methods like potentiometric stripping analysis, amperometric sensors, and different techniques in voltammetry.
- Understand and explain the use of passive samplers like DGTs.
- Understand and explain the difference between multivariable statistics and multivariable data analysis, and know the most relevant use of multivariate data analysis.
- Search for relevant scientific literature for use in research reports, and be able to work in a team to produce such reports.
- Make presentations in PowerPoint or other media for oral presentations of research results.
- The HSE-lecture will give a general understanding in how to work safely in the laboratory.

Lectures (2 hours per week), exercises/teamwork (20 hours), laboratory work (80 hours), and excursions. As a part of the laboratory work, there will be given a compulsory HSE-lecture before the lab exercises start up. Portfolio assessment: Final examination 4 hours (70%), selected project reports (30%). The evaluation of each individual project report will be given as percentage points. Evaluation of the portfolio is grade by letter.
For re-sit exam or exam during a term without lectures in this course, written examination may be changed to oral examination.