Overview
This unit examines • air pollution: ozone depletion, sulfur oxides, photochemical smog and greenhouse effects; • water pollution; • inorganic and organic pollutants, surfactants and detergents; • hazardous wastes: classification, treatment, disposal; • pollution monitoring: sampling procedures, analytical methods and modelling techniques. You will be presented with the ecological and health effects of chemical pollution and these will be discussed. Renewable energy and energy utilisation is investigated. If you are a Distance education student, you will be required to attend a residential school for this unit.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Pre-requisites: CHEM11044 Chemical Reactions OR permission from Head of Course
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2021
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Residential Schools
This unit has a Compulsory Residential School for distance mode students and the details are:
Click here to see your Residential School Timetable.
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback – Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Have Your Say
The Moodle page was easily accessible and well laid out.
A comprehensively detailed Moodle platform will be continued.
Feedback from Have Your Say
Some lectures had poor audio.
The lectures for the unit were recorded in the office and it was found rather late that wired headsets tend to pick up a lot of noise from the wire constantly making contact with the device. To address these, the use of wireless headsets with mics in subsequent lecture recordings has been successful. These headsets will continue to used for future desk-based recordings. Live lectures remain an option for the next offering too, and these may address some of the issues.
Feedback from Have Your Say
Better interaction with students would be good.
In a normal term, by the time the feedback was open, there would have been a successful residential school, and a lot of positive interactions tend to happen from this point onward. The past feedback specifically supports this observation, so it is hoped that we can give students positive experiences in the residential school and it contributes to a more positive experience.
- Understand the chemical principles relating to the chemistry of the different spheres of the environment: atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and biosphere
- Use laboratory skills to make reliable analytical measurements to assess the quality of water, air, soil and food sources
- Be familiar with the important environment regulating authority and environmental guidelines
- Use research skills to obtain information relating to environmental chemical concepts, environmental issues and current approaches to solve these.
None
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 30% | ||||
| 2 - Practical and Written Assessment - 50% | ||||
| 3 - Online Test - 20% | ||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Communication | ||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | ||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | ||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | ||||
| 5 - Team Work | ||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | ||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | ||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | ||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | ||||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 30% | ||||||||||
| 2 - Practical and Written Assessment - 50% | ||||||||||
| 3 - Online Test - 20% | ||||||||||
Textbooks
Environmental Chemistry
Edition: 5th edn (2012)
Authors: Colin Baird & Michael Cann
Macmillan international Higher Education
London London , UK
ISBN: 9781464113499
Binding: Hardcover
Additional Textbook Information
If you prefer to study with a paper copy, they are available at the CQUni Bookshop here: http://bookshop.cqu.edu.au
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: Vancouver
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
s.chandra@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
It Must be In The Water: Acid-base Chemistry of Natural Waters
Chapter
3
10
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Water: Redox Chemistry of Natural Waters
Chapter
10
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Oxygen - Supply, Demand & Role in Water
Chapter
11
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Oxygen Demand and Water Pollution
Chapter
10
11
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Air: Stratospheric Chemistry; Ozone Hole
Chapter
1
2
17
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Air: Oxygen Chemistry and the Stratosphere
Chapter
1
2
17
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Air: The Mechanism of Greenhouse Gas Action
Chapter
3
4
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Air: Let There be Clean Air
Chapter
3
4
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Energy & Climate Change: Greenhouse Effect, Fossil-fuel Energy, Carbon Dioxide Emissions, Global Warming, Ecological and Human Health: Toxic Organic Compounds
Chapter
5
6
7
8
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Energy & Climate Change: Renewable Energy, Alternative Fuels and the Hydrogen Economy
Chapter
5
6
7
8
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Pollution: Toxic Heavy Metals and Metalloids
Chapter
12
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Revision
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Written Assessment
The Assessment Task comprises of a mix of numerical and descriptive problems, as well as requiring you to undertake brief research on an environmental issue in Australia. It is to be submitted online through the Moodle support site for this unit.
The Assessment Task requires some research (i.e. you need to consult references outside of the textbook, including peer reviewed scientific literature such as journals). It is important to start on the Assessment Task as early as possible. Remember to always cite your sources throughout your report.
Week 5 Friday (9 Apr 2021) 12:00 pm AEST
To be submitted via Moodle.
Week 8 Friday (7 May 2021)
Returned with feedback via Moodle
Problem-solving
Full marks for correct answers and partial marks depending on accuracy of answers.
Writing Task
- Clarity of description of incident (5 marks)
- Factual basis as evidenced by supporting literature (5 marks)
- The use of sound scientific reasoning in any interpretation of information (10 marks)
- Correctly cited references (5 marks)
- Presentation including adherence to 500-word limit (5 marks)
- Be familiar with the important environment regulating authority and environmental guidelines
- Use research skills to obtain information relating to environmental chemical concepts, environmental issues and current approaches to solve these.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
2 Practical and Written Assessment
The Assessment Task relates to the compulsory Residential School. The Residential School includes a field trip and two days of laboratory work. You will work in pairs preparing samples and when conducting your experimental work. For the Assessment Task, you will write up an individual scientific report of the experiments and activities undertaken during the Residential School.
Week 9 Friday (14 May 2021) 12:00 pm AEST
To be submitted via Moodle.
Week 12 Friday (4 June 2021)
Returned with feedback via Moodle
Report Structure
Title, Aim and Introduction to practical exercise. The Introduction should cite literature (e.g., include relevant chemical equations and background info on the issue) : 25 marks
Outline of procedure (exact and with sufficient detail and clarity to be reproduced in another laboratory, and in your own words rather than reproduced from the Laboratory Manual): 15 marks
Data organisation (tabulated, graphed for clarity): 15 marks
Data verification (accuracy and precision estimation): 15 marks
Comparison of data with other similar work, calculations etc.: 15 marks
Overall presentation of report, citations and referencing: 15 marks
- Understand the chemical principles relating to the chemistry of the different spheres of the environment: atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and biosphere
- Use laboratory skills to make reliable analytical measurements to assess the quality of water, air, soil and food sources
- Be familiar with the important environment regulating authority and environmental guidelines
- Use research skills to obtain information relating to environmental chemical concepts, environmental issues and current approaches to solve these.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Team Work
- Information Technology Competence
- Ethical practice
3 Online Test
The Online Test will be an assortment of problem-solving and extended-answer questions. It will have a timed period in which it must be submitted. The specific details of the Assessment will be provided on Moodle.
Review/Exam Week Thursday (10 June 2021) 2:00 pm AEST
To be attempted in Moodle.
Exam Week Friday (18 June 2021)
Due to the specific nature of questions in this activity, specific instructions and assessment criteria will be further explained in the Test itself.
- Understand the chemical principles relating to the chemistry of the different spheres of the environment: atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and biosphere
- Communication
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
