This course explores the biogeochemical behavior of trace elements, focusing on processes driving their cycling in aquatic and terrestrial systems. It examines how abiotic and biotic transformations interact to shape trace element dynamics, with examples from both natural and engineered environments.

First, the students learn how to analyze soil systems with physical, chemical and microbiological methods. Later, the students train their experimental skills by conducting kinetic experiments in the laboratory and by quantifying process rates under field conditions in a river.