This course will take up principles of environmental chemistry and ecotoxicology and deepen understanding of: i) bioavailability and effects, ii) structures of compounds and modes of toxic action, iii) principles of hazard and risk assessment. Where possible, particular emphasis will be placed on the use of alternatives to vertebrate animals in toxicity assessments.

This lab course provides an in-depth overview of the various steps that have to be carried out when analyzing qualitatively and quantitatively organic pollutants in environmental matrices such as soil and surface waters.

What happens to chemicals in the environment? How do we determine whether they degrade over decades and accumulate in the food chain? Answers to these questions are provided in this lecture, which covers basic knowledge about distribution behavior, environmental analysis, abiotic and biotic degradation reactions, and toxic effects of chemicals as part of environmental chemical risk analysis.

Im ersten Teil der Veranstaltung werden die wichtigsten Transport-, Verteilungs- und Transformationsprozesse anhand von praktischen Beispielen illustriert. Danach sollen diese Kenntnisse an ausführlichen Fallbeispielen in Gruppen angewendet und vertieft werden.Die Lehrveranstaltung besteht aus (1) gemeinsamen Kontaktstunden für die Bearbeitung der Einführungsbeispiele, (2) Fragestunden, für Bearbeitung der Fallstudien und (3) gemeinsamen Päsentation Ergebnisse.

Exercises in interpretation of molecular spectra

Introduction to environmental chemistry and ecotoxicology. Fate and reactions of organic pollutants in the environment. Biodegradation, bioavailabiliy and bioaccumulation. EToxic effects from the molecular to the ecosystem level. Overview on risk assessment of chemicals.

With excursions the students gain insights into scientific as well as practical aspects of various areas in which environmental chemistry and microbiology play a key role. Topics include a.o. waste water treatment, landfills, drinking water purification, impact of agriculture on surface water quality and environmental assessment of synthetic chemicals.

Important organic environmental pollutants are presented. The physical and chemical basics required for understanding the environmental behavior of such pollutants are taught and deepened in exercises.

The ability to critically evaluate original (scientific) literature and to summarise the information in a succinct manner is an important skill for any student. This course aims to practice this ability, requiring each student to write a term paper of scientific quality on a topic of relevance for research in the areas of biogeochemistry and pollutant dynamics.

This class is the 2nd part of a series and participation is conditional on the successful completion of "Term Paper 1: Writing". The results from the term paper written during the previous term are presented to the other students and advisors and discussed with the audience.