VVZ API is not affiliated with ETH Zurich. Data might be outdated or incorrect. Please view the official ETHZ Vorlesungsverzeichnis for binding information.

701-1240-00L 3 Credits MSC D-USYS , D-BAUG
You're viewing possible stale or outdated data. Please check the latest semester for more up-to-date information.

Modelling Environmental Pollutants

Lecturers & Examiners: Prof. Dr. Martin Scheringer, Dr. Christian Bogdal
VVZ CR n/a

Last Updated: 2026-06-01 11:33:52

Abstract

Modeling the emissions, transport, partitioning and transformation/degradation of chemical contaminants in air, water and soil.

Objective

This course is intended for students who are interested in the environmental fate and transport of volatile and semi-volatile organic chemicals and exposure to pollutants in environmental media including air, water, soil and biota. The course focuses on the theory and application of mass-balance models of environmental pollutants. These models are quantitative tools for describing, understanding, and predicting the way pollutants interact with the environment. Important topics include thermodynamic and kinetic descriptions of chemical behavior in environmental systems; mechanisms of chemical degradation in air and other media; novel approaches to modeling chemical fate in a variety of environments, including lakes and rivers, generic regions, and at the global scale, and application of mass balance modeling principles to describe bioaccumulation of pollutants by fish and mammals.

Content

Application of mass balance principles to chemicals in a system of coupled environmental media. Measurement and estimation of physico-chemical properties that determine the environmental behavior of chemicals. Thermodynamic and kinetic controls on the behavior of pollutants. Modeling environmental persistence, bioaccumulation and long-range transport potential of chemicals, including a review of available empirical data on various degradation processes. Current issues in multimedia contaminant fate modeling and a case study of the student's choice.

Resources

Lecture Notes

Material to support the lectures will be distributed during the course.

Literature

There is no required text. The following texts are useful for background reading and additional information. D. Mackay. Multimedia Environmental Models: The Fugacity Approach, 2nd Ed. 2001. CRC Press. R. P. Schwarzenbach, P. M. Gschwend, D. M. Imboden. Environmental Organic Chemistry. 2nd Ed. 2003, John Wiley & Sons. M. Scheringer. Persistence and spatial range of environmental chemicals: New ethical and scientific concepts for risk assessment. 2002. Wiley-VCH.

General Information

Language
English
Levels
MSC
Frequency
Yearly recurring

Examination

Type
session examination
Mode
written 120 minutes
Aids
Calculators (non-programmable and non-communicating).

Registration & Places

Max Places
50
Signup End
28.02.2025
Priority: Registration for the course unit is until 21.02.2025 only possible for the primary target group

Course Components

Type Title Time & Place Hours
lecture with exercise Modelling Environmental Pollutants
  • Wed 08:15-10:00 (ML F 38)
2 h weekly

Offered In