E6050 Fate of Toxic Compounds in Environment

Faculty of Science
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 2 credit(s) (plus extra credits for completion). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Peter Šebej, Ph.D. (lecturer)
prof. Martin Scheringer, Dr. sc. nat. (lecturer)
prof. RNDr. Jana Klánová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Jakub Urík, Ph.D. (assistant)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Peter Šebej, Ph.D.
RECETOX – Faculty of Science
Contact Person: Mgr. Peter Šebej, Ph.D.
Supplier department: RECETOX – Faculty of Science
Prerequisites
NOW( E6051 Fate of Tox in Env - Pr )
Succesful credit for courses E5040 "Environment compartments and polution" and C4660 "Basic physical chemistry" is strongly recommended. Simultaneous enrollment into the E6051 "Chemistry and fate of chemical compounds in environment - seminar" class is mandatory and will allow practicing of acquired knowledge.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The aim of this course is to introduce chemical and physical laws allowing qualitative and quantitative description and understanding of fate of chemical compounds in the environment. Course will cover transport and equilibria between compartments and chemistry of compounds in relevant matrices and biota.
Learning outcomes
After this course students should be:
- able to discuss fate of chemicals in the environment
- understand transport, distribution and chemistry of compounds judged by their chemical and physical properties and properties of matrices
- quantify the fate of chemicals in the environment
- use physical-chemical laws and chemicals properties for qualitative and (semi-)quantitative assesment of their behaviour in the environment on both physical and chemical levels
Syllabus
  • 1. Overview of environmental media and processes in these media on the local, regional and global scale
  • 2. Thermodynamic and kinetic background; intermolecular forces
  • 3. Thermodynamics 1: equilibrium partitioning, partition coefficients
  • 4. Thermodynamics 2: equilibrium partitioning, poly-parameter linear free-energy relationships
  • 5. Thermodynamcis 3: sorption of ionic species to charged surfaces
  • 6. Thermodynamics 4: sorption to biota; baseline toxicity
  • 7. Kinetics 1: overview of transformation reactions in the environment
  • 8. Kinetics 2: photolysis
  • 9. Kinetics 3: biotransformation
  • 10. Chemicals 1: organochlorine substances
  • 11. Chemicals 2: poly- and perfluorinated substances (PFASs)
  • 12. Chemicals 3: polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
  • 13. Chemicals 4: brominated flame retardants (BFRs)
Literature
    recommended literature
  • SCHWARZENBACH, René P., P. M. GSCHWEND and Dieter M. IMBODEN. Environmental organic chemistry. Third edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley, 2016, xvii, 1005. ISBN 9781118767238. info
  • SCHWARZENBACH, René P., P. M. GSCHWEND and Dieter M. IMBODEN. Environmental organic chemistry. 2nd ed. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley-Interscience, 2003, xiii, 1313. ISBN 0471357502. info
Teaching methods
Education is performed as lectures. Understanding of mechanisms and consequences is emphasized. Students are frequently asked questions to think about actual topic. They are encouraged to ask questions and be in interaction with the lecturer.
Assessment methods
Attendance of the lectures is not mandatory but strongly recommended for understanding of the subject. During the classes, students are asked about subjects of past and actual topics and their interconnections. Final course assessment is based solely on the written examination at the end of semester.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.
Listed among pre-requisites of other courses
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/sci/spring2025/E6050