REN R 444 - Environmental Soil Chemistry

3 units (fi 6)(SECOND, 3-0-3)

Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences

Chemical processes in soil and related terrestrial environments and the consequences of these processes as they relate to soil productivity, environmental quality and pollution of soil and water. The course describes fundamental chemical concepts such as soil solution and solid phase chemistry, sorption phenomena, ion exchange, oxidation-reduction reactions and speciation of metals. These concepts are used to predict the fate (distribution, transport, bioavailability and transformation) of inorganic and organic contaminants in soil. The chemical principles provide fundamental knowledge to develop soil reclamation strategies and nutrient management practices for enhanced crop production. Prerequisites: 3 units in CHEM and REN R 210.