66193 - Environmental Physical Chemistry M

Learning outcomes

-          To provide knowledge about the physical and chemical mechanisms that take place in the atmosphere and in the water cycle with specific reference to the problems connected with the ozone layer and the greenhouse effect.

-          To provide knowledge about the investigation techniques adopted to determine the physical properties and the chemical composition of the stratosphere.

-          Acquisition of the fundamental chemical and physical principles necessary to evaluate the impact of human activities on the atmosphere and on the water system.

Course contents

·         Units used for physical and chemical quantities in the stratoospheric studies.

·         Altitude variation of physical and chemical quantities in the atmosphere.

·         The influence of chemistry in the physical properties of the stratosphere.

·         The electromagnetic spectrum and its subdivision in conventional regions; the UV classification.

·         Interaction between molecules in the gas phase and the electromagnetic radiation.

·         Principles of photochemistry and chemical kinetics.

·         Principles of molecular spectroscopy: translation, rotation and vibration degrees of freedom of molecules.

·         Electronic states and electronic transitions.

·         The role of atmospheric components in the greenhouse effect.

·         Criteria to evaluate the impact of greenhouse gases.

·         Evidence of recent modifications in the physical and chemical properties of the stratosphere.

·         Ozone-generation mechanisms in the stratosphere: the Chapman mechanism.

·         Natural mechanisms of ozone destruction in the stratosphere: photochemical and catalytic destruction.

·         Ozone catalytic-destruction cycles in the stratosphere: natural and anthropogenic origin of catalysts.

·         Reservoir species and coupling of the cycles.

·         Chemical models of the atmosphere.

·         Heterogeneous stratospheric chemistry.

·         Effect of aircraft emissions on stratospheric ozone.

·         Mechanisms that induce the “ozone hole” phenomenon on the Antarctic regions.

·         Biological consequences of the ozone layer depletion.

 

·         Strategies for the analysis and monitoring of the stratosphere.

·         Remote-sensing measurements: observation geometries.

·         Absorption and emission spectroscopy of the atmosphere.

·         Principles of Fourier Transform spectroscopy.

·         Review of past and future measurement campaigns.

·         Qualitative analysis of the spectroscopic measurements to determine the stratospheric composition.

·         Simulation of spectroscopic measurements on the stratosphere.

·         The forward model with instrumental effects.

·         Solution of the inverse problem: mathematical formulation and inversion methods for spectroscopic measurements on the stratosphere.

·         Geometrical aspects of the inversion techniques.

The water cycle

Water pollution

Eutrophication

hypoxia

spills

wastewater and sewage

water purification

Readings/Bibliography

J.H. Seinfeld, “Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics”, J. Wiley & Sons Inc, New York. B.J.
Finlayson-Pitts, J.N. Pitts, “Chemistry of the Upper and Lower Atmosphere”, Academis Press, San Diego.
http://www.ccpo.odu.edu/SEES/ozone/oz_class.htm
R.J. Bell, “Introductory Fourier Transform Spectroscopy”, Academic Press, New York.
P.W. Atkins, J. De Paula, “Physical Chemistry” VII ed., W.H. Freeman & co (Zanichelli).  

Teaching methods

The full course is given with classroom lessons and a training part with the use of computers

Assessment methods

The final examination is oral and will be focused on a probable set of questions aimed to verify the theoretical knowledge of the student about the principles and the technologies presented along the course.

Teaching tools

Slide projector

Personal Computers

Transparency projector

Blackboard

Office hours

See the website of Massimo Carlotti