Environmental Degradation of Contaminants
Learn how pollutants are broken down in the environment! Most of the chemicals that we release to the environment are degraded there. Without environmental degradation processes, our chemical society would not be possible as we would soon be living in a sea of waste.
On the other hand, not all chemicals are broken down quickly, which can lead to chemicals accumulating in the environment and becoming problematic pollutants. Also, sometimes chemicals are not completely degraded but are instead transformed into substances that are even more problematic.
In this course, you will learn how chemicals are broken down in air, water, sediment and soil, and how sunshine and microbes facilitate their breakdown. Our goal will be to understand how the structure of a chemical influences whether and how it can be degraded in the environment, and how this degradation is influenced by environmental conditions.
Topics covered include:
- basic principles of transformation reactions
- hydrolysis
- redox reactions
- direct photolysis
- indirect photolysis
- biodegradation
- chemical persistence
Information for admitted students autumn 2024
Congratulations! You have been admitted at Stockholm University and we hope that you will enjoy your studies with us.
In order to ensure that your studies begin as smoothly as possible we have compiled a short checklist for the beginning of the semester.
Follow the instructions on whether you have to reply to your offer or not.
universityadmissions.se
Checklist for admitted students
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Activate your university account
The first step in being able to register and gain access to all the university's IT services.
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Register at your department
Registration can be done in different ways. Read the instructions from your department below.
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Read all the information on this page
Here you will find what you need to know before your course or programme starts.
IMPORTANT
Your seat may be withdrawn if you do not register according to the instructions provided by your department.
Information from the department - courses
Registration
Admitted students
Register on the web (Ladok for students). The registration will open 5 August for all courses, but check the last day of registration for each course in Ladok. If you have not studied at Stockholm University before, you first need to activate your university account (Get access to IT services).
Conditionally admitted
If you are conditionally admitted you must be able to show the appropriate documents to prove your eligibility to be able to register for the course. To show that you fulfil the requirement and to remove the conditional admittance, please contact us at the department, studeranu@aces.su.se.
How to decline your offer
If you decid not to attend, it’s important that you decline your place as soon as possible so that other students can be awarded a place. Follow the instructions given under Universityadmission.se – ‘Application’ after you log in. Read more here – Declining places you don't wish to keep
Roll call
In order to confirm the final number of participants, every course has a roll-call at the first lecture. If you are unable to attend the roll-call, you need to contact us (studeranu@aces.su.se) no later than the course start date.
Disability Services
Stockholm University provides targeted study support to students with long-term disabilities.
Read more: Studying with a disability
Welcome activities
Stockholm University organises a series of welcome activities that stretch over a few weeks at the beginning of each semester. The programme is voluntary (attendance is optional) and includes Arrival Service at the airport and an Orientation Day, see more details about these events below.
Your department may also organise activities for welcoming international students. More information will be provided by your specific department.
Find your way on campus
Stockholm University's main campus is in the Frescati area, north of the city centre. While most of our departments and offices are located here, there are also campus areas in other parts of the city.
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For new international students
On the other hand, not all chemicals are broken down quickly, which can lead to chemicals accumulating in the environment and becoming problematic pollutants. Also, sometimes chemicals are not completely degraded but are instead transformed into substances that are even more problematic.
In this course, you will learn how chemicals are broken down in air, water, sediment and soil, and how sunshine and microbes facilitate their breakdown. Our goal will be to understand how the structure of a chemical influences whether and how it can be degraded in the environment, and how this degradation is influenced by environmental conditions.
Topics covered include:
- basic principles of transformation reactions
- hydrolysis
- redox reactions
- direct photolysis
- indirect photolysis
- biodegradation
- chemical persistence
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Course structure
Teaching format
The course includes lectures, workshop exercises, presentations and discussions.
Assessment
The course is examined as follows: Knowledge assessment takes the form of Written exam and written assignments.
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Schedule
The schedule will be available no later than one month before the start of the course. We do not recommend print-outs as changes can occur. At the start of the course, your department will advise where you can find your schedule during the course. -
Course literature
Note that the course literature can be changed up to two months before the start of the course.
Schwarzenbach, R., P. Gschwend, and D. Imboden.Environmental Organic Chemistry. 3rd Ed. (2017) Wiley Interscience, New York, 1005 pages. This course covers selected material in Chapters 1-4and 21-26.
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Course reports
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Contact
Study counsellors
Department of Environmental Science
Course coordinator
Michael McLachlan, Michael.McLachlan@aces.su.se
Department of environmental Science, unit of Contaminant Chemistry
