Chemical Processes in the Environment
Environmental Chemistry
Atmospheric Chemistry (Acid Rain, Smog)
In the air, there are a variety of chemicals. Often, these chemicals combine with each other through chemical reactions, creating new types of chemicals. This is called “atmospheric chemistry.” Earth’s atmosphere has different layers. The lowest layer is called the troposphere. We live in the troposphere. Some of the chemicals in the air come from pollution. Most of the gas in our atmosphere is nitrogen. Approximately 4/5 of air is nitrogen. But what about the 1/5 left? Almost all of it is oxygen, which is what we need to breathe. But there are also small amounts of other gases; these are the types of gases that trap the sun’s heat in our atmosphere. Earth would be very cool if we had no greenhouse gases. Carbon dioxide and methane are two important greenhouse gases. Some of the chemicals come from air pollution. When we burn coal in a factory, or when we use gasoline in our cars, we are creating polluted air. Both coal and oil contain sulfur. When burnt, they are converted into chemicals known as sulfur oxides. When these mix with water droplets in the air, they can become sulfuric acid. The acid droplets can fall to the ground as acid rain. Cars and trucks also emit chemicals called nitrogen oxides. Nitrogen oxides combine with other chemicals and give rise to smog. They also help to form nitric acid, another acid in acid rain.
Aquatic Chemistry (Geochemistry)
Knowing the source and the processes of chemical components of aquatic systems allows us to understand how ecosystems function and to assess the impact of human activities on them. The chemical composition of water, sediments, and organisms allows us to:
- Establish standards that define the health of aquatic systems.
- Infer the origin of chemical components in the system.
- Study the motion of surface water bodies and sediment in coastal areas.
Geochemistry is a tool that plays an important role as it provides specific details of time, quantity, conservation, or degradation of different elements, heavy metals, nutrient cycling, etc., which often become pollutants. With this type of analysis, bioremediation projects are generated at different times in marine, coastal, and limnological environments.
Biochemistry
Biochemistry is the science that studies the chemical components of living things, especially proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids, as well as other small molecules present in cells. Biochemistry is based on the concept that every living thing contains carbon, and in general, biological molecules are mainly composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur. It is the science that studies the very basis of life: the molecules that make up cells and tissues, that catalyze chemical reactions of digestion, photosynthesis, and immunity, among others. The beginning of biochemistry may well have been the discovery of the first enzyme, diastase, in 1893 by Anselme Payen. The cornerstone of biochemical research focuses on the properties of proteins, many of which are enzymes.