MODULE 2

Environmental Chemistry

Lesson 1
Lesson Title: Fundamental of Chemistry – classification of elements and chemical
reactions

ACTIVITY

Using the periodic table above, kindly answer the following questions:
i) Which group of elements is very reactive?
Element s of group 1 called as Alkali metals. The first period consists of only two (2)
elements – hydrogen and helium
ii) ii) Which group of elements is non-reactive?
Elements of group 18 have an outer electronic configuration of ns2np6. These elements
have filled orbitals and comprise the non-reactive elements called inert gases.
iii) iii) What do you call the elements shaded with yellow green?
The lanthanide sequence/series consists of the 14 elements that accompany
lanthanum on the periodic table of elements, with atomic numbers 58 through 71. These
14 are set aside from the periodic table along with the actinides-atomic numbers 90
through 103-due to similarities in properties that characterize each group.
ANALYSIS

1. Using the periodic table, kindly discuss if the elements follow a certain pattern.
The arrangement of elements follows a certain pattern by depending on the atomic number of
each element.
2. Why the modern periodic table used atomic number and not atomic mass?

Russian Chemistry Professor Dmitri Mendeleev arranged the elements in periodic in the increasing
order of atomic weights, this proposal was adopted but with limitations. These are:

a. It did not provide a clear idea about the structure of an atom

b. In order to arrange the elements in groups, the order of atomic weights were reversed.

3. Think of the reaction of iron and oxygen in the atmosphere. What is the product called?
List at least three effects of the reaction.

A similar reaction happens when iron is exposed to oxygen in the air, but much more slowly. The
iron is eventually 'eaten away' as the oxygen reacts slowly. Rust is a type of iron oxide and
when iron is exposed to air, it forms slowly.

4Fe + 3O2 → 2Fe2O3.

Effects of the reaction:

Example when we are simply looking at how iron reacts with oxygen as steel wool burns with
oxygen.
a. Steel wool burning and bright orange sparks falling. There is also some smoke
b. Metallic smell in the air
c. Experience heat from the combustion reaction
d. Crackling sound of the steel wool burning.
e. Iron metal reacts by oxidation to provide a hydrated iron oxide in moist air. As it flakes off and
exposes more iron metal to oxidation, this does not protect the iron surface from further
reaction.
f. When iron is finely subdivided, it burns in the air readily enough. We can see that the rate of
reaction can increases significantly as the concentration of oxygen is increased. Air is about
20% oxygen, so we have raised the concentration by a factor of about five when we burn the
steel wool with pure oxygen.

APPLICATION

Using the periodic table, answer the following:

1. What are the four types of elements? Give 3 examples for each type.
Periodic has four types of elements namely: S Block. P Block. D Block and F block
S Block Elements (Alkali Metals): Alkali metals and alkaline earth metals, also known as
groups 1 and 2, are occupied by the S block in the periodic element table. ExampleHydrogen
Helium, Lithium
 P Block Elements: Is composed of classes 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18, with the exception of
Helium. Example Boron, Carbon, Nitrogen
D blocks Elements: They are more electropositive than elements of the p-block, but less
electropositive than elements of the s-block.Example Scandium. Titanium, Iron
F Block elements (Lanthanide and Actinide): Most radioactive elements: Examples
Lanthanum, Cerium, and Actinium
2. What are the three (3) main classes of elements? Give 3 examples each.
Metals, non-metals and metalloids are the classes of elements in periodic table
Metals: Examples include Sodium (Na), Silver (Ag), Zinc (Zn)
Non-metals: Examples include Helium (He), Carbon (C), Oxygen (O)
Metalloids: Examples include Boron (B), Silicon (Si), Germanium (Ge)
3. What is the basic difference in approach between the Mendeleev’s and the modern
periodic law?
The basic difference is based on the arrangement of the elements; Mendeleev’sarrangement is
based on Atomic Mass, while the Modern Periodic table is based on Atomic Number
4. What type of reaction is involved when Group 1A will react with elements in Group 7A?
Give example of this type of chemical reaction
Exothermic, this reactions release energy to their surroundings in the form of heat. Example of
this is the halogen chlorine (Cl)and the alkali meatal sodium (Na) react to form table salt.

Lesson 2
Lesson Title: Oxygen and Ozone Chemistry and the concepts of dissolved oxygen,
biological oxygen demand, and Ph

ACTIVITY
Answer the following questions based on your previous knowledge:
1. What is ozone and ozone layer?
The ozone layer is a layer in the atmosphere of the Earth that collects the majority of UV
radiation from the Sun. It contains relatively high ozone concentrations, but it is still very low
in terms of natural oxygen content. The gas created by three oxygen atoms (O3) is ozone. Its
concentration is about 0.02 – 0.1 ppm based on volume. Ozone is a minor component of the
earth’s atmosphere. It exists naturally in the upper atmosphere (the stratosphere) in limited
quantities. Ozone protects life from the ultraviolet (UV) radiation of the Sun on Earth.
2. What is ozone layer depletion?
Ozone depletion occurs as gases formerly present in aerosol spray cans and refrigerants are
released into the atmosphere by chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs ) and halons.The loss of the
ozone layer causes increased levels of UV radiation on the surface of the Earth, which is
 harmful to human health. Increases in some types of skin cancers, eye cataracts and immune
deficiency disorders are among the harmful effects. ... UV rays also influence plant growth,
reducing productivity in agriculture.
3. What are the effects of oxygen depletion in water ecosystem?
A prominent effect of eutrophication in water is oxygen depletion, or hypoxia. The direct
effects of hypoxia include the killing of fish, especially the death of fish in need of high levels
of dissolved oxygen. Changes in fish populations may have an effect on the whole water
ecosystems, and fish stocks may be depleted. Hypoxic conditions promote the growth of
bacteria that create toxins that are lethal to birds and animals in extreme cases. Dead zones
are called zones where this happens.

ANALYSIS

Think about this:

1. Why is the ozone hole over Antarctica and not over Australia?
The ozone hole appeared over Antarctica because atmospheric and chemical conditions unique
to this region because it increases the effectiveness of ozone destruction by reactive halogen
gases. In addition to an abundance of these reactive gases, the formation of the Antarctic ozone
hole requires temperatures low enough to form polar stratospheric clouds, isolation from air in
other region.

2. How can chlorine atom in the stratosphere interfere with the ozone cycle?

When chlorine atom in the stratosphere interfere with the ozone cycle, they destroy ozone molecules,
because one chlorine atom can damage/destroy over 100,000 ozone molecules before it is removed from
the stratosphere. As we all know ozone can be damaged /destroyed more quickly than it is naturally

created If each chlorine atom released from a CFC molecule destroyed only one ozone molecule, CFCs
would pose very little threat to the ozone layer. However, when a chlorine monoxide molecule encounters
a free atom of oxygen, the oxygen atom breaks up the chlorine monoxide, stealing the oxygen atom and
releasing the chlorine atom back into the stratosphere to destroy more ozone. This reaction happens over
and over again, allowing a single atom of chlorine to act as a catalyst, destroying many molecules of
ozone.

Fortunately, chlorine atoms do not remain in the stratosphere forever. When a free chlorine atom reacts
with gases such as methane (CH4), it is bound up into a molecule of hydrogen chloride (HCl), which can
be carried downward from the stratosphere into the troposphere, where it can be washed away by rain.
Therefore, if humans stop putting CFCs and other ozone-destroying chemicals into the stratosphere, the
ozone layer eventually may repair itself.
APPLICATION

Answer the following questions briefly:

1. Explain why the concentration of ozone varies with altitude.

Different studies have shown that ozone concentration increases with altitude. In the upper
atmosphere, the stratosphere, the ozone level is thus higher than in the lower atmosphere and
the troposphere. This is beneficial for life on earth, as this ensures that ozone absorption far
from the surface of the earth attenuates the harmful UV radiation.
2. Explain why the formation of O3 behaves as a pseudo first order reaction.
If we look at the relative concentration of species in the atmosphere, O2 and M (= O2 + N2) have
much higher concentrations than O and O3, and so they can be considered to be essentially
constant over time. Thus, we might expect reaction (1) to obey zero order kinetics (a “pseudo”
zero order reaction) and reaction (2) to obey first order kinetics (“pseudo” first order reaction
3. Why dissolved oxygen in water is low during summer?
Dissolved Oxygen is inversely proportional to temperature. The dissolved oxygen level in high-
temperature water is lower than at low temperatures. This means that during summer and calm
weather likelihood of fish kill is high.

Lesson 3

Lesson Title: Toxic Chemicals

ACTIVITY

Draw floor plans of your homes and indicate where and what types of hazardous products that can be
found in every part of your home

ANALYSIS

1. List five (5) toxic chemicals found in:

a. Your home

I. Air freshener (Glade)- Chlorine

II. Toilet/Bathroom Cleaner (Domex)
III. Bleach (Zonrox) Sodium Hypochlorite
IV. Inspect Spray (Baygon)
V. Laundry Detergent

b. In the grocery
I. Muriatic Acid- Hydrochloric Acid
II. Spot removers, upholstery and carpet cleaners, and dry cleaning solutions: These
products contain perchloroethylene, or PERC
 III. Antibacterial soaps and hand sanitizers: These products contain triclosan, which was
first registered as a pesticide
IV. Furniture Polish
V. Rubbing Alcohol
c. In nature
I. Snake Venom
II. Petroleum
III. Arsenic
IV. Mercury
V. Cyanide – Poisons

2. From the list of toxic chemicals identified, choose one (1) chemical from each source and
discuss why these chemicals you considered as toxic? And why we continue to use it?
A. In House
Laundry Detergent
Although your clothes can smell as fresh as a summer afternoon, daily leading laundry
detergent brands also contain harmful chemicals, ranging from skin and throat irritation
to carcinogenicity, leading to negative health effects. 1, 4-Dioxane is one of the most
toxic chemicals used in laundry detergent. This chemical, used in paints and varnishes, is
present in leading laundry detergent brands such as Tide. "1,4-As a solvent, dioxane is
used. Vertigo, drowsiness, headache, anorexia and irritation of the eyes, nose, throat,
and lungs in humans have been caused by acute (short-term) inhalation exposure to
high levels of 1,4-dioxane. The skin may also be irritated by it.
Detergent is necessary and we continue to use it because the surfactants in detergents
enhance the ability of water to wet objects, spread over surfaces, and seep into dirty
fibers of clothing. Surfactants do another big job as well.

B. In the Grocery
Muriatic Acid-

C. In the Nature
Arsenic
Arsenic is one of WHO’s 10 chemicals of major public health concern. Arsenic is, in its
inorganic form, highly toxic. The biggest threat to public health from arsenic is polluted
water used for drinking, food storage and irrigation of food crops. Long-term drinking
water and food exposure to arsenic can trigger cancer and skin lesions. Arsenic is also
used as part of highly diluted homeopathic treatments used for stomach disorders, food
poisoning, sleep issues (insomnia), allergies, anxiety , depression, and obsessive-
compulsive disorder (OCD), despite severe safety concerns. Arsenic is also included in
traditional Chinese medicine formulas and is used as a general tonic and pain-killer for
psoriasis; syphilis; asthma; joint pain; hemorrhoids; cough; itchiness; cancer; to reduce
swelling; and.