Module: Environmental Organic Chemistry

Module Specifications.

Current Academic Year 2024 - 2025

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Date posted: September 2024

Module Title	Environmental Organic Chemistry
Module Code	CS423 (ITS) / ENS1001 (Banner)
Faculty	Science & Health	School	Chemical Sciences
Module Co-ordinator	Susan Kelleher
Module Teachers	Brian Kelleher, Kieran Nolan
NFQ level	8	Credit Rating	5
Pre-requisite	Not Available
Co-requisite	Not Available
Compatibles	Not Available
Incompatibles	Not Available

Repeat examination

Description

This module will explore the chemistry of persistent organic pollutants, focusing on industrial processes, pollution issues and green chemistry

Learning Outcomes

1. explain the impact of industrial processes on the generation of persistent organic chemicals
2. assess the potential environmental impact of industrial process case studies
3. evaluate the reduction of persistent organic pollutants as a result of green chemistry technologies

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full-time hours per semester
Lecture	24	No Description
Independent Study	100	No Description
Total Workload: 124

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Industrial Process
1) Fossil fuels - Petrochemical – fuel production – chemical feedstock production – volume per annum. 2) Chemical – Plastics (plasticisers), dyes/pigments, surfactants, solvents – discuss processes in their production including per annum quantities etc. 3) Specialty chemical – toward pesticide and pharmaceutical production – discuss process

Pollution issues
Pollution from above – look at specific case studies – issues with: (i) plastics – non degradable and strategies to overcome this (ii) Dyestuffs in the environment – impact and solutions (iii) surfactants – lack of biodegradation and carboxylate surfactants - solutions (iv) PCBs – performance chemical for thermal applications – environmental cases and impact (birds, reptiles, humans – Luv canal Buffalo, US) – dioxin – storage disposal issues how this led to disaster in Montreal. (v) Pesticides – DDT, agent orange (kinetic vs thermodynamic control in production), designer pesticides that decompose (discuss the three generations of pesticides) – dioxin, chlorination (vi) Pharmaceuticals – how they get into the environment – impact (eg. diclofenac)

Green chemistry
(i) sustainable chemicals, (ii) sustainable processes – low carbon foot print, (iii) technologies to remove pollutants from the environment. (iv) Green energy technologies

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment	100%	Examination Weight	0%

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Course Work Breakdown

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories: Resit category 1: A resit is available for both* components of the module. Resit category 2: No resit is available for a 100% continuous assessment module. Resit category 3: No resit is available for the continuous assessment component where there is a continuous assessment and examination element.
* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a Continuous Assessment/Examination split; where the module is 100% continuous assessment, there will also be a resit of the assessment
This module is category 1

Indicative Reading List

Other Resources

None