Bachelor of Science in Chemistry - Environmental Chemistry

SUNY Stony Brook University

The Environmental Chemistry Option of the Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry is designed to enable students to explore the application of their laboratory based understanding of the principles of chemistry to a wide variety of chemical phenomena that have an impact on the human environment. The program provides a solid grounding in fundamental chemistry broadened by an introduction to the science of ecology and to several important areas of environmental science which make use of this chemical and ecological knowledge. Students completing this program are prepared for work, or advanced study, in specialized area of environmental chemistry, chemical ecology or environmental technology or, with the addition of some suitable electives, for entry into the study of such fields as environmental medicine, occupational health or environmental law. As with other subdivisions of the field of chemistry, it is perhaps most useful to define environmental chemistry operationally in terms of the activities of scientists who refer to themselves as environmental chemists. A major endeavor of such scientists is the study of the chemical phenomena associated with the causes and effects of various local, regional and global air, water and land pollution problems such as ground water contamination, acid rain and ozone depletion. Problems associated with the disposal of both domestic and industrial waste require research by chemically trained scientists, as do efforts to understand the mechanisms by which potentially toxic or hazardous chemicals are transported and distributed within and around ecosystems. Most aspects of environmental chemistry require a detailed understanding of the methods required to obtain representative samples and to perform reliable analyses of complex environmental materials for trace chemical contaminants.