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Environmental Chemistry CH601 February 21, 2012

Dr. ]ean-Paul Simjouw


Mid-term Take Home Examination
Due on February 28, 20l2
This exam consists of l6 questions on 3 pages for a totaI of l00 points. Write
your answers aIong with the questions in a word document. Post your response
in BIackboard using the provided Iink.
Some of the questions are meant to dig a IittIe deeper than the materiaI presented
so far. Try to be as compIete and concise as possibIe with your answers to the
questions. Do not panic if you are unabIe to get the whoIe answer. Give me as
much information that is reIevant to answering the question as possibIe.
Cite and reference aII outside sources you might have used.
Work aIone.
l. What are the five major classes of material making up the composition of
atmospheric aerosol particles?
An aerosoI is defined in its simpIest form as soIid or Iiquid particIes suspended
in a gas, and it incIudes a wide range of phenomena such as dust, fume, smoke,
mist, fog, haze, and smog.
2. The size distribution of particles emitted from coal-fired power plants is bimodal
(is it?). What are some of the properties of the smaller fraction in terms of potential
environmental implications?
Using Stokes Law
v = gd
2
(p
l
-p
2
)
l8
determine the settling velocity of a particle that has a radius of 2.0 m and a density
of l.5 g mL
-l
. How many days will it take for this particle to fall from a l50 m smoke
stack? How far would this particle travel if the power plant was located in
Connecticut?
3. Although NO
x
is necessary for smog formation, there are circumstances where it
is plausible that moderate reductions of NO
x
levels might actually increase the rate
of smog formation. Suggest a reason why this might be so.
4. Speculate on how smog reactions would (not) change if the ozone layer would no
longer be present.
5. What important photochemical property do carbonyl compounds share with NO
2
?
6. State two factors that make the stratosphere particularly important in terms of
acting as a region where atmospheric trace contaminants are converted to other,
chemically less reactive, forms.
7. Which of the following statements is true?
a) RO reacts with NO to form alkyl nitrates
b) RO is a free radical
c) RO is not a very reactive species
d) RO is readily formed by the action of stable hydrocarbons and ground state
NO
2
e) RO is not thought to be an intermediate in the smog-forming process.
8. The hydroxyl radical is a catalyst for ozone destruction. Show why it is considered
a catalyst.
9. Which of the following silicates is more likely to dissolve by weathering: feldspar
or olivine? Why?
l0.For soils that contain no carbonate, iron, or aluminum, how can neutralization of
acid take place? Write a reaction.
ll. Under what conditions do the reactions,
MnO
2
+ 4H
+
+ 2e
-
Mn
2+
+ 2H
2
O
and
Fe
2
O
3
+ 6H
+
+2e
-
2Fe
2+
+ 3H
2
O
occur in soil? Name two detrimental effects that can result from these reactions.
l2.Because of favorable kinetics, Fe(OH)3(s) is usually regarded as the principal
Fe(lll) redox species in flooded soils within a few months after inundation. Given the
information in Table 6.2 of the extra handout and the reaction:
Fe
2+
(aq) + CO
2
(g) + H
2
O(l) = FeCO
3
(s) + 2H
+
(aq) logK = -7.5
Construct a pE-pH diagram for the species Fe2+, FeCO3(s) and Fe(OH)3(s).
Take [Fe
2+
] = l0
-7
and PCO
2
= l0
-2
atm
l3.What are four important effects of organic matter in soil?
l4.Calculate the cation exchange capacity of l g of soil that releases the following
concentration of ions in the ammonium acetate test.
Ca
2+
= 30.8 g/ml
Mg
2+
= 8.4 g/ml
K
+
= 2.2 g/ml
Na
+
= 6.4 g/ml
l5.The soil mineral orthoclase can weather to kaolinite and gibbsite under humid
tropical conditions. Write a balanced chemical reaction for this reaction.
l6.ln respect to its soil solution chemistry, fulvic acid can be represented by the
formula HL, where L
-
represents l mol of dissolved fulvic acid charge, regardless of
the nature of the organic ligands involved.
Use this convention to write a balanced chemical reaction for the congruent
dissolution of kaolinite, with the complex, Al(OH)
2
L, as one of the products.

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