Barker College Chemistry Department

The state of our environment is an important issue for society. Pollution of air, land and water in urban, rural and wilderness areas is a phenomenon that affects the health and survival of all organisms, including humans. An understanding of the chemical processes involved in interactions in the full range of global environments, including atmosphere and hydrosphere, is indispensable to an understanding of how environments behave and change. It is also vital in understanding how technologies, which in part are the result of chemical research, have affected environments. This module encourages discussion of how chemists can assist in reversing or minimising the environmental problems caused by technology and the human demand for products and services.
 

Some modern technologies can facilitate the gathering of  information about the occurrence of chemicals — both those occurring in natural environments and those that are released as a result of human technological activity. Such technologies include systems that have been developed to quantify and compare amounts of substances.

This module increases students’ understanding of the nature, practice, applications and uses of chemistry and the implications of chemistry for society and the environment.