Crop and Soil Sciences > Degree Programs and Courses > Soil Science Courses > Soils 419
Soils 419 - Soil Environmental Chemistry
- Instructor: Dr. Carmen Enid Martínez
- Credits: 3
- Semesters Offered: Spring
- Texts:
- Undergraduate students: Environmental Soil Chemistry, Donald L. Sparks, Academic Press, Second Edition, 2003.
- Graduate students: Environmental Chemistry of Soils by Murray B. McBride, Oxford University Press, 1994.
- Handouts will be provided in class.
- Prerequisite: SOILS 101, CHEM 12, CHEM 13
- Syllabus: Link to PDF file.
Course Description
Soils 419 is an introduction to the principal chemical constituents and processes occurring in soils. The objective of the course is to provide students with a conceptual framework for understanding chemical reactions in heterogeneous soil systems. Fundamental principles are emphasized, and applications to biogeochemistry and environmental quality are presented. Topics include soil minerals and weathering processes, soil organic matter, soil solution chemistry, oxidation-reduction reactions and adsorption processes. The course assumes that students have a background in general chemistry (e.g., Chem 12 and 13) and introductory soil science (e.g., Soils 101).