Course Description

Although water is a necessity for human life, there are many populations in the world who do not have access to a clean water source. Human activities, such as washing clothing, applying fertilizer to agricultural crops, and operating power plants can all be important sources of pollution to Earth's aquatic systems. During this course, students explore the major contributors to water pollution globally (e.g. pesticide pollution, thermal pollution), explain their source and transport through the Earth’s systems and examine their impact on aquatic ecosystems. Students also investigate the control of water pollution as well as the treatment of waste water prior to human consumption. New government policies and technologies that can be used to minimize the damaging effects of water pollution will be discussed. NCR: No credit will be retained for any student who has passed or is taking SC/CHEM 3061 3.00.