IRR 190 - Water Quality and Environmental Chemistry

Credits: 5
LEC hours per week: 4
LAB hours per week: 2
Applied lab science course focused on water chemistry for workforce education and non-science academic majors. Covers water quality sampling, testing, and reporting procedures for suite of common parameters and relevant background science. Emphasizes importance of accuracy, precision, and chain of custody when completing lab analyses. Formerly: WTM 190.
Course Outcomes:

Interpret the periodic table to compare and contrast elements and their component particles.
Explain the factors affecting the quality of a body of water.
Define commonly used water quality parameters and how they interact to determine the quality of a water sample.
Choose appropriate units of measure to describe values.
Assess the quality of water samples using analytical lab equipment and interpreting test results from an array of parameters.

Course Topics:

Lab safety.
Periodic table.
Units of measurement.
Overview of fresh water and environmental chemistry.
Quality assurance and quality control.
Nomenclature of ions and compounds.
Acids and bases - pH.
Conductivity, turbidity, and solids.
Alkalinity and hardness.
Dissolved oxygen, BOD, and temperature.
Organic nutrients, nitrogen, and phosphorus.
Micro-organisms.
Drinking water treatment plant operators.