Umweltchemie

Umweltchemie, or environmental chemistry, is the branch of chemistry that studies chemical processes that occur in the environment and the fate of chemical substances within air, water, soil, and sediments. It examines how pollutants originate, move, transform, and interact with biota, as well as natural constituents such as nutrients and dissolved inorganic species.

Core concerns include transport through air and water, partitioning between phases, degradation pathways (photolysis, hydrolysis, biodegradation), and the formation of transformation products, some of which may be more toxic than the parent compound. The field considers both anthropogenic chemicals—pesticides, industrial solvents, heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants—and natural compounds.

Methods and tools in Umweltchemie include environmental sampling and analytical chemistry (chromatography, mass spectrometry, spectroscopy) at trace levels, modeling of fate and transport, and laboratory and field experiments. Interdisciplinary work with toxicology, ecology, and geochemistry is common, enabling integrated assessments of environmental processes.

Applications of Umweltchemie encompass assessment of environmental risk, design of remediation strategies, development of pollution-control policies, and support for regulatory decision-making. The field contributes to understanding emerging contaminants, climate-related changes in chemical processes, and the sustainable management of Earth’s resources.