Lawrence Technological University

What happens to fertilizer after it runs off the lawn and goes down the sewer? How about detergent once it’s poured down the sink? And how does black smoke from an industrial building’s chimney affect the atmosphere? 

These are the kinds of issues environmental chemists try to understand – all within the context of chemical systems. Their strong grounding in laboratory training and chemical theory provides the expertise to address some of our most pressing concerns: pollution prevention, hazardous waste management, chemical health and safety, environmental analysis, inspection and compliance, and the synthesis of biodegradable and photodegradable materials. 

If you find these kinds of problem-solving opportunities stimulating and inspiring, a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Chemistry from LTU might be the degree for you.  Once you’re in this field, you’ll find it is diverse and highly interdisciplinary as it focuses on the toxicity of chemicals and how they affect our natural world. Like other environmental chemists, you’ll draw from your knowledge of the earth’s history and physical makeup, seeking to protect the environment by studying:

• The chemical fate and mobility of contaminants
• The chemical processes that affect the toxicity and bioavailability of contaminants
• The chemical aspects of contaminant remediation and pollution prevention (green chemistry)
• How physical, analytical, organic and inorganic chemistry can be applied to complex environmental systems

As an environmental chemist, you might work in a laboratory setting – or outside of it, researching, developing, and testing environmentally friendly products. You might also collect and analyze samples, develop remediation programs, advise on safety and environmental emergency response, or deal with government regulations and compliance issues.