{"id":4479,"date":"2022-09-30T09:53:19","date_gmt":"2022-09-30T13:53:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lgcassocprod.wpengine.com\/?p=4479"},"modified":"2023-11-07T18:24:30","modified_gmt":"2023-11-07T23:24:30","slug":"whats-environmental-chemistry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lgcassociates.com\/es\/whats-environmental-chemistry\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Environmental Chemistry?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The need for specialists in environmental chemistry will continue to grow in the coming years as governments and businesses continue to react to a global focus on sustainability, conservation and natural resource protection.<\/span> But what’s environmental chemistry, exactly?<\/span><\/p>\n

What’s Environmental Chemistry?<\/h5>\n

Designing chemistry processes for creating environmentally sustainable products, minimizing toxic waste creation or monitoring environmental conditions at a chemical plant are among the specializations environmental chemists might explore. Chemists need at least a bachelor\u2019s degree in chemistry or a related field. However, a master\u2019s degree or Ph.D. is needed for many research jobs.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Environmental chemists monitor what is in the air, water, and soil to understand how chemicals enter the environment, what affects those chemicals have and how human activity affects the environment. They develop an overall background in chemistry, including organic and biochemistry, and often study related disciplines such as oceanography, biogeochemistry, analytical methods, ecology, biology, geology, and engineering.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While environmental chemistry focuses on the effects of polluting chemicals on nature, another avenue is \u201cgreen\u201d chemistry, which focuses on the environmental impact of chemistry, including lowering consumption of nonrenewable resources and technological approaches for preventing pollution.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Environmental chemists may be exposed to contaminants and hazardous conditions during their work. Wearing protective equipment and following established safety procedures is important.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Responsibilities<\/h5>\n

While responsibilities vary from company to company, the basic responsibilities of an environmental chemist include developing data collection methods, records management of study data, forecasting and analyzing chemical impact, preparing reports and presenting research to stakeholders, advising organizations and policymakers on short- and long-term impacts of chemicals in the environment, reviewing research and literature in the field to say on top of latest information.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As you grow your career toward becoming a lead environmental chemist or chief researcher, other responsibilities will come into play, such as developing project scopes and budgets, data quality assurance, managing office-based tasks, supervising field work and filing regular updates with funding agencies and individuals. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Examples of questions an environmental chemist may investigate, according to the American Chemical Society include:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n