Curricula for Environmental Chemistry have become established, not only recently in the US, but also in European countries. This article discusses the current situation in Germany. German students can make their choice among four possibilities: 1. full-time studies in environmental sciences, 2. classical chemistry program followed by an environmental supplementary program, 3. classical chemistry program with a mandatory choice between environmental or ecological chemistry, 4. classical introductory chemistry followed by a major course of studies in environmental subjects.The background of this development is the attempt to reform the German chemical curricula (Würzburger Modell) which emphasizes practice and the environmetally related subjects.

The biological degradation of volatile halogenated hydrocarbons (chlorocarbons (VCCs) and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)) was investigated under simulated conditions of landfills in laboratory test digesters. Fully halogenated VCCs (tetrachloroethylene, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, tetrachloromethane and dichloromethane) and CFCs (trichlorofluoromethane (R11), dichlorodifluoromethane (R12) and 1,1,2-trichlorotrifluoroethane (R113)) were degraded under anaerobic conditions in addition to the methanogenic bacteria in municipal solid waste (MSW) and organic wastes. These substances showed different degradation reactions in the simulated acid and methanephases of MSW landfills. It is assumed that R11 and R113 could be decomposed completely under methanogenic conditions. Dichlorofluoromethane (R21) was oberved as the reductive degradation product of R11 and was further degraded during the methanephase, but hardly at all under acid conditions. Chlorodifluoromerhane (R22) as a degradation product of R12 was not degraded, even not in the methanephase. In the acidphase, R11 was the only CFC to be dechlorinated, although only in small quantities. The degradation products of tetrachloroethylene differed under the various environmental conditions. In the acidphase, 1,1-dichloroethylene was detected as the only dichloroethylene, whereas in particular cis-1,2-dichloroethylene but also trans-1,2-dichloroethylene, 1,1-dichloroethylene and vinyl chloride could be detected as metabolites in the methanephase. Dichloromethane and chloroethane, as metabolites of 1,1,1-trichloroethane, could hardly be degraded at all in the acidphase. The degradation of VCCs and CFCs is largely independent of the substrate used. The investigations have demonstrated that the measured biodegradation rates (0.3–15 mg/m³ ₘₐₜₑᵣᵢₐₗ ᵥₒₗ./h) cannot be improved considerably since they are limited by the inhibiting effect of the substances and their degradation products.

Material Flow Analysis (MFA) has become an important instrument in environmental science and pollution research. In this paper, we look at the MFA problem as a particularly structured system identification problem. Special emphasis is given to the linear, static case, where we describe a procedure for reconciliating the flow measurements and for estimating the unmeasured flows and the transfer coefficients by taking into account a priori restrictions such as balance equations.

The supercritical fluid extraction liquid phase oxidation (SELPhOx) process is being developed as a highly flexible means of remediating and destroying both high and low concentrations of light aliphatic to heavy aromatic contaminants from solid matrices. The process employs two distinct technologies: extraction of organic contaminants with supercritical carbon dioxide and wet air oxidation (WAO) destruction of the extracted contaminants. A separation step links the two process stages. Supercritical fluid extraction tests are conducted over wide ranges of temperature, pressure, and CO2/contaminant ratios with soils from a wood treatment plant and two manufacturing gas plant sites. Extraction of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from these soil samples are studied experimentally. The addition of methanol as an extraction modifier was also explored. At comparable CO2-to-contaminant ratios and extraction conditions of 48 degrees C and 137 atm, the total PAHs removed from the three soils ranged from 76.9 to 97.9 percent with CO2 alone and from 88.4 to 98.6 percent with methanol added. Results of these tests are presented and analysed. A skid-mounted Field Test Unit (FTU) based on the laboratory bench-scale test results is being constructed which allows on-site testing of the integrated SELPhOx process with contaminated soils.

The combined influence of high phenol concentrations and low temperatures on aerobic and anaerobic phenol degradation kinetics was investigated in microbial enrichment cultures to evaluate temperature-inhibition relationships with respect to the ambient conditions in polluted habitats. The inhibition of microbial phenol degradation by excess substrate was found to be temperature-dependent. Substrate inhibition was intensified when temperatures were lower. This results in an elevated temperature sensitivity of phenol degradation at inhibitory substrate concentrations.The synergistic amplification of substrate inhibition at low temperatures may help to explain the limited self-purification potential of contaminated habitats such as soils, sediments and groundwater aquifers where high pollutant concentrations and low temperatures prevail.

The selection of chromatographic techniques in determination of physicochemical properties over conventional static methods is due to quick data turnaround with such systems and readily available commercial equipment. Supercritical fluid chromatography is and can be applied to physicochemical property estimation and its use for this purpose has received considerable attention especially more recently. Moreover, some techniques that are used for determining properties of gas-solid systems using gas chromatography can easily be applied to supercritical fluid chromatography.

The equilibrium partitioning theory may be used to describe the partitioning of nonionic organic chemicals between water, sediment, and aquatic biota. This paradigm was employed to compare the relative magnitudes of organic carbon-normalized sediment-quality criteria that are intended to protect either benthic organisms from the direct toxic effects of sediment-associated chemicals or humans from the indirect health effects posed by the ingestion of contaminated aquatic animals. Comparison of calculated sediment-quality criteria for a variety of hydrophobic chemicals suggests that human health-based end points often result in more restrictive criteria than aquatic effects-based values. Review of published field data indicates that the equilibrium partitioning paradigm may, depending on contaminant class, either over- or underestimate the extent to which sediment-associated contaminations are bioaccumulated. Despite the limitations of adopting this simple theory for criteria development, calculations reveal that regulatory decisions involving sediments contaminated with such chemicals may be dictated by human health concerns if current risk assessment methodologies are applied.