Chemistry of Natural Waters

While green chemists are highly trained on the intricacies of chemical structural-functional relationships, the synthesis and redesign of chemical compounds, and the manipulation of chemical functional groups to optimize chemical function, they need to also give thought to what happens to a novel compound once it enters the environment. In almost all cases, water is involved in the transport of the material, and the interactions of a compound with natural waters govern its fate in the environment. This chapter deals with the fate of chemicals in various components of the water cycle, specifically those that link sources to receiving bodies. To understand a chemical's fate, chemists need a basic understanding of the chemistry of natural waters (e.g., atmospheric water, groundwater, and surface waters—fresh and salt), especially the physical, chemical, and biological processes to which chemicals are exposed. Here, we highlight six critical chemical processes that green chemists need to understand: acid-base interactions, solubility and saturation, organic and inorganic complexation, ionization, redox reactions, and persistence.