化学理学学士学位的环境化学选修课旨在让学生探索他们对化学原理的基于实验室的理解对影响人类环境的多种化学现象的应用。该课程为基础化学奠定了坚实的基础，通过介绍生态学和利用该化学和生态学知识的环境科学的几个重要领域扩大了基础。完成本课程的学生准备在环境化学，化学生态学或环境技术的专业领域中进行工作或进阶学习，或者除其他一些适当的选修科外，还可以进入环境医学，职业健康或环境法。与化学领域的其他细分一样，根据科学家自称是环境化学家的活动，在操作上定义环境化学也许是最有用的。这类科学家的主要工作是研究与各种局部，区
The Environmental Chemistry Option of the Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry is designed to enable students to explore the application of their laboratory based understanding of the principles of chemistry to a wide variety of chemical phenomena that have an impact on the human environment. The program provides a solid grounding in fundamental chemistry broadened by an introduction to the science of ecology and to several important areas of environmental science which make use of this chemical and ecological knowledge. Students completing this program are prepared for work, or advanced study, in specialized area of environmental chemistry, chemical ecology or environmental technology or, with the addition of some suitable electives, for entry into the study of such fields as environmental medicine, occupational health or environmental law. As with other subdivisions of the field of chemistry, it is perhaps most useful to define environmental chemistry operationally in terms of the activities of scientists who refer to themselves as environmental chemists. A major endeavor of such scientists is the study of the chemical phenomena associated with the causes and effects of various local, regional and global air, water and land pollution problems such as ground water contamination, acid rain and ozone depletion. Problems associated with the disposal of both domestic and industrial waste require research by chemically trained scientists, as do efforts to understand the mechanisms by which potentially toxic or hazardous chemicals are transported and distributed within and around ecosystems. Most aspects of environmental chemistry require a detailed understanding of the methods required to obtain representative samples and to perform reliable analyses of complex environmental materials for trace chemical contaminants.