Environmental Mineralogy (GEOL 40095/50095/60096-006) – Fall 2012 Syllabus
Instructor: David Singer
Meeting Times and Place: Tuesday, Thursday; 12:30 - 01:45 pm; McGilvrey 234
Website: https://sites.google.com/a/kent.edu/dsinger/
Drop box address: https://dropbox.kent.edu/login.cfm?id=1843
Course Description: Based on the foundation of mineralogy and (bio)geochemistry, this class will explore
reactions between minerals and aqueous solutions, including growth and dissolution, surface complexation, and
redox reactions. We will focus on the role of these reactions in chemical weathering, contaminant mobility,
microbe-mineral interactions, and an understanding of mineral-water interface processes and mechanisms at
the molecular level. Common analytical methods used in mineral-water interface studies will be introduced
throughout the course. A series of cases studies will be placed in a historical and geological context. The
underlying mineralogy and (bio)geochemistry of each case study will be emphasized. An emphasis will also be
placed on the potential role of remediation and the societal impacts of each contaminant.
Learning Outcomes
 Understand the processes that control mineral reactivity and stability under environmentally-relevant
conditions.
 Understand the earth processes which control the abundance and distribution of minerals at the earth’s
surface under a range of spatial and temporal scales.
 Become familiar with common and cutting-edge analytical methods used in mineralogy and
(bio)geochemistry.
 Effectively read and critically review scientific literature.
In-Class Activities: Course grades will be determined based on one exam, homework assignments and two
presentation and paper projects.
Exam (30%): After about 1/3 of the way through the course, students will be tested on the fundamental,
background material covered in the first 10 lectures. The exam is intended to gauge the progress made, and
make sure everyone is on the same page moving forward to case studies. This will be a take-home exam,
but students will be given a lecture off to work on it.
Project 1 (30%): Students will select a mineral or class of minerals relevant to surface and near-surface settings.
Each student will prepare a 15 minute presentation and a 6-10 page paper reviewing the structure,
occurrence, formation, chemical properties, and economic and/or environmental relevance of this mineral.
Project 2 (40%): Students will select a topic of interest not covered in detail in the class in consultation with the
instructor. Each student will prepare a 20 minute presentation and a 15-20 page paper reviewing that topic.
Out-of-Class Activities: Students will participate in a visit and demonstration at the Liquid Crystal Institute on
mineral surface characterization techniques.
Reading Material and Resources: There is no assigned textbook. Handouts and papers will be provided
throughout the semester as reading assignments. To save paper, materials available over the internet will be
linked to on the course website instead of being handed out in print.
Course Schedule:
Date
Class
#
8/28
1
Topic
Introduction; course overview; environmental mineralogy
and historical overview; course goals.
Mineral evolution and Earth History
8/30
2
9/4
3
Introduction to Mineral Surfaces and brief overview of
techniques
9/6
4
Mineral surface composition and structure (method: AFM,
surface x-ray scattering)
9/11
5
Surface Charging and the Electrical Double Layer and
Surface Complexation Modeling (Methods: Zeta Potential
and BET Surface Area Measurements)
9/13
6
Ion Adsorption: Inorganic sorbents. (Methods: X-ray
Absorption Spectroscopy)
*** meet
on Wed.
9/19?
9/20
7
Ion Adsorption: Organic sorbents
8
9/25
9
9/27
10
Mineral Nucleation and Growth; Methods: Atomic Force
Microscopy (AFM) and Scanning
Tunneling Microscopy (STM)
Mineral Surface Redox Reactions; Dissolution of Oxides and
Sulfides. (Methods: X-ray
Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Auger Electron
Spectroscopy (AES))
Nanominerals I: Occurrence, importance, and
environmental impact
*** meet
on Wed.
10/3?
10/4
11
*** meet
on Wed.
10/10?
10/11
13
12
14
Nanominerals II: Formation, Stability, and Reactivity;
Method: Small Angle X-ray Scattering
(SAXS), PDF Analysis of X-ray Scattering Data
Microbe-Mineral Interactions: Ion Adsorption, Biofilms,
Bacterial-Promoted Mineral
Dissolution, Microbial Biomineralization; Methods: X-ray
Standing Waves (XSW)
No class –
EXAM will be posted on-line for students on Sunday
October 7th, and due by 4pm on October 10th.
Mineral resources I: from mines to production
Reading Assignment –
Homework Assignments
Hazen et al. 2008
Hazen et al. 2009
Hazen et al. 2012
Maurice (ch. 4 and 5)
Calas and Hawthorne (1988)
Luttge and Arvidson (2008)
Eng et al. (2000)
Fenter et al. (2000a)
Petitto et al. (2010)
Maurice (ch. 6)
Waite et al. (1994)
Fenter et al. (2000b)
Fenter et al. (2000c)
Maurice (ch. 7)
Fendorf et al (1997)
Catalano et al. (2008)
Fenter et al. (2008)
Maurice (ch. 8)
Myneni (2002)
Maurice (ch. 9)
Benning and Waychunas
(2008)
Maurice (ch. 10)
Hochella (1988)
Maurice (ch. 13)
Banfield and Zhang (2001)
Project #1 assigned
Waychunas (2001)
Gilbert et al. (2004)
Templeton and Knowles
(2009)
Weiner and Dove (2003)
Lowenstern et al. (1991)
(x-ray microprobe analysis)
Strawn et al. (2002)
Vaughan et al. (2002)
Mineral resources II: Mine wastes: composition, changes Jamieson (2011)
during processing, env. Impact
Nuclear Fuel Cycle: ore minerals and nuclear waste forms
Ewing (2006)
Grambow (2006)
Lumpkin (2006)
Macfarlane and Miller (2007)
Class Project I: Student Presentations I
Project #1 due for all students
Class Project I: Student Presentations II
Radioactive Contaminants: U, Pu, Cs, Sr
Clark et al (2006)
Zachara et al. (2007)
Grambow and Poinssot (2012)
Toxic Metals Case Study I: Arsenic
O’Day (2006)
Morin and Calas (2006)
Polizzotto et al. (2008)
10/16
15
10/18
16
10/23
10/25
10/30
17
18
19
11/1
20
11/6
21
Toxic Metals Case Study III: Chromium
11/8
22
Toxic Metals Case Study IV: Mercury
11/13
11/15
23
24
FIELD/LAB trip – AFM/SEM (tbd)
Other Metals: Silver, Gold, Pt-group
11/20
25
Rare Earth Elements: ore mineral deposits and
technological uses
11/27
26
Phosphates and Global Sustainability
11/29
27
Mineral weathering and soil development, The Critical Zone
12/4
12/6
28
29
Class Project II: Student Presentations I
Class Project II: Student Presentations II
Project #2 assigned
Fendorf (1995)
Peterson et al (1996)
White and Peterson (1996)
Zachara et al. (2004)
Kim et al (2000)
Kim et al (2003
Rytuba (2003)
Mungall and Naldrett (2008)
Rauch and Morrison (2008)
Williams-Jones et al (2009)
Walshe and Cleverly (2009)
Tosdal et al (2009)
Southam et al (2009)
Ronnback et al. (2008)
Ohta et al. (2009a)
Ohta et al. (2009b)
DOE report (2010)
Filippelli (2002)
Oelkers (2008)
Filippelli (2008)
Manning (2008)
Brantley et al. (2007)
Anderson et al (2007)
Chorover et al (2007)
McBride (ch. 9)
Project #2 due for all students
The instructor reserves the right to modify this syllabus during the semester. These changes will be announced
in class, and it is the students’ responsibility to attend class or make other necessary arrangements to be aware
of the situation.
Grading Policy:
The following will yield letter grades:
100-93 A; 92-90 A-; 89-87 B+; 86-83 B; 82-80 B-; 79-77 C+; 76-73 C; 72-70 C-
Official dates:
University policy requires all students to be officially registered in each class they are attending.
Students who are not officially registered for a course by published deadlines should not be
attending classes and will not receive credit or a grade for the course. Each student must confirm
enrollment by checking his/her class schedule (using Student Tools in FlashLine) prior to the
deadline indicated. Registration errors must be corrected prior to the deadline. The schedule
adjustment period for students to add full-term courses ends Sunday, Sept. 9. Students are able to
withdraw from any or all full-term courses through Sunday, Nov. 4.
Statement concerning cheating and plagiarism:
University policy 3342-3-01.8 deals with the problem of academic dishonesty, cheating, and
plagiarism. None of these will be tolerated in this class. The sanctions provided in this policy will be
used to deal with any violations. If you have any questions, please read the policy at
http://www.kent.edu/policyreg/chap3/3-01-8.cfm and/or ask.
Statement regarding students with disabilities:
University policy 3342-3-01.3 requires that students with disabilities be provided reasonable
accommodations to ensure their equal access to course content. If you have a documented
disability and require accommodations, please contact the instructor at the beginning of the
semester to make arrangements for necessary classroom adjustments. Please note, you must first
verify your eligibility for these through Student Accessibility Services (contact 330-672-3391 or visit
www.kent.edu/sas for more information on registration procedures).
Please initial below that you have read these statements:
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