Environmental Chemistry in Service of Life

Environmental processes are occurring in a complex and interrelated web of processes, and can be compared to self-regulating and self-sustaining systems, with abundant feedbacks, emergent properties, and tipping points. Cells are examples of autopoietic (generating its own boundaries), while ecological systems are sympoietic (boundary-less) systems. Aquatic and environmental chemistry rely on a description of coupled equilibrium thermodynamic equations, as well as a kinetic description of geochemical processes. Energetic considerations of both chemical and biological processes often rely on a well-known suite of enzymatic reactions that can accelerate otherwise sluggish reactions. The overall reaction of several pathways is fastest, when coupled in parallel, and slowest, when coupled serially. While in this open access book, classical equilibrium thermodynamic concepts are presented, along with kinetic descriptions, they are over-simplifications of complex, self-regulating environmental systems. Classical and complex systems approaches need to be considered for understanding how natural systems respond and attenuate pollutant effects. Case studies accompany some of the chapters to further illustrate this point.