Environmental Chemicals Part_1

• Inorganic Chemicals; Metals; Metalloids; Radionuclides; Rare earth elements

Part 1: Inorganic Environmental Chemicals: Inorganic substances are broadly defined as materials that either lack carbon atoms or do not possess carbon-based structural frameworks. Common examples include ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, elemental metals such as silver, lead, aluminum, chromium, mercury, and iron, as well as essential nutrients like calcium, nitrogen, and phosphorus. Among inorganic substances, metals, metalloids, and radionuclides are contaminants of significant environmental concern. These pollutants originate from both anthropogenic activities and natural processes, and their presence in the environment poses substantial risks to human and animal health. This module is designed to illuminate the major classes of inorganic pollutants; namely metals, metalloids, and radionuclides, identify their key sources of environmental contamination, and evaluate their impacts on ecosystem and human health.