Soil and water chemistry
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The course evaluation is open between 2025-11-26 and 2025-12-17
Syllabus and other information
Syllabus
MX0170 Soil and water chemistry, 7.5 Credits
Mark- och vattenkemiSubjects
Environmental Science Soil ScienceEducation cycle
Master’s levelModules
| Title | Credits | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Enda modul | 7.5 | 0101 |
Advanced study in the main field
Second cycle, has only first-cycle course/s as entry requirementsMaster’s level (A1N)
Grading scale
The grade requirements within the course grading system are set out in specific criteria. These criteria must be available by the course start at the latest.
Language
EnglishPrior knowledge
Knowledge equivalent to:• 150 ECTS first-cycle courses
• 15 ECTS Chemistry,
• 15 ECTS Soil Science or Earth Sciences
and
• a level of English equivalent to upper-secondary-school English (Engelska 6).
Objectives
The overall goal of the course is to provide an in-depth and quantitative understanding of the chemical processes that govern the solubility and transport of nutrients, metals, and pesticides in soil and water systems, and how these processes affect, for example, soil fertility and the quality of water systems. The course gives the student a solid theoretical basis in the subject of soil and water chemistry.
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to
- describe the composition of soil minerals and organic matter, and how they affect the chemical composition of soil water,
- assess the solubility and mobility of nutrients and contaminants in the soil-water system,
- interpret data from chemical analyses of soil and water samples
- carry out calculations for various soil and water chemistry applications.
Content
Subject-related content
The course provides advanced knowledge in soil and water chemistry and how to apply basic chemical theory to various types of soil and water systems, for example, in environmental monitoring or in connection with advising on plant nutrition issues.
The course covers the following topics:
- An overview of the solid components of soil,
- Processes in the water phase, and chemical equilibria with different mineral phases,
- The fate of pesticides in soil and water systems
- Sorption of nutrients and contaminants to soil and sediment materials,
- Redox processes and their significance for the solubility and bioavailability of nutrients and contaminants in soil and water systems,
- Acidification and acid-neutralizing processes in soil and water systems and the significance of these processes for environmental quality and fertility,
- Applications of soil and water chemistry theory in agriculture, forestry, and environmental monitoring.
Teaching formats
To further student learning and promote discussion, a variety of methods are used: lectures, problem-solving and computer exercises, assignments, laboratory work, and seminars.
The course focuses on the following generic competencies: written and oral communication, collection and analysis of data, teamwork, and digital competence/the use of relevant software.
The following parts are compulsory: certain exercises are compulsory.
Collaboration with the surrounding community takes place through a guest lecture on a relevant topic.
Grading form
The grade requirements within the course grading system are set out in specific criteria. These criteria must be available by the course start at the latest.Formats and requirements for examination
Approved written exercises
Approved participation in compulsory components
Passed written examination
If a student has failed an examination, the examiner has the right to issue supplementary assignments. This applies if it is possible and there are grounds to do so.
The examiner can provide an adapted assessment to students entitled to study support for students with disabilities following a decision by the university. Examiners may also issue an adapted examination or provide an alternative way for the students to take the exam.
If this syllabus is withdrawn, SLU may introduce transitional provisions for examining students admitted based on this syllabus and who have not yet passed the course.
For the assessment of an independent project (degree project), the examiner may also allow a student to add supplemental information after the deadline for submission. Read more in the Education Planning and Administration Handbook.
Other information
The right to participate in teaching and/or supervision only applies for the course instance the student was admitted to and registered on.
If there are special reasons, students are entitled to participate in components with compulsory attendance when the course is given again. Read more in the Education Planning and Administration Handbook.
Additional information
Co-reading with course in Environmental Geochemistry.Responsible department
Department of Soil and Environment
Further information
Litterature list
Our main resource for the course is the following handbook:
Handbook: Sparks, D.L.; Singh, B.; Siebecker, M.G. 2023. Environmental Soil Chemistry (3rd edition). Elsevier, London.
Below is a reading and literature list where we stipulate which parts of the handbook are relevant. Many parts of the course are unfortunately not covered at all.
Another good resource for many parts is the compendium written by Jon Petter Gustafsson (Soil and Water Chemistry), but we do not specifically refer to that compendium in the below list.
You can find the handbook, the compendium and other papers mentioned in the list below in the literature module on canvas. The handbook is also available on-line here but make sure you are on the SLU network or have a VPN connection with the SLU server.
Soil minerals and weathering (Vadim Kessler): §1.2.7; §1.2.8; §1.3.1; §1.3.2; §1.5.1-1.5.5
Water chemistry and the carbonate system (Jon Petter Gustafsson): §1.3.2
Complexation (Geert Cornelis): §1.5; §9.7; §9.7.1; § 9.7.2
Mineral solubility (Jon Petter Gustafsson): § 4 (The whole chapter is relevant)
Soil organic matter (Marie Spohn): Stahr, K, 2016. Chapter 8: “Soil organic matter” in Blume, H.P.; Brümmer, G.W.; Fleige, H.; Horn, R.; Kandeler, R.; Kögel-Knabner, I.; Kretzschmar, R.; Stahr, K.; Wilke, B.M. (eds.) Scheffer/Schachtschabel Soil Science. Available for download here
Adsorption and ion exchange (Geert Cornelis): §5.1; §5.2; §5.3; §5.4 (partly); § 5.5.3 (first paragraph); §5.5.4 (d and f but not a, b, c, e); § 5.6; § 5.7; § 6.1; § 6.2
Redox (Dan Berggren Kleja): § 8
Pesticides (Mats Larsbo, Harald Cederlund): SLU Centre for pesticides in the environment: https://www.slu.se/en/about-slu/organisation/collaborative-centres/slu-centre-for-pesticides-in-the-environment/information-about-pesticides-in-the-environment/
Organic pollutants (Georgios Niarchos): Schwartzenbach, R.P., Escher, B.I., Fenner, K., Hofstetter, T.B., Johnson, C.A., von Gunten, U., Wehrli, B. 2006. The challenge of micropollutants in aquatic systems. Science, 310, 1072-1077; Ren, X., Zeng, G., Tang, L., Wang, J., Wan, J., Liu, Y., Yu, J., Yi, H., Ye, S., & Deng, R. (2018). Sorption, transport and biodegradation – An insight into bioavailability of persistent organic pollutants in soil*.* STOTEN, 610-611, 1154-1163.