Geol. 4043: Earth Materials and the Environment
Spring 2007
  T-Th 10:30 am - noon
E207 Howe-Russell Bldg.

"Everything is  a poison, nothing is a poison, the dose alone makes the poison."
- Paracelsus, 1493-1541

Home Page

Instructor: Professor B. Dutrow,
    Room 203 Howe-Russell Building  (Old Geology)
Office hours: 3:30-4:30 T Th  or by appointment
E-mail: dutrow@geol.lsu.edu
Phone: 578-2525 

Text:     Health Effects of Mineral Dusts, Reviews in Mineralogy (RiM), vol. 28, Mineralogical Society of America
              Geology, Mineralogy, and Human Welfare, National Academy of Sciences  Colloquium, v. 96 1999 (PNAS)
                                (can be downloaded from the linked site - full text and abstract)
           
 Text (Recommended): 
            But is it True? A Citizens Guide to Environmental Issues,
A. Widavsky, 1995. Harvard Univ. Press 
            Silent Spring, Rachael Carson, 1962, Houghton Mifflin Co. Boston
                   (A classic, widely credited with bringing to light the consequences of chemicals in the environment- ecology)

            (Others):  
             Environmental Mineralogy
, 2000, Eds. David J. Vaughn and Roy A. Wogelius.
                             EMU Notes in Mineralogy 2.  Eotvos University Press, Budapest. 
             The Health Effects of Chrysotile Asbestos. The Canadian Mineralogist Special Publication 5.
                            Mineralogical Association of Canada        

 Selected readings from the literature. Readings will be available for copy outside of my office;
              some are available on-line
             
              Reading assignments should be completed prior to class

Evaluation: Class evaluation is based on two tests (midterm and final exam), a research
           report, quizzes, class presentations, and class participation. 
            Class absences should be
reported PRIOR to class.

Tentative Lecture and Exam Schedule
check www.geol.lsu.edu/dutrow/env for updates

 
Date Topic Reading prior to class

Check out weekly Earth happenings on Earthweek and Geology in the News

January
 
16 Introduction  - Earth Materials review (mostly solids)


NAS Colloquium on Geology, Mineralogy and human welfare
J.V. Smith paper

18

Rocks, Minerals and a Dusty world


World Trade Center dust report

RiM, Chpt 2 

Literature Reading:
-To See the World in a Speck of Dust
-Mineral Particles in the Lungs of Subjects 
- Airborne minerals and particles: Effects on climate and the environment
23
Reporting Environmental Science

Have topic chosen for Term Paper.
Give to Dr. Dutrow
Literature reading
25
The Asbestos Issue
Fibers to Asbestiform Silicates: history of regulations;

RiM, Chpt. 3,
Readings
CM:79-88;  89-104
30
Structure, Chemistry of asbestiform silicates:
1:1 layer silicates, amphiboles





      Anthophyllite asbestos: Wikipedia image

RiM, Chpt. 3

February
 
1

Asbestiform Silicates: Surface aspects, defects, reactivity in biological materials


RiM 28: Chpt. 7 (Readings)


6-8
Dr. Dutrow absent - work on term papers and upcoming presentations

Attend talk on "Forensic Environmental Science"
Friday,  9 Feb.
Prepare presentations
Ten references for term paper

13

Experimental work, Medical Data; 
Student presentations on medical aspects of asbestos-related disease

RiM: Chpt 10,11,13,14,17  

CM: part 1, 119-125; 145-154;  227-238; as assigned

15

Student presentations continued:
medical aspects of asbestos-related disease, studies, environmental occurrences

as assigned


20   Happy Mardi Gras - no class

22

Conclude asbestos: 

Libby problem;

- Asbestiform Silicates; Implications for public policy (Mossman)

Read "No hits, no runs..."
The "Safer" cigarette
Chpt. 6,7, Science Editorials/Articles
Readings

read a paper on
asbestos- risk
27
Silica: Hazards, Chemistry, Structure


RiM  28: Chpt. 5 (pg. 185-206)
 (Reference List, Readings)
read about those folks who declared quartz carcinogenic to humans International Agency for Research on Cancer

March
 
1
Silica Health Effects:

- Do Rodent studies predict cancer in humans?
   Recall Critical Thinking Skills
RiM 28: Chpt.12; (pg. 361-381), Chpt. 18, p. 523-542

But is it True?
6

Risk Assessment:  What is it?
 Reporting Environmental Sciences


8
Mid Term Exam
do a practice exam
13
Nuclear Energy - Hazardous Waste and the carbon cycle - the problem

Introduction to  High Level Hazardous Waste
Readings:  Nuclear Energy - Elements Magazine

Download Dec. 06 issue
15

Nuclear Energy - Hazardous Waste and the carbon cycle - the problem

Introduction to  High Level Hazardous WasteStorage/Disposal/Management options:




20

Materials for encasement: storage/adsorption:
Clay minerals, glass, zircon, 

what is betafite?



Readings -
Ewing (1999) Nuclear waste forms for actinides.  Proc. Ntl Academy of Sciences, 96(7) 3432-3439.
... "Radioactivity and the 20th Century" in  Mineral.Soc. Am. Reviews in Mineralogy, vol. 38, P.. Burns and R. Finch (Eds) 1-22.
Wang, et al. (1999) Radiation stability of gadolinium zirconate:  A waste form for plutonium disposition.  J. Materials Research, 14,4470-4473.


22

Geologic Respositories;  US solution-  U.S.Yucca Mtn., NV

 "One step at a time": The staged development of repositories for high level nuclear waste. NRC Report 2003 (Dutrow was one of the authors)           (see overheads)



Nuclear Waste Legislation - Mar.2000

USGS Report on Yucca Mtn.

DOE's - Yucca Mtn project





27
Analytical Methods
RiM 28: Ch 7, 251-270
29
Quiz, 3 mile island




April
 
3-5
SPRING BREAK Take a virtual break, ride the cyber luge
10 -
Global Warming: 
Geologic carbon sequestration
(NAS workshop reports: Carbon management
;CO2 dilemna
 DOE website for sequestration

LBL - GEOSEQ program
ways for you to reduce your CO2 input!

12


17- 19  Student Presentations and Discussion
Instructions for written paper  
24
Aspects of Mining: Toxic Metals and surfaces, the 1862 mining law, gold
Fluid-rock interactions: Properties of rocks and fluids

Acid mine drainageModeling: critical evaluation
Reading from the literature

Elements
26 Mineral Surfaces;  Reactivity, Biological Interactions
(view the overheads)

Geomicrobiology

Readings: RiM 28: Chpt 8
more details: RiM  23: Chpt 3

RiM 35 (Geomicrobiology), chpt. 4, 123-155

May
 
1-3 Zeolites: Material Properties, Crystal Chemistry, Structure 

Synthetic zeolites and microporous materials

Zeolites II; Structures (con't), occurrence, Uses as Commercial Commodities; 
Quiz

 Readings from the Literature; 
Zeolite Structures
more zeolite references 

Assigned Reading

8
3;00-5:00pm
FINAL EXAM
(view an old test) 
COMPREHENSIVE

Other links:  Learn more about the periodic table, minerals and gems

Learn more about planetary exploration, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune or Pluto.

updated 04/22/04