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Ecological and Environmental Chemistry CHEMISTRY JOURNAL OF MOLDOVA. General, Industrial and Ecological Chemistry. 2017, 12(1), 9-19 ISSN (p) 1857-1727 ISSN (e) 2345-1688 http://cjm.asm.md http://dx.doi.org/10.19261/cjm.2017.427 ECOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY Nowadays, our human civilization existing of industrial and humanitarian aspects of life, to on Earth faces a series of top importance defend against the cosmic threats, etc. People challenges that represent direct impact on its have to harmonize their relations with nature, to existence and development, both industrial and ensure the long-term and sustainable life of their social. All the natural compartments and their civilization, under conditions of rapid changes in components are subjected to the strong and technology, sciences, social life, natural processes unprecedented anthropogenic influence, including and permanently emerging challenges. lithosphere, soil, surface and ocean water, In the previous years of progressively atmosphere, vegetal and animal world. increasing industrial development (XVIII - Anthropogenic activities has reached such high mid-XX centuries), practically no attention was proportions that provoke the changes in the paid to the danger of deliberated interference of energy (heat) balance of certain regions and man into the material processes occurring on the planet as a whole that can affect the climate, planet. Along the decades, the scientists increase of water level in oceans and seas, considered the nature possessing the unlimited flooding of large areas. capacity to compensate the anthropogenic Almost, all the ecosystems and natural impacts. However, even centuries ago, the facts of compartments are affected by the anthropogenic irreversible changes in environment as a result of pollution. Polluting chemicals and industrial human activity, such as deforestation and wastes released in the environment, modify the subsequent soil erosion, have been known. It chemical-physical parameters of habitats, appeared that there is no scientific practice chemical composition and structure of biocenosis, capable to elaborate the fundamentals of interfere into the natural circulation of substances chemicals classification and to ensure the in biosphere, render negatively impacts on biota comprehensive study of the anthropogenic and natural self-pollution processes. They influence on biosphere. In this way, Ecological penetrate in water, foodstuffs, forages, affecting Chemistry was formulated as a separate science, the living organisms and human health. focused on the urgent needs of the economic Therefore, the vital necessity appears in development and appropriate environmental deepening the studies of the commercially impacts that had to be addressed. Thus, the produced chemicals and materials, because it Ecological Chemistry is one of the relatively new became obvious that there are the direct relations directions in modern chemistry. It appearance was between the changes in environment and not occasional, being a logical response to the anthropogenic impacts, extreme events that occur exigent enquiry of the society, which had to settle in nature as well as on the industrial enterprises the numerous environmental problems that had (accidents), the permanent influence of chemicals posed serious threats to the social and industrial and their transformation products on people, development. Among the different types, the plants and animals. So, the new viewpoints have chemical and radioactive pollution are recognized to be formulated and new approaches should be as the most dangerous. In addition, the combined identified regarding the processes with pollution with various chemicals may be involvement of chemicals and their behaviour in accompanied with the specific forms of their the environment. interaction leading to more dangerous toxic The main issues that we need to resolve, effects on living organisms and environment. mitigate or improve, include the rapid decrease The notions of Ecological Chemistry and and exhaustion of natural resources, first of all the Environmental Chemistry emerged in the mid- insufficiency of potable water sources, limited 1950s, at the same time with the formation of soils available for agriculture, food quality and these scientific areas, rapidly becoming important deficiency, to identify the new sustainable and perspective directions in chemical research. This reliable energy sources, to prevent the area of scientific studies seems to be among the environmental pollution, to ensure development most significant ones, playing a key role in the © Chemistry Journal of Moldova CC-BY 4.0 License 9 Gh. Duca / Chem. J. Mold., 2017, 12(1), 9-19 modern chemistry, revealing the relations between outspoken by Prof. Müfit Bahadir, nowadays the living organisms and the surrounding one of the leading scientists in this field, working environment. This domain is very comprehensive, at the Technical University of Braunshweig, as compared to the other fields of chemistry and “Ecological Chemistry is the science of the chemical technology. ecologically relevant material changes in the The specific feature of Ecological environment. It is an interdisciplinary research Chemistry is much broader spectrum of field dealing with anthropogenic consequences of objectives, tasks, approaches, as well as human interaction with the ecosystem in a knowledge from chemistry and other related chemical way. Focus is set on environmental scientific domains involved, as compared to the chemicals, which are substances introduced into other traditional chemistry fields. It involves the environment by human activities in such various approaches, as in case of prediction of amounts that are able to endanger organisms or chemicals behaviour in the environment, which is ecological networks. These can be inorganic and impossible to do only based on the study of their organic substances of synthetic and natural origin. physical-chemical properties and structure, as is Human impact on the ecosystem can be direct or in traditional chemistry. indirect, intentionally or unintentionally. For the development of the theoretical Anthropogenic alteration of the environment and bases and experimental methods, it is relevant to the ecosystem could be caused consciously and estimate the long effect of chemicals on the intentionally or unconsciously and environment. The reliable methodology of unintentionally. Thus, the scope of Ecological studying the behaviour of chemicals in natural Chemistry is taking inventory about the current and technological systems can contribute to the situation of the ecosystem (Eco-Diagnostics) elaboration of effective environmental protection and developing methods for solving problems of strategy and avoid unexpected ecological disasters environmental pollution by means of or irreversible impact on ecosphere. Eco-Technology”. Ecological and Environmental Chemistry In line with the other definition, proposed join the fundamental and applied research from by the author of this paper, “Ecological Chemistry natural sciences such as chemistry, biology, seeks to study the processes, which determine the ecology and engineering, in order to study, design composition, structure and chemical properties of and apply environmental systems and environmental objects, adequate to the biological technologies. The global scope of this area of value of habitats, taking into consideration the research is to provide explanation of chemical effects of anthropogenic actions on biotic and processes that occur in the environment, reveal abiotic components of the environment” [3]. their future trends and propose measures to Prof. Yury Skurlatov, one of the founders and mitigate or avoid the negative impacts of human promoters of Ecological Chemistry in Russian activity on nature [1]. Federation, has mentioned that “this is a science The history of the Ecological Chemistry on processes that form chemical composition and formation as a separate science and establishment biological properties of the environment, of its fundamentals was based on the works of subjected to anthropogenic impacts”. many outstanding scientists, which have brought The team of authors from Germany led by their specific contributions to the development of Prof. Gerrit Schüürmann suggest that “one of each of the compartments of this science. As the scopes of Ecological Chemistry is to reveal many researchers and institutions throughout the systematic relationships between the molecular world have been involved, a great number of structure of compounds and their fate in various definitions of Ecological Chemistry and environment including biological systems, and to Environmental Chemistry formulated during the develop methods for predicting their last decades, offering different approaches and environmental behaviour and risk” [4]. According reflecting various views of their authors. to Mosby’s Medical Dictionary, “Ecological Thus, by definition given by the prominent Chemistry is the study of chemical compounds German scientists, founders of Ecological synthesized by plants that influence ecological Chemistry, Prof. Friedhelm Korte, Prof. Mufit characteristics through chemical communication Bahadir and Prof. Werner Klein, this research or toxic effects” [5]. field “can be regarded as a science of chemical Prof. Wille Peijnenburg (The processes and interactions that occur in Netherlands) writes that “Ecological Chemistry environment (ecosphere) and their impacts” [2]. may be defined as the whole spectrum of physico- According
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