SWS3022 Exam 3 Questions and
Answers 100% Pass
Know the two principal chemical elements in organic chemical compounds - ✔✔Carbon
& Hydrogen (maybe Oxygen)
Know the two properties that make certain types of organic chemicals highly water
soluble. - ✔✔Polarity & Electrical Charge
Understand basically the impediments to water solubility for non-ionic hydrophobic
organic compounds. - ✔✔a. Solubility: The ease with which substances dissolve in
water; the degree to which organic contaminants impact soil and water quality often is
related to their water solubility.
b. Non-ionic, non-polar organic chemicals do not possess an electrical charge, nor are
the polar. So they don't share any compatibility with water. Example: Dioxin
Given the relative insolubility of hydrophobic organic compounds, in what type of
substances are they soluble and why? - ✔✔a. These types of chemicals are compatible
with carbon-based environments (similar chemically). They are soluble in environments
Katelyn Whitman, All Rights Reserved © 2025 1
,that are chemically similar to their chemical properties. Carbon-based compounds
dissolve more easily in carbon-based solvents.
Understand how hydrophobic organic chemicals interact with organic colloids in soils. -
✔✔a. An organic colloid has a dense carbon, non-polar uncharged center and
carboxylic, phenolic, and enolic (charged, polar) moleculres surrounding it. They
provide an organic domain/matrix, in which they move into that organic environment
because it is much more compatible with them.
b. In regards to synthetic organics: chemicals interact with soil organic matter and slow
or arrest their movement.
i. The lower the water solubility, usually the stronger the interaction, the slower the
chemical movement.
What is partitioning? - ✔✔When the chemical will distribute between the organic and
aqueous phases.; The organic colloid behaves like an organic solvent.
Understand the basic relationship between the water solubility of organic chemicals and
the strength of interaction with organic colloids. - ✔✔Organic chemicals tend to
partition into the organic domain/sediments. Examples of this are pesticides, DDT, and
Toxaphene. (Persistence).
Katelyn Whitman, All Rights Reserved © 2025 2
, Understand basically how hydrophobic organic compounds accumulate in organisms. -
✔✔a. These chemicals are highly hydrophobic, so they don't like to be in aqueous
environment; it will accumulate in the fatty tissues of organisms. It will avoid blood.
b. The "affinity" for carbon-based environments can lead to bioaccumulation,
particularly of poorly water soluble organic contaminants.
c. Lipid Tissue in organisms is principally composed of carbon and hydrogen.
Triglycerides are the most common. They are the main ingredient of fatty, or adipose
tissue, and are stored in fat droplets inside of adipose cells.
d. Hydrophobic organic compounds "prefer" the environment of the lipid tissues
(lipophilic).
e. Despite low levels of organic chemicals in water due to their low water solubility,
high amounts can accumulate in the tissues of living organisms.
Understand basically how hydrophobic organic compounds accumulate in surface soils
and aquatic systems allowing them to persist in the environment. - ✔✔a. Move out of
aqueous phases and into that organic colloids/soils. Why we still have issues with DDT
today.
b. Soils as well as sediments in lakes and rivers often accumulate organic matter.
Katelyn Whitman, All Rights Reserved © 2025 3
Answers 100% Pass
Know the two principal chemical elements in organic chemical compounds - ✔✔Carbon
& Hydrogen (maybe Oxygen)
Know the two properties that make certain types of organic chemicals highly water
soluble. - ✔✔Polarity & Electrical Charge
Understand basically the impediments to water solubility for non-ionic hydrophobic
organic compounds. - ✔✔a. Solubility: The ease with which substances dissolve in
water; the degree to which organic contaminants impact soil and water quality often is
related to their water solubility.
b. Non-ionic, non-polar organic chemicals do not possess an electrical charge, nor are
the polar. So they don't share any compatibility with water. Example: Dioxin
Given the relative insolubility of hydrophobic organic compounds, in what type of
substances are they soluble and why? - ✔✔a. These types of chemicals are compatible
with carbon-based environments (similar chemically). They are soluble in environments
Katelyn Whitman, All Rights Reserved © 2025 1
,that are chemically similar to their chemical properties. Carbon-based compounds
dissolve more easily in carbon-based solvents.
Understand how hydrophobic organic chemicals interact with organic colloids in soils. -
✔✔a. An organic colloid has a dense carbon, non-polar uncharged center and
carboxylic, phenolic, and enolic (charged, polar) moleculres surrounding it. They
provide an organic domain/matrix, in which they move into that organic environment
because it is much more compatible with them.
b. In regards to synthetic organics: chemicals interact with soil organic matter and slow
or arrest their movement.
i. The lower the water solubility, usually the stronger the interaction, the slower the
chemical movement.
What is partitioning? - ✔✔When the chemical will distribute between the organic and
aqueous phases.; The organic colloid behaves like an organic solvent.
Understand the basic relationship between the water solubility of organic chemicals and
the strength of interaction with organic colloids. - ✔✔Organic chemicals tend to
partition into the organic domain/sediments. Examples of this are pesticides, DDT, and
Toxaphene. (Persistence).
Katelyn Whitman, All Rights Reserved © 2025 2
, Understand basically how hydrophobic organic compounds accumulate in organisms. -
✔✔a. These chemicals are highly hydrophobic, so they don't like to be in aqueous
environment; it will accumulate in the fatty tissues of organisms. It will avoid blood.
b. The "affinity" for carbon-based environments can lead to bioaccumulation,
particularly of poorly water soluble organic contaminants.
c. Lipid Tissue in organisms is principally composed of carbon and hydrogen.
Triglycerides are the most common. They are the main ingredient of fatty, or adipose
tissue, and are stored in fat droplets inside of adipose cells.
d. Hydrophobic organic compounds "prefer" the environment of the lipid tissues
(lipophilic).
e. Despite low levels of organic chemicals in water due to their low water solubility,
high amounts can accumulate in the tissues of living organisms.
Understand basically how hydrophobic organic compounds accumulate in surface soils
and aquatic systems allowing them to persist in the environment. - ✔✔a. Move out of
aqueous phases and into that organic colloids/soils. Why we still have issues with DDT
today.
b. Soils as well as sediments in lakes and rivers often accumulate organic matter.
Katelyn Whitman, All Rights Reserved © 2025 3
