Vol. 40 (2013): Bulletin of the Chemists and Technologists of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Subscribing to modern lifestyle, humans have directly and indirectly affected the environment in a positive and sometimes less positive way. A number of “so called modern age” diseases have a direct link to environmental changes. The World Health Organization estimates that about a quarter of the diseases facing mankind today occur due to prolonged exposure to environmental pollution. Apparently, there was a price to be paid for a commodity of a modern life. Inorganic and organic pollutants have found its way into a water streams, soli, and air disrupting complete eco systems, and affecting human health. At this time, the need for trained environmental chemist is not only necessary but urgently needed.
The field of environmental chemistry is both very broad, but core knowledge stems from basic chemical principles containing all the aspects of organic chemistry, analytical chemistry, physical chemistry and inorganic chemistry. Additional topics dealing with a specific aspect of applied chemistry in environment ads to a broad and interdisciplinary nature of a subject.
Environmental chemistry is a fairly a new science discipline that emerged only in the last decades of the 20th century. The benefits of having sound environmental chemistry program are immense and absolutely necessary in regards to a global environmental strategy outlined by international and regional organization. Thus, a new program at Faculty of Science, Department of Chemistry, focusing on monitoring and environmental protections with strong core knowledge in chemistry is exactly what is needed at this time. After all, we are morally obligated to consider the consequences of our acts and act upon it.
