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Careers in the field of environmental chemistry: opportunities, specialties and and an overview of working at EPA as an environmental scientist
Citation:
Cantwell, M. Careers in the field of environmental chemistry: opportunities, specialties and and an overview of working at EPA as an environmental scientist. Career Seminar for Environmental Science Students and Faculty at SUNY, Plattsburgh, New York, September 21, 2018.
Impact/Purpose:
Careers in the field of environmental science are diverse, with opportunities for advancement in a broad range of specialization. For example, environmental scientists may work in many different disciplines, chemical testing, fieldwork assessing industrial facilities or hazardous waste sites, and safety and regulatory areas. In this presentation, we focus on the career path and work associated with environmental chemists and discuss education and employment options for students enrolled in the environmental sciences major.
Description:
A primary job function of an environmental chemist is the measurement of chemicals, how they enter the environment, and their effects on human and ecological health. In this presentation we discuss the occurrence and fate of legacy contaminants such as PCBs, pesticides and heavy metals and how regulation and government programs such as Superfund are instrumental in reducing and remediating sites impacted by legacy pollutants. As the impacts of legacy contaminants decline, research focus has shifted to chemicals of emerging concern. These compounds include pharmaceuticals, personal care products and industrial chemicals. Many of these chemicals are present in the environment at lower concentrations than their legacy counterparts, yet information is limited on their fate and effects. Careers in the field of environmental science are diverse, with opportunities for advancement in a broad range of specializations for understanding and predicting the environmental risk of chemicals, especially those of emerging concern.