48
Foundations of Chemistry for Technologies
REGGIO DI CALABRIA
Overview
Date/time interval
Syllabus
Course Objectives
The purpose of the course is to provide the basic concepts for understanding the sources, reactions, transport, fates, monitoring of chemical species in air, water and soil, and their effects on human health and environment. The course deal with more serious pollution phenomena that affect in a worrying way our planet. Further, a comprehensive introduction will be given on practical problems of remediation and on legislation related to the control and prevention of pollution.
By the end of the course, the student will have:
a) a deep understanding of the envronmental issue related to three environmental compartments (air, water and soil), a knowledge of the legislation on pollution control and prevention, a knowledge on some of the analytical techniques used for the identification and quantification of a pollutant, a knowledge on main technologies for abatement of pollutants (Knowledge and understanding);
b) an ability, through the application of the theoretical concepts of the course and the study of practical examples, to evaluate and monitor and/or solve a specific environmental problem and to consider the technologies useful to ensure the development of chemical processes and the operation of civil and industrial plants in eco-sustainable conditions and in compliance with the regulations (Applying knowledge and understanding);
c) an ability to autonomously access the sources of primary literature concerning a specific environmental problem, to know the issues in which to apply the acquired skills, to identify the type of problem and to independently consider possible alternatives for its resolution (Making judgements);
d) an ability to use an appropriate technical and scientific language that can also be understood by non-specialist interlocutors (Communication skills);
e) an ability to autonomously learn and deepen the issues related to the observed environmental problem (Learning skills).
Course Prerequisites
Chemistry
Teaching Methods
Lectures, critical autonomous study of the topics covered during the course.
Assessment Methods
Development of a dissertation and oral exam.
The dissertation concerns a particular type of pollution, in which the student will demonstrate that he is able to analyse in a systematic manner an environmental problem, investigating the sources, effects on human health and environment, technologies for abatement of pollutant considered, the analytical and instrumental techniques useful for its detection and quantitative composition.
The oral exam is mainly directed to critically discuss the dissertation and to verify the student's preparation on the topics covered in the course.
The final score is awarded taking into account the creation and discussion of the dissertation (60%) and the oral interview about the topics covered by the course (40%).
The final score will be attributed according to the following evaluation criterion:
18-26: development of a correct dissertation, sufficient knowledge of the course topics, basic technical-scientific language skills;
27-30: development of a correct and original dissertation, very good technical-scientific language skills, comprehensive and deep knowledge of the topics of the course;
30 “cum laude”: accurate, effective and original development of the dissertation, excellent technical-scientific language skills, comprehensive, deep and critical knowledge of the course topics.
Texts
The teaching material (slides) are made available to students during lectures and on platform.
S. E. Manahan “Chimica dell’ambiente” Ed. It. Piccin, 2000
C. Baird “Chimica ambientale” Zanichelli, 1997
I. L. Pepper, C. P. Gerba, M. L. Brusseau “Pollution Science” Academic Press, 1996
R. Cozzi, P. Protti, T. Ruaro “Elementi di analisi chimica strumentale” Zanichelli, 1998
Contents
INTRODUCTION TO COURSE – THE AIR COMPARTMENT
Problems of chemical pollution. Environment. Energy. Dynamic interactions with various environmental spheres: air-water-soil. Processes affecting fate and transport of contaminants.
Structure and chemical composition of the atmosphere. Definition and classification of atmospheric pollution. Overview of legislation to control and prevent pollution: objectives, standards, limits. Primary pollutants: CO, CO2, hydrocarbons, SO2, NOx, particulate matter. Secondary pollutants and their formation. Description and effects of atmospheric pollution on terrestrial ecosystems: depletion of ozone, greenhouse effect, acid rain, photochemical smog. Pollutants monitoring. Techniques to reduce air pollution.
THE WATER COMPARTMENT
Fundamentals of aquatic chemistry. Measurements of water quality (pH, BOD, hardness, ecc.). Water pollution: nature and type of water pollutants. Sampling. Elemental pollutants. Heavy metals. Organic pollutants. Detergents. Wastewater treatment. Drinking water treatment.
THE SOIL COMPARTMENT
Chemical-physical characteristics of the geosphere. The soil and its constituents. Sediments. Fertilizers. Wastes and pollutants in soil. Deforestation. Reclamation of contaminated land.
ANALYSIS OF POLLUTANTS
Spectrophotometric methods. UV-VIS spectrometry. Infrared spectrometry. Atomic absorption spectroscopy. Chromatography. Gas-chromatography. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).
More information
At the end of the lesson the teacher is available to give further explanations on any doubts that may have arisen during the lesson. For any clarification and/or information on the course the teacher can be contacted by e-mail at the institutional address.