Learning objectives
At the end of the course should have acquired the knowledge and and how to appy it for the comprehension of: i) sources,
reactions, transport and destiny of chemical entities in the atmosphere,
water bodies and soil as well as their impacts on human health and on
the natural environment
ii) new approaches for the industrial synthesis of chemicals through low environmental impact processes (green chemistry)
iii) short essay on nuclear waste processing and tratment
Prerequisites
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Course unit content
1. short historical accounts
2. principles of environmental chemistry
3. molecular structure and physical-chemical properties relationship
4. pollutants from petroleum, PCB’s, dioxins, pesticides, polymers, soaps and detergents
5. abiotic transformations and degradation of chemical species through hydrolysis, oxidation, phototransformation: theromodynamic and kinetic aspects.
6. chemistry of natural waters and water pollution
7. chemistry of the atmosphere and pollution
8. soil contamination
9. transport and distribution of pollutants in the environment and among the environmental compartments
10. comparison between “classical” and “green” industrial processes for the synthesis of chemicals. Ideal reaction, atom efficiency, environmental factor E, use and selection of the better reaction solvent.
11. An integral part of the course will be the bibliographic work carried out autonomously by groups (composed by 3-4 elements) of students on assigned topics; the results of these researches will be presented to the all class.
In particular, trough topics 1-5 a rational approach to the chemical reading of the structural and chemical information characterizing the main classes of organic pollutants will be delivered as the elements for the understanding of the their persistence, environmental distribution and their effect on living organisns. Trough topics 6-9 a methodological approach for the comprehension of the fundamental chemical processes in the different environmental compartments and the distribution of pollutants among them will be delivered.
The aim of point 10 is to stimulate the abilities of Students to autonomously access to primary sources of literature data, to coordinate and integrate their knowledge and competences to deepen and gain ability to discuss with all other Students of the class an assigned topic related to the general aspects of the entire programme of the course.
Full programme
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Bibliography
a) Des W. Connels, Basic Concepts of Environmental Chemistry, 2nd Ed., Taylor & Francis, 2005
b) C. Baird, M. Cann: Enviromental Chemistry, 5th Ed., W. H. Freeman, 2012
c) R. Schwarzenbach, P. M. Gschwend, D. M. Imboden, Environmental Organic Chemistry, Wiley, 2016
Teaching methods
Credits 6; 48 hours of activities in lecure hall, divided in 36 h of lectures delivered in a blended manner (live with registration) and ca. 12 h of practice. These latter consist of seminars delivered by groups of 2-3 students to the entire class on topics assigned by the teacher. Th epurpose of these seminars is to induce all students to organize into a system the different theoretical aspects presented during the frontal lectures
Assessment methods and criteria
The exam consists in an oral discussion aimed at evaliating the abilty of the candidate to discuss in an integrated manner ed to critically organize into a system the theoretical subjects of the course. It will also evaluated the ability of the candidate to communicate by correctly using the lenguages of the discipline.
Other information
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