Learning objectives
The course aims to provide theoretical and practical understanding of the fundamental concepts of environmental biological monitoring, its fields of application, investigative tools, and its main objectives (both scientific and legislative).
By the end of the course, the student will be able to:
Knowledge and Understanding: Understand the concepts of contamination and the main classes of contaminants; comprehend the properties that regulate their distribution in various environmental compartments (air, water, soil, biological organisms) and the role of bioindicators.
Application of Knowledge: Utilize biomonitoring techniques through lichens to evaluate air quality; apply methodologies to assess the effect of environmental changes on the physiology of lichens.
Judgment Autonomy: Critically analyze the results of biomonitoring methodologies and evaluate the effectiveness of the techniques used.
Communication Skills: Communicate the results obtained from biomonitoring activities clearly and professionally.
Learning Skills: Stay updated on the most commonly used methodologies in environmental biomonitoring.
Prerequisites
None
Course unit content
Environmental Contamination: Definitions, differences between contamination and pollution, main environmental contaminants (organic and inorganic).
Environmental Toxicology: Basic principles, interaction between contaminants and living organisms (absorption, biotransformation, detoxification, elimination, accumulation), effects of contaminants on organisms.
Environmental Biomonitoring: Definition, purpose, and strategies.
Bioindicators: Definition, characteristics, differences between bioindicators and biomonitors, main bioindicators of terrestrial and aquatic environments.
Air Quality: Concept of air quality, automatic stations for air quality monitoring, instrumental methods for air quality monitoring, main bioindicators of air quality, use of plants, mosses, and lichens as bioindicators, European regulation (EN 16413) and ISPRA 2019 guidelines for their use as bioindicators and biomonitors.
Lichen Biodiversity Index: Theoretical and practical bases for the use of lichens as bioindicators of air quality. Identification of main lichen species for estimating air quality.
Physiological Evaluation of Lichens: Methodologies for evaluating the vitality of lichens (chlorophyll a fluorescence, cell membrane damage, photosynthetic pigment content).
Full programme
1. Environmental contamination vs. environmental pollution
2. Environmental disasters, pollution and human health
3. Biomagnification
4. From the dilution paradigm to the boomerang paradigm: the need for environmental biomonitoring
5. The main environmental contaminants
o Inorganic contaminants: metals and common toxic mechanisms and sites of action.
o Organic contaminants: organochlorine insecticides, organophosphorus insecticides, carbamate insecticides, botanical insecticides, herbicides.
6. Contaminants/living organisms interaction:
o Absorption, bioaccumulation, biotransformation, detoxification, elimination
7. Biomonitoring: general aspects
o The concept of Biomarker, Bioindicator and Biomonitor.
8. Biomonitoring and Italian legislation
9. The main bioindicators of environmental quality
o Unicellular algae
o Fish
o Aquatic macroinvertebrates
o Snails
o Birds
o Mammals
10. Characteristics of a good bio-indicator
o Air quality
o The Air Quality Index
o The main contaminants affecting air quality
o Automatic air quality monitoring units
11. Bioindicators for air quality assessment
o Higher plants
o Mosses
o Lichens
12. Lichens: biology and growth forms
13. Lichens: between bioindicators and biomonitors
14. Lichens as bioindicators: between resistance and sensitivity to environmental pollutants (sulphur oxides, ozone and heavy metals)
15. The lichen biodiversity index (LBI) for environmental quality assessment
o Guidelines for the use of lichen biodiversity (EN 16413)
16. Lichens as biomonitors: monitoring the deposition of airborne elements
o Guidelines for the use of lichens as bioaccomulators (ISPRA 2019)
o Accumulation mechanisms and analysis methodologies
17. Methodologies for the assessment of lichen viability to environmental quality change
18. Biomonitoring using lichens vs instrumental monitoring (passive samplers)
Bibliography
Bioindicators and Biomonitors. 1st Edition, Volume 6. Editors: B.A. Markert, A.M. Breure, H.G. Zechmeister.
Fundamentals of Ecotoxicology
The Science of Pollution, Fifth Edition. Editor: Michael C. Newman
Lichen biology. 2nd edition. Editor: Thomas H. Nash III
Teaching methods
Lectures: Lessons on the topics covered during the course (see program).
Practical Exercises: Laboratories and exercises to learn about the main lichen species indicative of air quality and to evaluate the lichen biodiversity index (IBL).
Assessment methods and criteria
Oral exam. The student will present an article on an aspect of their choice of environmental biomonitoring (Maximum time: 10 minutes). This will be followed by questions related to the topics covered during the course.
Other information
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