Organic Contaminants in Aquatic Ecosystems and Their Environmental Risk (250674) – Course 2022/23 PDF

Learning Objectives

CE01 - Apply scientific concepts to environmental problems and their correlation with technological concepts. CE08-Dimension unconventional systems and advanced treatment and raise their mass balance and energy. Explore scientific concepts and technical principles of quality management of the receiving means, atmosphere, water and soil, and applied to problem solving. Explore scientific concepts and technical principles of management and treatment of gaseous emissions, water supply, sewage and waste and remediation techniques for groundwater and contaminated soils. Sized systems for the treatment of major pollutants vectors in specific sectors of activity. Interprets rules, identifies goals, assesses technical alternatives proposed unconventional solutions and priority actions. Organic pollution in the continental waterways and applicable law. Pollutants (POPs) and emerging organic (ECs): Features and families. Sources, fate and effects. The Stockholm Convention. Measures and derivative obligations. Analytical determination of POPs for ECs and Methodologies. Sampling and pretreatment. Main techniques of extraction and purification. Instrumental Analysis. Application examples. Environmental monitoring of POPs and ECs. Analysis and fate of POPs. Analysis and ECs processes. Transformation processes in the environment and identification of products. Application examples. Ecotoxicology of organic contaminants. Bioavailability and bioaccumulation. Environmental impact analysis. Toxicity and mode of action of pollutants. Endocrine disruptors: Description and main effects. Biomarkers and bioassays. Morphological, biochemical and molecular biology techniques. Effects of organic pollutants on human health: Description of the problems arising from the dispersion of organic pollutants. Routes of entry and effects at different stages of the life cycle. Assessment of the environmental risk. Top ecotoxicity models applicable. Application to the determination of environmental risk. Relationship between the chemical and ecological status risk. Top chemometric tools in the treatment and interpretation of data. Knowing the main elements of legislation and state governing the presence of organic micropollutants in water, sediments and soils. Recognizing the types of chemical contaminants, differentiating between priority and emerging. Identifying their sources and routes of entry to the environment. Understanding the processes of transformation that can undergo chemical pollutants in the environment. Knowing the degree of removal of contaminants by chemical treatments. Understanding the problems of chemical pollution in the context of global change. Understanding the basics of environmental biomonitoring and ecotoxicology. Knowing the main environmental effects and risks of organic pollutants on human health and the main chemometric tools available for treatment and interpretation of environmental data.

Competencies

Especific

Apply scientific concepts to environmental problems and their correlation with technological concepts.

Dimension unconventional systems and advanced treatment and raise their mass balance and energy.

Transversal

SUSTAINABILITY AND SOCIAL COMMITMENT: Being aware of and understanding the complexity of the economic and social phenomena typical of a welfare society, and being able to relate social welfare to globalisation and sustainability and to use technique, technology, economics and sustainability in a balanced and compatible manner.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE: Achieving a level of spoken and written proficiency in a foreign language, preferably English, that meets the needs of the profession and the labour market.

Total hours of student work

		Hours	Percentage
Supervised Learning	Large group	25.5h	56.67 %
	Medium group	9.8h	21.67 %
	Laboratory classes	9.8h	21.67 %
Self Study		80h

Teaching Methodology

For the students to achieve their goals and skills described above, the course is divided into three sessions: - Classroom sessions, covering theoretical and practical aspects, with examples - Non-contact sessions. Students will spend time outside the classroom in order to understand the theoretical content of the course and apply them in a classroom - Evaluation sessions Although most of the sessions will be given in the language indicated, sessions supported by other occasional guest experts may be held in other languages.

Grading Rules

The evaluation calendar and grading rules will be approved before the start of the course.

The mark of the course is obtained from the ratings of continuous assessment and their corresponding laboratories and/or classroom computers. Continuous assessment consist in several activities, both individually and in group, of additive and training characteristics, carried out during the year (both in and out of the classroom). The teachings of the laboratory grade is the average in such activities. The evaluation tests consist of a part with questions about concepts associated with the learning objectives of the course with regard to knowledge or understanding, and a part with a set of application exercises.

Test Rules

Failure to perform a laboratory or continuous assessment activity in the scheduled period will result in a mark of zero in that activity.

Office Hours

As agreed with the teachers of the subject both in person and via email.

Bibliography

Basic

Administracions i entitats de normalització. Legislació europea i estatal.
Diversos. Material bibliográfic recomanat pel profesorat.

Complementary

Diversos. Internet: CE, ACA, ...
Professors de l'assignatura. Treballs de recerca del professorat (Tesis doctorals, articles i llibres científics).