C9608 - EXPERIMENTAL METHODS

Learning outcomes

Students will be aware of the relevance of laboratory analysis and assessment. They will become familiar with the OECD standards recommended for the assessment of chemcial properties, as well as the Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) standard for Laboratory Quality Management. They are exepcted to be able to: 1. Understand the principles of Laboratory Quality Management and the GLP standard; 2. Become familiar with the OECD standards for chemical analysis and how to implement them in the laboratory; 3. Understand and promote a correct analytical approach for an experimental environmental investigation, paying partiuclar attention to sampling.

Course contents

The CU is composed of three modules with the following contents.

Good Laboratory Practice

Good laboratory practices to be followed by the Pharmaceutical Industry providing advice on the quality management system of the laboratories for an efficient functioning of the laboratory. Compliance with regulatory agencies’ guidelines and inspections management. Personnel responsibilities and training. Facility requirements. Materials management, specification requirements, stability evaluation, packaging materials, reference and retention samples, supplier qualification. Equipment qualification, characteristics selection, test required and documentation. Analytical method development, validation, transfer and verification for process support. Technology transfer documentation. Contract laboratories management and quality agreement. Computerized system validation, usage, and continuous verification. Data governance, GDP, ALCOA+ principles. Investigation on out of specification, out of trend, deviation, claim, recall, return of products. Quality Risk management application and tools used for evaluation.

International guidelines for chemical testing (OECD, ISO, etc)

1. Introduction to International Guidelines: Overview of OECD and ISO as standard-setting organizations.
2. International Quality Infrastructures: Importance of harmonized testing guidelines in global chemical regulation.
2. OECD Test Guidelines: Structure and classification of OECD guidelines (physical-chemical properties, toxicity, ecotoxicity, etc.).
3. ISO Standards for Chemical Testing: Key ISO standards for environmental and product safety testing.

Environmental Analysis and Detection in the Environment

What do environmental laws actually regulate? what are the borders between environmental knowledge, research and law? The course aims to provide the basis of Source apportionment by receptor modelling, the only recognized methodology allowing to rigorously and efficiently detect, recognize and quantify the emissive fingerprints of natural and anthropogenic emission sources. The approach is used both in environmental research and in forensic activities where it constitutes one of the main pillars of Environmental forensics recognised and regulated by the main environmental agencies i.e. EEA and US-EPA. Starting from the classic conceptual model of source-sink environmental fate of pollutants, the course will introduce the experimental (experimental monitoring plan) and chemometric multivariate approach for receptor modelling initially limited to air pollution problems but now applicable to any environmental compartment. Case studies based on real-world environmental forensics, from the teacher’s experience, as a researcher and as a frequent technical consultant of legal attorneys in Italy, will be illustrated.

Readings/Bibliography

Environmental Analysis and Detection in the Environment:

Slide package from the teacher lessons - Notes taken during classes - Textbooks : 1)Baird, C. and Cann, N. (2012) Environmental Chemistry. 5th Edition, W. H. Freeman and Company, New York; 2) Murphy B.L. and Morrison R.D., Introduction to Environmental Forensics (2014) Academic Press

Teaching methods

The course unit is divided into three modules taught independently at different times in the academic year, each module is organized in theoretical classes where main concepts are introduced, as well as tutorial classes with discussion of case-study examples.

Whiteboard and PowerPoint presentation

Assessment methods

Each module learning is evaluated independently, exploiting: i) written tests; ii) oral presentations or interviews; iii) written assignments or combinations of them. The Course Unit grade will be the arithmetic mean of grades from the three modules. ChIRS grades scale goes from 1 to 100, pass grade is40, and will be translated into ECTS and different University scales. Criteria: knowledge on a very limited number of topics covered in the course and analytical ability that emerges only with the help of the instructor, using generally correct language → 40-45;Knowledge on a limited number of topics covered in the course and independent analytical ability only on purely executiveissues, using correct language → 45-60;Knowledge on a large number of topics covered in the course, ability to make independent critical analysis choices, masteryof specific terminology → 60-80;Essentially comprehensive knowledge on the topics covered in the course, ability to make independent critical analysis andconnection choices, full mastery of specific terminology, and ability for argumentation and self-reflection → 80-100

 

Environmental analysis and detection in the environment

Written essay split in two parts: 1) open text discussing in own words three basic concepts of environmental science provided by the teacher at the end of classes; 2) a discussion on a scientific article concerning the contents of this course giving emphasis on the concepts learnt in the course itself .

Using own individual words and pondering are encouraged. Regarding the assessment of learning, limited, declared, and non-substantial use of AI for supporting activities (such as summarizing or rephrasing) is permitted. Substantial use of AI to complete parts of the assessment is not allowed.

Teaching tools

Lectures slides and notes will be available on the course moodle https://emmcchir-learning.ualg.pt

Office hours

See the website of Laura Tositti

See the website of

See the website of Isabel Maria Palma Antunes Cavaco