94277 - Environmental Sustainability

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student will be aware of the central role of sustainability perspective for the protection and the management of environment. The student will know the relationship between physico-chemical features of substances, their transformation in the environment and their environmental impact. She/he will become aware of the peculiar environmental impact posed by plastic materials. The student is expected to be able to: 1. predict and assess the environmental fate and the modalities of transformation of chemicals; 2. propose and implement methodologies to reduce and remediate the chemical pollution; 3. propose solutions to prevent and reduce pollution from plastic materials.

Course contents

The UC Environmental sustainability consists of three modules, with the following contents:

(1) Environmental fate of organic pollutants

Information on the environmental partition of main organic pollutants and their key descriptors. Main degradation pathways and environmental fate of organic pollutants. Estimation of the expected sinks and persistence of unknown organic compounds on the basis of molecular structure.

(2) Environmental risk of plastic materials

Detection of plastic materials. Assessment of the threat posed by persistent polluting plastics. Effect of the presence of plastics in different environments.

(3) Chemical pollution remediation

Importance of (organic) chemical properties of the substances on their behaviour and fate in the environment. Approaches and processes involved in site investigation and environmental chemical (contaminant) analysis. Introduction to key contaminated land, waste and remediation regulation. Financial, regulatory/legal and technical aspects affect remediation techniques selection when dealing with chemical contaminants in soil and groundwater environments

The UC Global concerns consists of three modules, with the following contents:

(1) Global changes

The Earth system: land, oceans, atmosphere, polar regions, life, the planet's natural cycles and deep Earth processes. Human population, consumption and pollution as driving forces of global change. How global changes impact ecological systems and human societies.

(2) International agreements and regulations on environmental protection

Importance of the international agreements for the global environment protection and reduction of global changes impact:

• Montreal Agreement

• Rio de Janeiro agreement

• Kyoto Agreement

• Paris Agreement

Most relevant legislation for environmental protection

(3) Environmental fate of organic pollutants

Information on the environmental partition of main organic pollutants and their key descriptors. Main degradation pathways and environmental fate of organic pollutants. Estimation of the expected sinks and persistence of unknown organic compounds on the basis of molecular structure.

Readings/Bibliography

Lecture slide handouts will be available for students

Reading lists will be provided as appropriate to support lectures

Teaching methods

The course unit is divided in three modules. Each module is organized in theoretical classes where main concepts are explained, as well as tutorial classes with discussion of case-study examples.

Assessment methods

Each module is assessed through a written assignment, including a report on literature research.

Teaching tools

power point slides

Office hours

See the website of Paola Galletti

See the website of Chiara Samorì

See the website of Thomas John Aspray