94278 - GLOBAL CONCERNS

Conoscenze e abilità da conseguire

At the end of the course the student will become familiar the concept of global environmental changes, with a special focus on climatic changes. The student will be aware of the threat posed by global changes to menking and the environment. He/she will be aware of the international agreements for protaction of the global environment and reduction of the impact of global changes (Montreal, Rio de Janeiro, Kyoto, Paris and others). The full comprehension of global changes is inherently linked to the transformation of chemical substance in the environment (atmosphere, waterbodies, sediments and soil); the student will become aware of all these aspects. The student will be able to: 1. comprehend and foresee the effect of antropogenic emissions on global changes; 2. compare the guidelines and recommendation of the international agreements with the local and global trends; 3. predict the effects on global pollution of the process of environmental transformations and compartimentation of pollutants.

Contenuti

The UC Environmentale assessment consists of three modules, with the following contents:

(1) Environmental analysis and detection in the environment

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 latter including for example power plants, transportation and biomass burning.

Starting from the classic conceptual model of source-sink environmental fate of pollutants, the course will introduce the experimental and chemometric multivariate approach for receptor modelling according to the European Guidelines for air pollution (e.g.,PM₁₀). Case studies based on real-world environmental forensics, from the teacher’s experience, as a researcher and as frequent technical consultant of legal attorneys in Italy, will be illustrated.

(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) 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.

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.

Testi/Bibliografia

Lecture slide handouts will be available for students
Reading lists will be provided as appropriate to support lectures

Metodi didattici

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.

Modalità di verifica e valutazione dell'apprendimento

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

Strumenti a supporto della didattica

Power point slides

Orario di ricevimento

Consulta il sito web di Paola Galletti

Consulta il sito web di Alessandra Bonoli

Consulta il sito web di Silvia Bagni