72842 - Environmental Assessment

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student be aware of the crucial role of assessment (chemical, toxicological, physical) for protection of the environment. A special focus will be posed to the detection of plastic materials and to the evaluation of the threat that these persistent pollutant make to the different environments. The student is expected to be able to: 1. propose the most suitable methods to assess environmental quality and will be skilled in the interpretation of the results obtained; 2. predict the procecces and velocity of transformation that pollutants undego in the enviroment and forcast their fate and impact.

Course contents

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.

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 Laura Tositti

See the website of Chiara Samorì