B1985 - Laboratory of safety and environmental impact P

Learning outcomes

The course aims to provide operational knowledge regarding (i) the safety relating to the use of chemical compounds and composite materials and (ii) the assessment of the environmental impact extended to their entire life cycle, from production to use and management at the end of life, with reference to circular economy strategies such as waste valorization, reuse, recycling and energy recovery.

With the practical skills acquired, the student will be able to support risk analyzes and identification and quantification activities of the environmental impact of industrial products and processes, through the application of life cycle assessment (LCA), for sustainability-oriented planning. Furthermore, the student will know the fundamental notions regarding safety and environmental impact within the framework of the national and European legislation.

Course contents

Introduction to risk analysis in the reference framework of the REACH regulation; development of the conceptual model of the site; significance, probability and severity of risk associated with chemical exposures; description of enforcement procedures and application to point source contamination; practical examples and guided simulation on case studies of interest.

Introduction to LCA, conceptual framework of reference and operational phases; system boundaries and functional unit setting; system allocation and expansion rules; categories of environmental impact and damage; characterization procedures and environmental indicators; modeling methods of the material recycling and energy recovery process; practical examples and guided LCA simulation on case studies of interest.

Readings/Bibliography

• Lessons and exercises prepared by the teacher available on https://virtuale.unibo.it/
• ISO 14040 and ISO 14044
• Scott Matthews, H.; Hendrickson, C.T.; Matthews, D. Life cycle assessment:
• quantitative approaches for decisions that matter, 2014. Open access textbook
• Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (IPSRA). Linee guida per la valutazione del rischio da esposizione ad Agenti Chimici Pericolosi e ad Agenti Cancerogeni e Mutageni, 2011.

Teaching methods

The course includes lectures, application examples and simulations on case studies of interest which involve the use of dedicated software with open and free access.

Assessment methods

The exam aims to verify the achievement of the training objectives and consists of (i) practical implementation of the exercises proposed during the laboratory, and (ii) passing a written test which will focus on the topics covered in the course.

Teaching tools

The course will be taught with the aid of computer support for the projection of text and images. The slides will be left available to the students, usually uploaded on the Unibo platform https://virtuale.unibo.it/

Office hours

See the website of Luca Ciacci