ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY

The Environmental Chemistry course studies the behavior of chemical substances in water, soil and atmosphere in order to discover their origin, transport, reactions and effects.
The Environmental Chemistry course uses the theoretical approaches and laboratory and field tools of traditional chemistry (inorganic, organic, analytical and chemical-physical) to obtain the most precise and detailed knowledge of chemical phenomena occurring in the environment including both natural ones and those induced by human activities. Because of its nature, the Chemistry of the environment is an interface discipline; has in fact close relations with biology, as living organisms influence and are influenced by chemical phenomena,
with ecology because the growth of populations of organisms is bound to the availability of chemical compounds such as nutrients, with geology because the chemical nature of a body of water depends on the rock formations with which it is in contact, with the hydrology and other disciplines ..

Knowledge and understanding: The student will have acquired knowledge of the main chemical processes that take place in the environment
Applying knowledge and understanding: The student will have acquired the necessary skills to recognize the natural environmental conditions distinguishing them from those altered by pollution phenomena.
Making judgment: The student will have acquired knowledge of chemistry that will allow him to formulate hypotheses appropriate to the control, management and restoration of the environment.
Communication skills: The student will have developed communication skills based on correct scientific terminology and also on the use of multimedia tools.
Learning skills:
The student will have acquired fundamental constitutive elements for the training of a bachelor graduate in Environmental Sciences and for the continuation of specialized professional studies

The student must be familiar with the basic concepts of inorganic, organic, analytical and physical chemistry

The chemistry of natural water:
properties of water and water bodies,
acid-base, complexation, reduction-oxydation equilibria,
phase interactions,
microrganism catalyzed chemical reactions (biogeochemical cycling of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur, metals, non-metals)
Water pollution:
Pollutants: heavy elements (metals, non-metals), organometallic compounds, inorganic species, organic pollutants (pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, dioxins),
eutrophication, radioactivity.
Chemical and biological water treatment:
drinking water purification,
industrial and municipal refuse water treatment,
primary, secondary, tertiary treatments,
sludge treatment.

Handouts provided by the teacher, which include the material explained in class.
Textbooks:
Stanley E. Manahan, Environmental Chemistry, Lewis Publisher.
Colin Baird, Environmental Chemistry, Zanichelli.
Articles appeared in scientific journals, chapters of monographs.
The teaching material provided by the teacher is uploaded to the Moodle platform.

The preparation of the student is evaluated in two steps: first, students must pass a written test based on exercices, that quantitatively interpret reactions and processes discussed in the course. The texts of previous exams and a selection of resolved typical exercices are available to students. Second, students with a positive score in the written test must pass an oral test on the whole course syllabus.

The course consists of classroom lectures and supplementary teaching activities including visits to facilities covered in the course (potabilization, waste water treatment, composting) and in seminars held by researchers who are experts in specific subjects.

Italian

written and oral

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Natural capital and environmental quality" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development