ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY

According to the general training objectives of the Master Degree in Environmental Sciences, the course contributes to shape graduates with multidisciplinary skills able to take action in the prevention, diagnosis and operational resolution of environmental problems.
More specifically, the objective is to provide students with the necessary skills for understanding the chemical, physicochemical and biochemical processes at the basis of matter transformations in both living organisms and environmental matrices, thus providing the basics needed to assess and evaluate the functioning of the environment.

Knowledge and understanding
The student will acquire the knowledge and understanding of the matter transformation processes in both environmental matrices (air, water and soil) and living organisms, deepening the knowledge on the energy and matter cycles, the structural organization at molecular level of animal and vegetable organisms as well as the most important chemical functions for life.

Ability to apply knowledge and understanding
The student will acquire the ability to assess and evaluate the chemical, physicochemical and biochemical processes at the basis of transformation of the matter in both living organisms and environmental matrices.

Autonomy of judgment
The student will acquire independent judgment on identification and evaluation of the most relevant chemical, physicochemical and biochemical processes for the functioning of the environment.

Communication skills
The student will acquire adequate skills for oral and written communication, supported by appropriate terminology, of the fundamental aspects related to the chemical, physicochemical and biochemical processes at the basis of matter transformations in both living organisms and environmental matrices.

Learning ability
The student will acquire the ability to use the scientific method as working tool.

Basics of chemistry, physics and biology provided by the courses planned in the first and second year of the Bachelor Degree in Environmental Sciences.

The course provides the basic knowledge and skills on environmental chemistry and biochemistry fundamental to understand the functioning of the environment.
More specifically, the following topics will be addressed.
Environmental chemistry of natural processes. Principles of thermodynamics and phase transformations; energy and energy cycles; matter and cycles of the elements (carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphate, metals).
Atmosphere and chemistry of the atmosphere: energy and matter transfers, chemical composition and physicochemical processes in the atmosphere; particulate matter formation and removal, photochemical reactions, photochemical smog; ozone in the lower and upper atmosphere.
Aquatic environment: water properties, physical and chemical composition of natural waters, hydrolysis, acid-base, redox, complexation and chelation reactions; alkalinity and hardness of water, nutrients and eutrophication.
Geosphere and soil chemistry: chemical composition and physicochemical processes in soils: acid-base and ion exchange reactions; macro- and micro-nutrients and absorption and biodegradation processes of organic matter.
Fundamentals of biochemistry to understand the environmental behaviour of chemical substances and their effects on living organisms (toxicity, bioaccumulation, biotransformation). Structure, properties and functions of most important biomolecules. Proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and nucleic acids. Enzymes: enzyme kinetics, regulation, inhibitors and activators. Biological membranes: composition and architecture. Solute transport across membranes. Metabolism and bioenergetics. Respiration, photosynthesis, fermentation. Nucleic acids: structure and functions, DNA mutability and repair.

Slides presented by the teacher and made available in the Moodle platform.
Colin Baird, Michael Cann. Chimica ambientale ed. 2013

Written exam consisting of 4 open questions to be answered in 2 hours (max 8 points each) to assess the theoretical knowledge acquired by the student on chemical, physicochemical and biochemical processed needed to assess and evaluate the functioning of the environment.

Lectures and discussion in class

Italian

written

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