ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY

The course contributes to shape graduates with multidisciplinary skills able to take action in the prevention, diagnosis and operational resolution of environmental problems, according to the general objectives of the Master Degree in Environmental Sciences.
in some detail, the objective of the course is to provide students with the necessary skills for understanding the dynamic (primary and secondary sources, transport, transformation and ultimate fate) of chemicals occurring in the environment. Special attention will be devoted to persistent, toxic and bioaccumulative substances and materials. Finally, the chemical aspects of global changes, e.g. climate change, and strategies and technologies for the prevention and abatment of chemical pollution will be presented.

Knowledge and understanding
The student will acquire the knowledge and understanding of chemical and chemical-physical properties of main classes of environmental hazardous chemicals, chemodynamic, chemical aspects of environmental changes at local-to-global scales, prevention measures and abatement technologies. He will be instructed to carry out appropriate internet search.
Ability to apply knowledge and understanding
The student will acquire the ability to assess quantitatively the occurrence and behavior of chemical substances in the environment, and will benefit from wealth of information available on the Internet (worldwide web, www).
Autonomy of judgment
The student will acquire independent judgment on the evaluation of exposure to environmental chemicals by the integrated knowledge concerning their input, behavior and effects.
Communication skills
The student will acquire adequate skills e.g. appropriate terminology, for oral and written communication on the occurrence and behavior of environmental chemicals.

Fundamentals of chemistry, and environmental chemistry, provided by courses delivered in the first and third year of the Bachelor Degree in Environmental Sciences.

Physico-chemical properties of solid and colloidal particles in natural waters, soil and in the lower atmosphere. Internet search keywords.
Chemical contaminants of the PBT (Persistent, Bioaccumulative, Toxic) type in air, waters and soil. Primary and secondary sources, and inventory of emissions. Physico-chemical properties of main classes of priority and emerging chemicals; general degradation pathways of aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, surfactants and halogenated substances; speciation of metals and metalloids. . Internet search keywords.es in natural waters, soil and in the lower atmosphere. Internet search keywords.
Environmental chemistry of global changes: greenhouse effect; ocean acidification; bioaccumulation and overall redistribution of chemicals and particles over the earth. Internet search keywords.
Chemical potential, fugacity and partitioning of chemicals among environmental media. Partitioning models for the prediction of environmental behavior of organic chemicals. Chemodynamics in waters and air. Internet search keywords.
Prevention and treatment of pollutants in waters, soil and air; regulatory aspects e.g. the EU REACH regulation. Removal of contaminants by physical and biological treatments of waters: potabilization; primary-secondary-tertiary treatments of municipal and industrial wastewaters; treatment and fate of chemicals in sludge from sewage treatment plants. Internet search keywords.

Compulsory:
Slides presented by the teacher and made available in the Moodle platform.
Stanley E. Manahan, Environmental Chemistry, Lewis Publisher, 2017.
Colin Baird & Michael Cann, Chimica Ambientale, Zanichelli, 2013.

Written examination.
Written exam will consist of 4 open questions concerning course subjects, to be answered in 2 hours.

Classroom lectures including exercises.

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