Environment Pollution
[ENVI2012]
[37.5h + 37.5h] 6 credits
This course is taught in the 2d semester.
Teacher(s): Mohamed Ayadim, Bruno Delvaux, Patrick Gerin(coord.)
Language: French
Level: Second
Aims
- Introduction to the environmental pollution sources, characterization techniques, preventive and curative approaches.
- Knowledge of theoretical background of the main issues of pollution and of the main remediation technologies.
Know-how and skills:
- Ability to find, understand, analyze, synthesize and assess quantitatively and critically environmental data (scientific, technical, economic, social,...) related to pollution problems.
- Ability to present orally and in written a short synthetic and structured report on a critical environmental issue.
Main themes
Content and teaching methods
Visits to water or waste treatment facilities are organised whenever possible, in order to introduce students to industrial problems.
The evaluation is based on an exam and on a personal critical synthesis of a pollution problem (causes and solutions), presented orally and in the form of a written report
Content:
1. Water pollution sources, mechanisms and symptoms of running water pollution and lakes. Influence of pollution on living beings: oxygenation and deoxygenation, eutrophication. Measuring water quality. Treatment and wastewater treatment. Prevention of water pollution.
2. Air Pollution - Chemical reactions and the greenhouse gas effect: a) Combustion and pollution (flame, fossil fuels, formation of nitrogen oxide, .. b) Car (used engines, hydrogen fuel cell, ..); c) Transfer and evolution of pollutants; d) Effects of pollutants on living beings and materials, climatic and economic consequences; e) Means to control emissions.
3. Noise pollution: a) Introduction and definitions, physical and psychophysiological characteristics of sound b) Auditive and non auditive effects of noise on living beings; c) Means to reduce noise.
4. Radioactive pollution: a) Introduction and definitions; b) Transfer of pollutants in the environment.
5. Soil Pollution: - Mineral Pollution (heavy metals): origin and consequences of pollutions, effects on fauna and flora. - Organic pollution. Pesticide pollution: prevention, fixing mechanisms, detoxification. Pollution from livestock wastes and other organic materials: influence on plants, determination of allowable doses, reducing the load (methane).
6. Solid waste: characterization and collection of solid wastes. Sorted collection. Treatment methods: landfill, composting, sorting, recycling, applied to urban waste.
7. Electro-magnetic pollution: background, impact of electromagnetic waves and light.
Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)
Evaluation method: Examination on the course content and personal work: critical synthesis on a problem of pollution (causes and solutions) presented orally and in the form of a written report.
Teaching: team of teachers and occasional guest speakers.
Miscellaneous: The student who chooses this course as an option may decide to not follow the exercises or the seminars.