NPLK14021U Soil and Water Pollution, Concepts and Theory
MSc Programme in Nature Management
MSc Programme in Agriculture
Review of composition and properties of soils and natural waters critical for pollutant fate and effects. Environmental microbiology: terrestrial and aquatic microbial lifestyles emphasizing microbial degrader populations. Reviews of methods for characterization of abiotic and microbial status of soils and natural waters.
Overview of pollutants in soil and aqueous environments
with emphasis on their physical-chemical, and microbiological
properties. Sources/sinks, monitoring systems and data
and mass balances of pollutants including heavy metals,
radionuclides, acids, pesticides, endocrine disruptors, detergents,
PAH’s, halogenated compounds, veterinary drugs/biomedicine, natural
toxins, anthropogenic nanoparticles, radionuclides, and
microbial pathogens. Solubility, complexation and speciation of
toxic inorganic compounds in soils and natural waters. Pollutant
binding processes including ion exchange, surface complexation, and
partitioning into organic matter and living media
(bioconcentration, biomagnification). Reactions at particle
surfaces including surface catalysis and immobilization. Hydrolysis
and photochemical degradation. Redox processes, zonations and
sequences. Microbial/enzymatic degradation and mineralization
pathways, metabolite formation, and transformation kinetics.
Software for QSAR estimation of pollutant properties, and for
computing speciation and binding (MINTEQ).
Biodegradation and toxicity, microbe-metal interactions, metal
toxicity and resistance; xenogenetic pollutants and antibiotic
resistance.
Outlook: Emerging pollutants, genes and
microorganisms
The objectives of the course are to comprehend and to study how: i) soils and natural waters are affected by pollution, ii) soils function as “filters” for natural attenuation of pollutants, iii) pollutants bind and transform, and iv) how we quantify the chemical and microbial processes.
After completion you should be able to:
Knowledge:
- Classify and provide overview of main inorganic and organic
pollutants in terrestrial ecosystems, and to present knowledge on
the relationships between land use, soil and water quality
- Describe how microbes interact with soils and how this affect
pollutant degradation
- Describe key properties and processes of pollutants critical for
sorption, abiotic and microbial degradation, bioavailability and
biomagnification in terrestrial systems
- Classify and summarize the molecular mechanisms controlling
pollutant degradation, transformation and bonding in soils and
water
- Acquire knowledge on the methods available for predicting the
fate of chemical substances in soil and aquatic environments
- Describe analytical procedures and monitoring strategies for
pollutants in terrestrial systems
Skills:
- Retrieve and critical examine environmental chemical data
- Apply and demonstrate the use of general principles from
chemistry and microbiology for quantification and evaluation of
pollutant fate and balances
- Estimate chemical and physical properties of pollutants and
pollutant fate in terrestrial ecosystems
- Suggest methods and approaches used for assessing
microbe-pollutant interactions
- Critically report on pollutant fate and remediation in
terrestrial and aquatic environments
Competences:
- Combine data and information from different sources in calculus,
prediction and evaluation of pollutant mass balances, fate and
effects in soils and aquatic systems
- Judge the relative importance of various sorption and
transformation processes on the overall distribution and fate of
chemical substances in soil and aquatic environments
- Diagnose the processes critical for the fate of any pollutant,
and critical select tools for analysis and evaluation
- Discuss and assess the complexity of how land use affect soil and
water quality
- Collaborate with fellow students on problem solving and reporting
critical pollutant assessments
- Point to new directions and aspects of emerging
pollutants
Hansen, H.C.B. (ed)(2014) Soil Pollution: Biogeochemistry and
Modelling - including exercises.
Schwarzenbach, R.P. et al. (2005) Environmental Organic Chemistry,
2nd. Ed., Wiley, chapt. 14
Handout notes and journal papers.
Maier, R.M. et al. (2009) Environmental Microbiology, 2nd Ed., Ch.
4, 6, 20 and 21.
Software for speciation analysis.
Software for QSAR estimation of pollutant properties
Excursion material
- Basic course in chemistry
- Course on soil or geochemistry, e.g. "Soil, Water and Plants"
- Basic course in Microbiology
For students who are weak within one or more of the basic disciplines we offer short brush-up lectures incl. reading/training.
- are interested in applying chemistry and microbiology to pollutant fate in soils, sediments and natural waters
- would like hands on and experience with computational approaches
- seeks to learn tools that can quantify speciation, bonding, and degradation, and who would like to use this insight for remediation
- like to work in a class of international students
- Category
- Hours
- Exam
- 4
- Excursions
- 12
- Lectures
- 28
- Preparation
- 70
- Project work
- 60
- Theory exercises
- 32
- Total
- 206
As
an exchange, guest and credit student - click here!
Continuing Education - click here!
- Credit
- 7,5 ECTS
- Type of assessment
- Written examination, 4 h under invigilationWritten assignmentExam comprise project report (counts by 40 %) and a written exam (60 %)
- Exam registration requirements
- Oral presentation of project report.
- Aid
- All aids allowed
- Marking scale
- 7-point grading scale
- Censorship form
- No external censorship
One internal examinator
- Re-exam
- If 10 or fewer registered for the reexamination the examination form will be oral.
Criteria for exam assesment
See learning outcome
Course information
- Language
- English
- Course code
- NPLK14021U
- Credit
- 7,5 ECTS
- Level
- Full Degree Master
- Duration
- 1 block
- Placement
- Block 1
- Schedule
- C (Mon 13-17 + Wednes 8-17)
- Course capacity
- 40
- Continuing and further education
- Study board
- Study Board of Natural Resources and Environment
Contracting department
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences
Course responsibles
- Hans Chr. Bruun Hansen (4-7972797251817d767f3f7c863f757c)
Lecturers
Hans Christian Bruun Hansen
Peter Engelund Holm
Kristian Kofoed Brandt
Carsten Suhr Jacobsen