Hazardous Waste Management
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| CHEE3014 | Chemical and Environmental Engineering | 3 | 10 | Spring UK |
- Code
- CHEE3014
- School
- Chemical and Environmental Engineering
- Level
- 3
- Credits
- 10
- Semesters
- Spring UK
Summary
The objective of this module is to provide the scientific and engineering principles of hazardous waste management. The contents include basic concepts and terminology, the properties and behaviour of hazardous waste, current management practices, design of processes and technology systems for treatment and disposal, and risk assessment and remediation technologies.
Target Students
Students studying Environmental Engineering only.
Assessment
- 40% Coursework 1: In class test
- 60% Coursework 2: Individual Coursework
Assessed by end of spring semester
Educational Aims
This module will enable students to develop a wide range of skills and knowledge in the handling, treatment and disposal of hazardous waste from a risk assessment perspective.Learning Outcomes
A2 Chemical Engineering Principles:
A2.6.3 Understand the principles of risk assessment and of safety management, and be able to apply techniques for the assessment and abatement of process and product hazards.
Demonstrated by the ability to select the appropriate techniques for reducing risks associated to hazardous waste management. Assessed as a part of a compulsory in class test and individual coursework that requires the student to select unit operations and/or treatment solutions to specific waste streams. In the assessments, the students work through a relevant case study to apply these principles.
A2.6.6 Have knowledge of the local legislative framework and how it is applied to the management of safety, health and environment in practice and in the workplace, from the perspectives of all involved, including operators, designers, contractors, researchers, visitors and the public.
Demonstrated by the ability to identify the regulatory requirements associated with hazardous waste management. Assessed as a part of a compulsory in class test and individual coursework that requires the student to evidence knowledge of the legislative framework for hazardous waste management from the perspectives of all involved.
A2.6.8 Have some understanding of the limits of available technology and of the potential of new and emerging technology.
New and emerging technologies for hazardous waste management are discussed in case studies and applied in the coursework. Assessed in the coursework where a treatment process is selected and justified relative to alternatives based on safety, environmental risk, cost-effectiveness, and overall sustainability.
A2.7.6 Be able to apply principles of sustainability, economics and ethics to novel and complex situations with conflicting requirements.
Demonstrated by the ability to discuss alternative treatment options for different hazardous wastes considering sustainability, costs, and ethics. The students apply their understanding of design and environmental risk to identify the cause of catastrophic failure of waste storage and disposal systems and reflect on best practice and alternative approaches. Assessed in the coursework where a treatment process is selected and justified relative to alternatives based on safety, environmental risk, cost-effectiveness, and overall sustainability.
A3 Chemical Engineering Practice:
A3.2.13 Have a broad knowledge and critical awareness of developments at the forefront of chemical engineering
A4 Chemical Engineering Design:
A4.1.2 Encourage the application of chemical engineering principles to problems of current and future industrial relevance including sustainable development, safety, and environmental issues.
Demonstrated by the awareness of the range of chemical and physicochemical processes that could be used to treat hazardous waste, understanding the principles of operation of carbon adsorption reactors, modelling adsorption using Freundlich isotherms, using isotherm data to determine carbon use in batch reactors and adsorption breakthrough curves to design adsorption reactors. Assessed as a part of a compulsory in class test that requires the students to perform calculations on adsorption.
A4.2.4 Be able to take a systems approach to design appreciating: complexity; interaction; integration.
Demonstrated by the ability to identify treatment alternatives and effectively design a treatment solution for a hazardous waste. Assessed as a part of a compulsory in class test and individual coursework that requires the student to select unit operations or treatment solutions to specific waste streams.
A4.2.5 Be able to evaluate the effectiveness of their design, including its immediate and life cycle environmental impacts.