Environmental Pollution and Remediation
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| GEOG3048 | Environmental & Geographical Sciences | 3 | 20 | Full Year Malaysia |
- Code
- GEOG3048
- School
- Environmental & Geographical Sciences
- Level
- 3
- Credits
- 20
- Semesters
- Full Year Malaysia
Summary
This module is concerned with the study, amelioration and continued management of intractable or polluted terrestrial and aquatic environments. The focus is on both the scientific understanding of environmental pollutions and on the intervention strategies currently available. Topics covered include study of the background of environmental pollutants (history, types and sources of substances); biogeochemical cycles of pollutants, residence times, partitioning and persistence in simplified environmental systems; common water and soil pollutants: heavy metal contamination of land; radio-isotope behaviour in the environment; pollution of industrial land with organic contaminants; reclamation of salt-affected land and landfill sites; pesticide contamination of the environment; nitrate and arsenic pollution of groundwater and possible mitigation options; pollution of surface waters by agrochemicals and eutrophication of lakes; biological monitoring of rivers; acidification of soils and freshwaters; risk assessment and dose-response relationships (introduction to ecotoxicology and environmental epidemiology), food-chain transfers and biomagnification and novel methods of land restoration.
Target Students
BSc (Hons) Environmental Science
Classes
- One 2-hour lecture each week for 24 weeks
Activities may take place every teaching week of the Semester or only in specified weeks. It is usually specified above if an activity only takes place in some weeks of a Semester
Assessment
- 20% Coursework 1: 1500 words report Essay based on current environmental problem related objectives of the module) (Autumn semester)
- 15% Inclass Exam 1 (Written): During lecture time ( combination of MCQ/short questions, 30 mins )(Autumn Semester)
- 15% Inclass Exam 2 (Written): During lecture time ( combination of MCQ/short questions, 30 mins )(Spring semester))
- 50% Exam 1 (2-hour): Final Exam; Essay type written examination (Answer 2 out of 4 questions, 2 hrs)(End of spring semester)
Educational Aims
The overall aims of this module are to provide a qualitative and quantitative understanding of the scientific basis of current environmental pollution processes, the techniques employed in their study, fate and impacts of different types of pollutants in the environment at a range of scales from local to global and the management and ameliorative/remediation methods currently available.Learning Outcomes
After successful completion of this module students will be able to
Knowledge and Understanding
Describe the major sources of environmental pollution and place these in the context of past and present human activities and development. Explain the underlying scientific mechanisms involved in the environmental pollution including heavy metals, radionuclides, nitrate, agrochemicals, pesticides and organic pollutants.
Intellectual Skills
Discuss fundamental quantitative methods commonly used to evaluate in pollutant transformations, persistence and dynamics in the multi-compartment environmental systems.
Professional/Practical Skills
Critically compare current and past approaches to contaminated land restoration and management and waste disposal issues.Quantify risk assessment from environmental contamination and critically appraise current approaches to modelling risk
Transferable (key) skills
Make rational decisions regarding remediation of pollution and give relevant advice to managers/policy maker.
Conveners
- Dr Sivathass Bannir Selvam