Università degli Studi di Napoli "Parthenope"

  1. Teaching
  2. BIOLOGY FOR SUSTAINABILITY
  3. ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY

Stampa

ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY

Teaching schedule

Academic year: 
2020/2021
Belonging course: 
Course of Master's Degree Programme on BIOLOGY FOR SUSTAINABILITY
Disciplinary sector: 
CHEMICAL FOUNDATIONS OF TECHNOLOGIES (CHIM/07)
Language: 
Italian
Credits: 
6
Year of study: 
2
Teachers: 
ROVIELLO Giuseppina
Cycle: 
Second semester
Hours of front activity: 
48

Language

Italian

Course description

Learning Objectives
The knowledge of the environment and study of the effects of anthropic activities on it.
Students will: 1) acquire the theoretical basis of the chemistry of natural atmospheric processes,of water and soil, 2) identify the chemical problems related to human activities and their effects on the environment, 3) know the main global environmental changes.

Prerequisites

Elements of general, inorganic and organic chemistry.

Syllabus

Chemical cycles: description of the biogeochemical cycles of carbon, phosphorus, nitrogen, oxygen.

Atmosphere compartment: structure and properties of the atmosphere, properties of stratospheric ozone and its interactions with light, stratospheric ozone cycle, interaction with halogenated compounds and consumption of stratospheric ozone; troposphere chemistry: classic and photochemical smog, acid rain, atmospheric particulate; greenhouse effect: radiation balance sheet and greenhouse gas.

Water compartment: composition and chemistry of surface and groundwater; water contamination by: heavy metals, acidifiers, nutrients, organic pollutants.

Soil compartment: basic soil chemistry, acidity and ion exchange, soil salinity, sediment, interaction with metals.

Confined environments: effects of formaldehyde, benzene, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, smoke, asbestos; substances of interest for the most common building materials.

Monitoring techniques: sampling techniques; monitoring systems for the main air pollutants, analysis of water and soil samples.

The course aims to describe the environmental dynamics and the effects that inorganic and organic molecules have on them. Environmental compartments (air, water, soil, confined spaces) will therefore be taken into consideration and the chemical dynamics will be described, as well as the chemical, organic and inorganic substances, which have the greatest impact on them.

Teaching Methods

Frontal lessons, also through MsTeams platform, if necessary. Peer lecturing lessons. Flipped classroom experiment.

Textbooks

Slides provided by the teacher and made available on the MsTeams platform or in the classroom.

Books:
S. E. Manahan “Chimica dell’ambiente” Ed. It. Piccin, 2000.
C. Baird “Chimica ambientale” Zanichelli, 1997.

Learning assessment

The exam consists of oral discussions of seminars that students will be invited to carry out, drawing inspiration from topics covered during the course and making use of the knowledge acquired. The full understanding of the topics dealt in the course and the capability of properly using an appropriate scientific language will be evaluated. The final vote comes from the verification of those abilities.
Optionally it will be possible to take a written test.

More information