| CODE | BIO3530 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Environmental Pollution | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 6 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Biology | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit is designed to equip students with theoretical and practical knowledge of the various main classes of contaminants and pollutants, and their effects on natural ecosystems, habitats and species, as well as of measures to reduce, eliminate and prevent contamination and pollution. The topics to be covered include: 1. Introduction, definition of contamination, pollution, toxic effects thereof and harm to biological systems, etc.. 2. Review of major classes and chemical properties of pollutants, sources of pollution, and environmental effects. 3. Environmental fate of pollutants and their transformations (physico-chemical and biological transformations), persistence and accumulation. 4. Effects of pollutants at different biological levels of organisation (effects at the genetic, biochemical, cytological, physiological effects, and ecosystem levels), differences between adaptive effects, sublethal effects and harm, acute lethal effects (mechanisms and toxicity and lethal toxicity tests), and assimilative capacity of environment. 5. Effects of pollutants at the population, community and ecosystem levels. 6. Analytical methods: tools, and limits of detection; EQSs. 7. Toxicological and Ecotoxicological Test Methods, and QSARS. 8. Ecological Risk Assessment: hazard and exposure assessment, and dose Response Assessment; risk assessment, analysis and management. 9. Case Studies will be reviewed to illustrate the above concepts. Study-unit will include lectures, seminars, and possibly a laboratory demonstration session and one or more site-visits. Students are informed that regular attendance to lectures, practical classes and visits is obligatory. Study-Unit Aims: Environmental pollution is a multidisciplinary field that concerns contamination, pollution and degradation of the environment. Studies of environmental pollution seek to help understand how species, habitats and ecosystems may be harmed by pollution, and how the effects may be detected, and management to prevent or minimize adverse effects and harm. The study-unit aims at introducing students to the basic concepts and methods of pollution and its assessment, with reference to air, land and water bodies. Whenever possible, case studies from the local and regional contexts will be used to illustrate problems and procedures to prevent, reduce or eliminate pollution. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Explain and describe the basic concepts underlying the various types and effects of contaminants and pollutants in air, water and on land; - Appreciate and apply a range of different assessments and procedures used in pollution studies; - Explain and describe the impacts of pollutants at different biological levels, including the assimilative capability of the environment; - Explain and describe the impacts of pollution at the population, community and ecosystem levels; - Describe the environmental fate and transformations of the various classes of environmental contaminants and pollutants; - Describe and apply different chemical analytical methods relevant to pollution studies and appreciate the limitations of such methods; - Appreciate the application of QSARS, bioassays and other approaches concerning pollution studies; - Compare biomonitoring with chemical monitoring; - Identify, assess and evaluate risks of contaminants and pollutants to different biological levels on the basis of the various principles and concepts of ecotoxicology; - Appreciate and describe the differences between risk and hazard assessment and management; - Describe and apply to real case-studies, various management tools to control environmental harm by pollutants; - Appreciate and describe the implications of pollution for human health; - Describe and explain various legislation and guidelines concerning pollution, including various international agreements and EU directives; - Be able to apply the various concepts covered to analyse and critically review data provided by different case-studies. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Retrieve and critically evaluate relevant information on environmental contamination and pollution from various sources; - Communicate effectively assessments and reviews of environmental contamination and pollution to others; - Go beyond the stage of recalling/describing/comprehending new knowledge on environmental contamination and pollution by being able to analyse and appraise situations or phenomena related to the subject matter, using acquired skills and techniques that require knowledge or experience gained in some relevant discipline (such as law, economics, engineering, economics, etc); - Engage in innovative and creative assessment and analysis of available data and information on environmental contamination and pollution with critical judgement; - Demonstrate the importance of the scientist / expert on environmental contamination and pollution to be socially responsible and contribute towards the common good in the management of environmental resources. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: Hill, M.K. (Latest edition). Understanding environmental pollution. Cambridge University Press. Supplementary Readings: CLARK, R. (Latest edition). Marine Pollution. Oxford University Press. Walker, C.H., Hopkin, S.P., Sibly, R.M., Peakall, D.B. (Latest edition). Principles of Ecotoxicology. CRC Press. Newman M.C. (Latest edition). Ecotoxicology: A Comprehensive Treatment 2007. ISBN 9780849333576 Den Besten P.J. (Latest edition). Ecotoxicological testing of Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems: Emerging Techniques, Trends and Strategies. |
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| ADDITIONAL NOTES | Pre-requisite Study-units: BSc Hons Biology 1st and 2nd year study-units Please note that a pass in the Report component is obligatory for an overall pass mark to be awarded. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Fieldwork, Ind Study, Lab Sessions, Lect & Seminar | ||||||||||||
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| LECTURER/S | Joseph A. Borg Ruth Guillaumier Sandro Lanfranco |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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