CHIMICA DELL'AMBIENTE E SENSORI PER IL MONITORAGGIO AMBIENTALE
Academic Year 2023/2024 - Teacher: GIUSEPPE FORTEExpected Learning Outcomes
The aim of the course is to provide students with knowledge on the main sources of pollution in the various environmental matrices: air, water and soil; on the main pollutant monitoring techniques, on the main environmental sensors and their use in controlling the quality of the environment.
In this context, the student will acquire the following knowledge: 1) main sources of pollution, type of pollutants and concentration limits of pollutants in the various environmental compartments; 2) specificity and critical points of each environmental sector, 3) Hazardous waste; 4) main methods for a correct carrying out of sampling, storage, sample treatment and analytical determination; 5) main sensors for monitoring chemical and microbiological pollutants in environmental matrices; 6) interpretation of the analytical result for a correct evaluation of environmental monitoring; 7) Italian legislation on pollution and waste.
Course Structure
Frontal lessons with the help of slides.
Required Prerequisites
To take the exams of Environmental Chemistry and monitoring networks it is necessary that the student has passed the General Chemistry which is preparatory, as reporterd in CdL regulation
Attendance of Lessons
Attendance is compulsory according to the rules of the didactic regulations:
http://www.dsf.unict.it/corsi/l-29_sfa/regolamento-didattico.
Detailed Course Content
The course takes into account the aspects related to the chemical characterization of environmental systems, the analytical and sensor techniques for monitoring and determining the main pollutants.
Program
Introduction. Environmental chemistry and main sources of environmental pollution.
Pollution of the atmosphere. Chemistry and pollution of the atmosphere. Mechanisms of ozone formation and destruction, photochemical smog, greenhouse effect and global warming. Particulate matter and asbestos fibers.
Water pollution. Chemistry and water pollution. Waters for civil, industrial and agro-zootechnical use. Main inorganic and organic pollutants in water, acidity and oxygen demand.
Soil pollution. Soil chemistry and pollution. Heavy metals and pesticides. Waste: nature, sources and classification of hazardous waste.
Principles of Statistics. Statistical treatment of data and main analytical parameters.
Sampling and analysis methods. Main methods of sampling and environmental chemical analysis. Monitoring of volatile organic substances (BTEX, IPA etc.), inorganic oxides (NOx, SOx) and heavy metals. Sampling and main analysis techniques of particulate matter (PM10 and PM 2.5) in the atmosphere. Sampling and main analysis techniques of asbestos fibers. Sampling of microplastics in water and main analysis techniques.
Sources of Renewable Energy. Hydroelectric energy, wind energy, Nuclear energy (fission and fusion), solar energy, solar cells
Sensors. Introduction to Sensors. Characteristic parameters of the Sensors (Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, stability and reversibility). Main chemical sensors and environmental biosensors.
Regulations. Italian legislation on environmental pollution. Waste legislation.
Course Planning
| Subjects | Text References | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction to the course, environmental chemistry. main sources of environmental pollution. | T2 C1 e C2 Lesson notes |
| 2 | Chemistry and pollution of the atmosphere. Mechanisms of ozone formation and destruction | T1 C2 C3,C4; T2 C9, C10, C11, C12 Lesson notes |
| 3 | Photochemical smog, greenhouse effect and global warming | T2 C13, C14 Lesson notes |
| 4 | Particulate matter and asbestos fibers | T2 C10, Lesson notes |
| 5 | Chemistry and water pollution. Waters for civil, industrial and agro-zootechnical use. | T1 C7 T2 C7, Lesson notes |
| 6 | Main inorganic and organic pollutants in water | T2 C7, Lesson notes |
| 7 | Main pollutants in water: acidity, oxygen, organic pollutants | T2 C7, Lesson notes |
| 8 | Soil chemistry and pollution | T1- C9 T2 C16 Lesson notes |
| 9 | Heavy metals and pesticides in the soil | T1- C9 Lesson notes |
| 10 | Waste: nature, sources and classification of hazardous waste | T2 C18 C19, Lesson notes |
| 11 | Statistical treatment of data and main analytical parameters. | T4 C1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 |
| 12 | Introduction to the main sampling methods | T2 C24 Lesson notes |
| 13 | Introduction to the main environmental chemical analyzes. | T2 C24 Lesson notes |
| 14 | Monitoring of volatile organic substances, Monitoring of inorganic oxides NOx, SOx, monitoring of heavy metals | Lesson notes |
| 15 | Sampling of PM10 and PM 2.5 particles and analysis techniques | Appunti di lezione |
| 16 | Asbestos fiber sampling and analysis techniques (optical and electron microscopy). Microplastic sampling and analysis techniques. | Appunti di lezione |
| 17 | Introduction to Sensors. Characteristic parameters of the Sensors (Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, stability and reversibility) | T3 C1 Lesson notes |
| 18 | Environmental chemical sensors | T3 C7, Lesson notes |
| 19 | Environmental biosensors | T2 C21 Lesson notes |
| 20 | Environmental pollution legislation Waste legislation | Lesson notes |