ENVENG 747 : Environmental Fate of Chemicals and Mitigation
Engineering
2024 Semester One (1243) (15 POINTS)
Course Prescription
Course Overview
The overall purpose of this advanced paper is to provide the students with the knowledge and understanding of various chemical processes and fate modelling in the soil environment required to tackle soil pollution. This course builds on the fundamental
concepts taught in Environmental Engineering in the third year (ENVENG 341 and ENVENG 342) on fate and transport of chemicals (mostly organic, however, inorganic chemicals such as metals will be also covered but to a much lesser extent) in the
environment with particular emphasis on soils and sediments. Specifically, the course will build on a number of basic principles covered in Environmental Engineering I and II, Introductory Engineering Geology and Mathematical Modelling (i.e. soil physics, soil and
environmental chemistry, geology, geochemistry, engineering, toxicology and modelling concepts) and apply them to solve environmental problems.
The specific objectives of the paper can be summarised as follows:
- To review several useful fundamental concepts of soil physics and chemistry in relation to chemicals fate in the soil environment.
- To explore the chemical processes such as sorption, degradation kinetics and transport phenomena of a number of synthetically derived and naturally excreted chemicals in soils with examples from NZ and overseas work.
- To apply leaching and risk assessment models to assess the environmental risk posed by chemicals in NZ condition
- To learn model fitting procedure to derive regulatory end-points required in regulatory assessment of chemicals such as pesticides and other organic chemicals in terrestriala nd aquatic ecosystems.
Capabilities Developed in this Course
| Capability 2: | Sustainability |
| Capability 3: | Knowledge and Practice |
| Capability 4: | Critical Thinking |
| Capability 5: | Solution Seeking |
| Capability 7: | Collaboration |
Learning Outcomes
- Apply how to construct adsorption isotherm using both different and extraction techniques (Capability 2.1 and 3.1)
- Identify how different degradation kinetic models can be used used to derive dissipation times for both parent compound/s and metabolite/s (Capability 3.1, 3.2 and 4.1)
- Understand and explain the parent and metabolite formation kinetics (Capability 3.1, 3.2 and 5.1)
- Analyse the sorption isotherms and kinetics data (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 4.1 and 5.1)
- Demonstrate the ability to fit the degradation kinetic models using given datasets (Capability 3.1, 3.2 and 4.2)
- Develop conceptual model for predicting fate of chemicals in soils (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2 and 5.1)
- Use and apply various sorption isotherms models (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 4.1 and 4.2)
- Articulate and apply the knowledge gained in the course for field application (Capability 7.1)
- Read, analyse, interpret and present literature on degradation of chemicals in soils and derivation of endpoints using kinetic modelling (Capability 4.2 and 7.1)
- Independently research, analyse, and communicate the findings of the results obtained from the given assignments (Capability 5.1)
Assessments
| Assessment Type | Percentage | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| Assignments | 40% | Individual Coursework |
| Test | 60% | Individual Test |
| 2 types | 100% |
| Assessment Type | Learning Outcome Addressed | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| Assignments | ||||||||||
| Test | ||||||||||
Workload Expectations
This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in the course and in total 150 hrs for the entire course.
For this course, you can expect, on average, 3 hours of lectures/tutorials, 3 hours of reading and thinking about the content, and 4 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation, per week.
Delivery Mode
Campus Experience
Attendance is expected at scheduled activities including tutorials to complete credit for components of the course.
Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including seminars will be available available as recordings.
The course will not include live online events.
Attendance on campus is not required for the test.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.
Learning Resources
Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).
Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.
Health & Safety
Students are expected to adhere to the guidelines outlined in the Health & Safety section of the Engineering Undergraduate Handbook.
Student Feedback
At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.
Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.
Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.
There will be more tutorials and practical examples and seminars will be provided.
Academic Integrity
The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.
Class Representatives
Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.
Inclusive Learning
All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.
Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz
Special Circumstances
If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.
If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.
This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.
Learning Continuity
In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.
Student Charter and Responsibilities
The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.
Disclaimer
Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.
In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.