The main goal of this course is to promote a critical sense and a specific sensitivity of students towards the main topics of environmental geochemistry, with a particular view for the antropic impact on natural processes and on the abundance of chemical species in the environments. Students will learn main practices of remediation, taking into consideration the use of the territory. Students will be stimulated to analyze the problems and propose the relative solutions.
teacher profile teaching materials
THE COURSE OPENS WITH THE ILLUSTRATION OF TWO CASE-STUDIES ABOUT ACCIDENTAL SPILLS IN THE SUBSOIL OF TWO CHEMICALS (CR-VI AND ACETONE CYANOYDRIN), WITH FOLLOWING SOIL AND GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION. MONITORING ACTIONS TO IDENTIFY THE EXTENSION OF THE PLUME AND REMEDIATION APPROACHES ARE INTRODUCED. THESE EXAMPLES ARE USED TO PRESENT THE BASIC S OF ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY: SORPTION ONTO MINERAL CLAYS, ORGANIC MATTER AND FE/AL/MN OXIDES/HYDROXIDES; GEOCHEMICAL MOBILITY AND RELATED PARAMETERS; NATURAL GEOCHEMICAL BASELINES AND THE USE OF A SPECIFIC CHEMICAL MAPPING. CONTAMINATION FROM HEAVY METALS (PB AND HG).
THE SECOND SECTION DEALS WITH GREENHOUSE EFFECT, REDUCTION OF THE STRATOSPHERIC OZONE, URBAN POLLUTION, ACID RAINS AND PHOTOCHEMICAL SMOG. THE CONFLICTING CONCEPTS OF NATURAL EQUILIBRIA ALTERED BY HUMAN ACTIVITIES AND RECORDS OF PAST NATURAL DISTURBANCE IN THE GEOLOGICAL RECORDS ARE EMPHASISED.
LAST MAIN SECTION IS DEDICATED TO ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY AND RISK DUE TO HUMAN ACTIVITIES DEALING WITH NUCLEAR ENERGY: NUCLEAR REACTORS, GEOLOGICAL DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE, ACCIDENTS TO NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS (CHERNOBYL AND FUKUSHIMA), MILITARY USE OF DEPLETED URANIUM. FINALLY, THE FOLLOWING ISSUES ARE DESCRIBED: RADON RISK, THE USE OF RADON AS TRACER OF SINKHOLE DEVELOPMENT, AS SEISMIC PRECURSOR AND AS A TOOL TO STUDY GROUNDWATER CIRCULATION AND MIXING OR THE OCCURENCE IN THE SUBSOIL OF NON AQUEOSUS PHASE LIQUIDS (NAPL).
GENERALLY SPEAKING, THE RECENTLY INTRODUCED DISCIPLINE OF MEDICAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND THE IMPACT OF MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE LANDFILLS ON THE ENVIRONMENT ARE EXPOED WITH SPECIAL ENPHASIS ON THE LEACHATE, THE ROLE OF BACTERIA IN THE DEGRADATION OF POLLUTANTS AND NATURAL ATTENUATION.
DONGARRA' G., VARRICA D. GEOCHIMICA E AMBIENTE, EDISES, 2004 - IN ITALIAN
DREVER J.I. THE GEOCHEMISTRY OF NATURAL WATERS - SURFACE AND GROUNDWATER ENVIRONMENT, PRENTICE-HALL, 1997 - CHAPTERS 4, 5, 9 – SORPTION, IONIC EXCHANGE AND HEAVY METALS
NATHANAIL C.P., BARDOS R.P. RECLAMATION OF CONTAMINATED LAND, WILEY, 2004
SHERWOOD LOLLAR B. ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY. VOLUME 9 DEL TREATISE ON GEOCHEMISTRY, ELSEVIER B.V. 2004
TUCCIMEI P. SPECIFIC TEACHING MATERIAL
Programme
THE COURSE IS DEVOTED TO PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH TOOLS AND METHODS TO IDENTIFY THE ANTHROPIC IMPACT ON NATURAL GEOCHEMICAL CYCLES OF ELEMENTS AND CHEMICALS. IT IS ORGANISED INTO THREE MAIN SECTIONS ON WATER POLLUTION, ATMOSPHERIC PROCESSES AND ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOGEOCHEMISTRY.THE COURSE OPENS WITH THE ILLUSTRATION OF TWO CASE-STUDIES ABOUT ACCIDENTAL SPILLS IN THE SUBSOIL OF TWO CHEMICALS (CR-VI AND ACETONE CYANOYDRIN), WITH FOLLOWING SOIL AND GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION. MONITORING ACTIONS TO IDENTIFY THE EXTENSION OF THE PLUME AND REMEDIATION APPROACHES ARE INTRODUCED. THESE EXAMPLES ARE USED TO PRESENT THE BASIC S OF ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY: SORPTION ONTO MINERAL CLAYS, ORGANIC MATTER AND FE/AL/MN OXIDES/HYDROXIDES; GEOCHEMICAL MOBILITY AND RELATED PARAMETERS; NATURAL GEOCHEMICAL BASELINES AND THE USE OF A SPECIFIC CHEMICAL MAPPING. CONTAMINATION FROM HEAVY METALS (PB AND HG).
THE SECOND SECTION DEALS WITH GREENHOUSE EFFECT, REDUCTION OF THE STRATOSPHERIC OZONE, URBAN POLLUTION, ACID RAINS AND PHOTOCHEMICAL SMOG. THE CONFLICTING CONCEPTS OF NATURAL EQUILIBRIA ALTERED BY HUMAN ACTIVITIES AND RECORDS OF PAST NATURAL DISTURBANCE IN THE GEOLOGICAL RECORDS ARE EMPHASISED.
LAST MAIN SECTION IS DEDICATED TO ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY AND RISK DUE TO HUMAN ACTIVITIES DEALING WITH NUCLEAR ENERGY: NUCLEAR REACTORS, GEOLOGICAL DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE, ACCIDENTS TO NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS (CHERNOBYL AND FUKUSHIMA), MILITARY USE OF DEPLETED URANIUM. FINALLY, THE FOLLOWING ISSUES ARE DESCRIBED: RADON RISK, THE USE OF RADON AS TRACER OF SINKHOLE DEVELOPMENT, AS SEISMIC PRECURSOR AND AS A TOOL TO STUDY GROUNDWATER CIRCULATION AND MIXING OR THE OCCURENCE IN THE SUBSOIL OF NON AQUEOSUS PHASE LIQUIDS (NAPL).
GENERALLY SPEAKING, THE RECENTLY INTRODUCED DISCIPLINE OF MEDICAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND THE IMPACT OF MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE LANDFILLS ON THE ENVIRONMENT ARE EXPOED WITH SPECIAL ENPHASIS ON THE LEACHATE, THE ROLE OF BACTERIA IN THE DEGRADATION OF POLLUTANTS AND NATURAL ATTENUATION.
Core Documentation
BAIRD C. CHIMICA AMBIENTALE. ZANICHELLI EDITORE, 2001- IN ITALIANDONGARRA' G., VARRICA D. GEOCHIMICA E AMBIENTE, EDISES, 2004 - IN ITALIAN
DREVER J.I. THE GEOCHEMISTRY OF NATURAL WATERS - SURFACE AND GROUNDWATER ENVIRONMENT, PRENTICE-HALL, 1997 - CHAPTERS 4, 5, 9 – SORPTION, IONIC EXCHANGE AND HEAVY METALS
NATHANAIL C.P., BARDOS R.P. RECLAMATION OF CONTAMINATED LAND, WILEY, 2004
SHERWOOD LOLLAR B. ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY. VOLUME 9 DEL TREATISE ON GEOCHEMISTRY, ELSEVIER B.V. 2004
TUCCIMEI P. SPECIFIC TEACHING MATERIAL
Type of delivery of the course
Blended teaching at the beginning of the semester and lessons on MICROSOFT TEAMS from mid November, depending on the COVID-19 evolutionType of evaluation
Oral examination - Telepresence during COVID-19 emergency