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Monitoring, Assessment & Control of Pollutants - ENV00091M

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  • Department: Environment and Geography
  • Module co-ordinator: Prof. Alistair Boxall
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: M
  • Academic year of delivery: 2021-22

Module summary

Through a combination of lectures, practical classes and field trips this module aims to provide students with an understanding of different approaches to monitoring and assessing the status of aquatic ecosystems and the strategies available to minimise or eliminate pollution and the production of wastes. The module is assessed through two pieces of coursework.

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Autumn Term 2021-22 to Spring Term 2021-22

Module aims

Understanding how to monitor the ecological quality of ecosystems and the organisms that inhabit them is important for determining the impact of human activities on the environment and for providing regulatory bodies with the information they require to develop and implement controls to minimise the impacts of pollutants. The first half of this module (autumn term) aims to provide students with a theoretical understanding of the different approaches used in environmental monitoring and an introduction into the key concepts involved in the design, implementation and use of environmental monitoring programmes. A series of practical sessions will be used to provide hands-on experience in relevant methodologies and to provide experience of collating and interpreting relevant datasets. This will enable students to gain theoretical and practical skills which are highly relevant for employment in e.g. government agencies, environmental consultancies and other similar bodies. The second half of the module (spring term) will focus on the strategies available to minimise or eliminate pollution and the production of wastes. Through a series of lectures, field trips and seminars students will be introduced to the science and engineering underlying pollution and waste management to equip them with the skills to evaluate and select feasible treatment technologies and management techniques for different classes of pollutants and wastes.

Module learning outcomes

Subject content

  • Identify the important elements involved in monitoring and assessing the health of aquatic ecosystems and understand how to design and apply monitoring programmes using appropriate methodologies.
  • Critically evaluate environmental data quality from monitoring exercises to support e.g. policy development, reviewing its reliability, validity and significance
  • Understand the science and engineering underlying different treatment technologies and be equipped to select appropriate technologies and management techniques for different classes of pollutants
  • Identify and apply strategies to minimise the discharge of pollutants to the environment

Academic and graduate skills

  • Ability to work in a group
  • Ability to collate and critically appraise environmental datasets

Experience of writing scientific reports and designing monitoring programmes

Assessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Consultancy report		 N/A 50
Essay/coursework
Environmental monitoring report		 N/A 50

Special assessment rules

None

Reassessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
3000 Word Essay		 N/A 100

Module feedback

Written feedback on coursework will be delivered individually - standard 4 week turnaround.

Indicative reading

Details of key texts are provided on the VLE site for this module.


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University is constantly exploring ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary by the University. Where appropriate, the University will notify and consult with affected students in advance about any changes that are required in line with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.