ECTS credits ECTS credits: 4.5
ECTS Hours Rules/Memories Student's work ECTS: 76.5 Hours of tutorials: 4.5 Expository Class: 13.5 Interactive Classroom: 18 Total: 112.5
Use languages Spanish, Galician
Type: Ordinary subject Master’s Degree RD 1393/2007 - 822/2021
Departments: Physical Chemistry
Areas: Physical Chemistry
Center Higher Technical Engineering School
Call: First Semester
Teaching: Sin docencia (Extinguida)
Enrolment: No Matriculable | 1st year (Yes)
The keywords that describe this course are: “Water properties. Equilibrium in aquatic systems. Air-water and soil-water interactions. Criteria and regulations. Contamination of natural waters. Quality indexes. Analytical techniques for characterization”.
Considering these keywords and the organization of the course, comprising theoretical and laboratory sessions, the syllabus will be divided into two blocks:
- One block consisting of theoretical units in which general concepts are explained to define the chemical behavior of natural aquatic systems and water quality along with the required methodology to determine it.
- One block focused in practical learning where the above explained methodology will be applied to the study of the water quality of a real system.
The course will be basically practical with special attention to the typical problems that the Chemical Engineer will face in the future regarding the quality of surface aquatic systems. The laboratory practicals will be useful to complete the knowledge acquired in the theoretical classes.
During the course the student will acquire and practice a series of general and specific competences which are desirable in any University degree and particularly for environmental professionals.
The students should become aware of the problems that pollution can cause in the environment and be able to design a protocol to determine water quality and assess a whole set of physical, chemical and biological parameters that help us to establish the different quality indexes and water quality indexes.
The contents of the course will be basically those mentioned in the keywords.
The different units of the course will comprise a theoretical and a practical part.
Topic 1. Water properties
Water properties and properties of water masses. Processes that control the composition of natural waters. Chemical composition of natural waters. Surface water, ground water, seawater atmospheric water.
Topic 2. Basic concepts about chemical equilibrium
Equilibrium constant. Le Chatelier’s Principle. Activity and activity coefficient. Variation in the equilibrium relationships. Ways of shifting the equilibrium position. Acid-base equilibrium. Complex formation equilibrium. Solubility equilibrium. Carbonate system equilibria. Oxidation-reduction equilibrium. Other systems of environmental interest. Water-atmosphere interactions. Soil-water interactions.
Topic 3. Contamination of natural waters
Chemical contaminants in waters. Types of contaminants. Origin of the contaminants. Effect of chemical contaminants on continental waters. Effect of chemical contaminants on marine waters.
Topic 4. Water quality
Criteria and regulations for quality. Community directives regarding water quality. Water quality required for drinking uses. Water quality for bathing. Quality of continental waters that need protection or improvement to be suitable for fish life. Other community directives.
Topic 5. Introduction to water sampling
Type of samples. Sampling material and devices. Conservation of the samples. Sampling planning. Sampling network management.
Topic 6. Chemical quality indexes
Definition of water quality. Quality indicators: physical, chemical and biological. Quality indexes. General quality index (GQI).
Field and laboratory practicals
1. Sampling. Regulation ISO 5667
2. Physical and chemical properties
a. In situ measurements: turbidity (EN 27027), conductivity (UNE EN 27888), temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, % oxygen saturation
b. Laboratory measurements: alkalinity, solids in suspension (UNE EN 872)
3. Organic contamination
a. Biological oxygen demand
b. Chemical oxygen demand
4. Specific inorganic constituents
a. Cations: sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, hardness
b. Anions: sulphate, chloride, phosphate, silica
c. Nitrogen compounds: nitrate, nitrite, ammonium
d. Analytical checking of main contaminants in natural waters
Basic
Manahan, S.E. Environmental Chemistry. 9ª edición. Boca Ratón, CRC-Press, 2009. ISBN: 9781420059205
Sinatura ETSE: A200 15 B
Orozco, C., Pérez, A., González, M. N., Rodríguez, F. J., Alfayate, J. M. Contaminación ambiental. Una visión desde la Química. Madrid: Thomson, 2003. ISBN: 978-84-9732-178-5
Sinatura Farmacia: A EMA 8
Complementary
Andrews, J.E., Brimblecombe, P., Jickells, T.D., Liss, P.S., Reid, B. An introduction to Environmental Chemistry, 2ª edición. Wiley-Blackwell, 2004. ISBN 978-1-118-68547-1.
Sinatura Bioloxía: A EMA 697
Figueruelo, J. E., Dávila, M. M. Química Física del Ambiente y de los Procesos Medioambientales. Barcelona: Editorial Reverté, 2004. ISBN: 968-6708-54-5
Sinatura Farmacia: EMA 377
American Public Health Association and American Water Works Association. Standard Methods, for examination of water and wastewater” 21th ed. Washington: APHA, 1998. ISBN: 0-87553-047-8.
Sinatura ETSE: A221 1 B
Keith, L. H. (ed), Principles of Environmental Sampling. Washington: ACS Profesional Reference Book, ACS, 1988. ISBN: 0-8412-1173-6
Sinatura Química: EMA 191
Basic and general
CB6 – To possess and understand the knowledge that provides a basis and opportunity to be original in the development and/or application of ideas, often in a research context.
CB7 - Students should be able to apply their knowledge and their ability to solve problems in new or unfamiliar environments within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts related to their field of study.
CB8 - Students should be able to integrate knowledge and handle complexity to formulate judgments based on information that was incomplete or limited, and that include a thought on social and ethical responsibilities linked to the application of their knowledge and judgments.
CB9 - Students should be able to communicate their conclusions, the knowledge and rationale underpinning these to specialist and non-specialist audiences clearly and unambiguously.
CB10 - Students must possess the learning skills that enable them to continue studying in a way that will be largely self-directed or autonomous.
G01 - Identify and articulate environmental problems
Specific
E11 - To have a comprehensive understanding of environmental problems .
E13 - To know the scientific bases that are applied by the environmental engineering.
E16 - Meeting environmental legislation at local, regional and global levels.
E21 - Identify and formulate environmental problems.
E31 - Conduct literature review and synthesize results.
E34 - Write reports on impacts and environmental issues .
E42 - Commitment to environmental protection and sustainable development.
Use of the Virtual Campus. Through the Moodle platform, the Virtual Classroom of the USC will be used. To this platform will be uploaded, in addition to all the information regarding the course (teaching staff, timetable and programming), various materials to support study and personal work, such as scientific articles, legislation on water quality issues, PowerPoint presentations of the classes, video-tutorials on speciation software management speciation, videos of interest to the subject, consultation documents, activities for personal work, etc.
There will be lectures in which the foundations are laid to develop the concept of water quality and different indices and quality indicators will be defined. In interactive classes concepts and skills acquired through the resolution of exercises will be applied using specific software for calculations of speciation in natural environments.
The course also includes taking samples and in situ measurements during a field trip to the river Sar (near Santiago de Compostela) and a visit to the Encoro do Con Hydrobiology Station. To carry out both activities, transport will be by bus on the days marked in the calendar.
The practical laboratory classes will take place in the ETSE laboratories and the
students will be divided into two groups of approximately 12 people.
The admission and permanence of the students enrolled in the practical laboratory requires that they know the information and comply with the standards included in the Protocol of basic training in security matters for experimental spaces of the ETSE, available in the Security section of the website.
Weekly schedule:
WEEK 12 (22-26 Nov): Topics 1 and 2
WEEK 13 (29 Nov-03 Dec): Topics 2 and 3
WEEK 14 (06-10 Dec): Topic 5 + Field trip Activity 2
WEEK 15 (13-17 Dec): Topics 4 and 6 + Activity 1
Laboratory practicals: Group 1 – 13-15 december
Group 2 – 16-20 december
Tutorials: 20 december
WEEK 17 (10-14 Jan): Tutorials: 10 january
Final Exam based on Activity 5: 13 january
WEEK 18 (17-21 Jan): Visit Activity 3: 21 january
WEEK 21 (11 Feb): Exam assessment
Attendance to the laboratory classes will be required in order to pass the course.
This course consist of two parts, Chemical Quality and Biological Quality, so that the final grade Will be obtained as a weithted average of both grades:
Final grade = grade in Chemical Quality * 0.6 + grade in Biological Quality * 0.4
In case of fraudulent performance of exercises or tests, the provisions of the Regulations for the evaluation of student academic performance and review of grades will apply.
Assessment of Chemical Quality. Throughout the year various activities will be held. Some will be delivered to the instructors and others will be presented in the classroom to be defended and discussed with other classmates and teachers. There will not be a typical final exam. However, on the date set for this purpose, all students must make a presentation of a final report on the subject which should have been previously delivered for correction to the teachers. The report should include an integrated vision of the worked part of the component on chemical quality of water, that is, all these contents should address the analysis of the quality of the sampled rivers water according to the parameters which have been worked in the labs. Thereforte, the final report should include from the sampling design, through the analytical techniques used to determine the quality of water in the laboratory, to finish with the determination of the quality indices and their analysis from the regulations point of view. The assessment of biological quality will take the form of continuous assessment during the day at the Station of Hydrobiology "Encoro do Con".
Global assessment of the course will be based on the acquirement of skills and will be conducted in all the activities performed by the students.
Activities:
1. Create records with the characterization and chemical clasification o mineral bottled water
2. Field trip to collect the water samples
3. Final report: delivered in paper and as oral presentation
4. Field trip to the Hydrobiology Estation “Encoro do Con”
5. Chemical laboratory
Assessment of the different skills through the activities:
ACTIVITY 1: CB10
ACTIVITY 2: G01, E21, E42
ACTIVITY 3: CB6-CB10, E11, E13, E16, E31, E34, E42
ADTIVITY 4: CB7, CB8, E11, E42
ACTIVITY 5: CB6, E13, E42
Assessment percentajes by activities:
Chemical quality (60%):
• Activity 1: 15 %
• Activity 3: presentación oral 35% + memoria escrita 35%
• Activity 5: 15%
Biological quality (40%)
• Activity 4: 100%
In case of having to re-take the exam in the second opportunity, the activities graded above 5 will not need to be repeated. Only the activities graded below 5 will require to be done again. Students in this situation should contact the lecturers of each part in order to stablish what do they need to acomplish to be able to resit the exam.
In the case of students repeating the course, all the activities need to be done again since they usually change from one year to the next. The laboratory practices will be carried out again since the whole course (activities, works and exam) is focused on them.
4.5 ECTS: 1 ECTS corresponds to 25 hours of the student work
Activity Presence hours / factor / Personal work / TOTAL
Theory 24 / 2 / 48 / 72
Practicals 14 / 1.5 / 21 / 35
Tutorials 1 / 0.5 / 0.5 / 1.5
Exam 2 / 1 / 2 / 4
TOTAL 41 / - / 71.5 / 112.5
It is advisable that the student have basic knowledge on biology and chemistry.
Also, additional knowledge is advisable to achieve optimal performance during the course: English at reading level, use of computer software Office or similar, environmental laws.
Recommendations for online teaching:
- According to the stablished rules for online assessment, it is necessary to have a microphone and a camera to carry out online exams, in addition to the fact that these devices greatly improve the interaction with the lecturer
- Improve computational and digital skills with the resources available at USC.
Contingency plan for teaching with restrictions on physical attendance.
TEACHING METHODOLOGY
Scenario 2 (Partial restrictions on physical attendance)
For the development of the lectures and interactive classes, the division of the
students in 2 groups that will alternate face-to-face attendance is being contemplated. The class will be taught as normal but part of the students are face-to-face and the other part online through the use of the online tools available (Virtual Campus and MS Teams).
Activities that involve travel outside the ETSE:
• Exit to the Sar river: the class would be divided into two groups to try to do two
field trips to collect samples. If only one is possible, only half the students would go out to collect samples and the day would be recorded on video to make it available to all students and it will be commented on and discussed with everyone.
• Visit to the Encoro do Con Hydrobiology Station: you can subdivide the class into two groups for the visit to the EHEC, so that students do not visit same places simultaneously. Except for this, the visit would be carried out following the same program as in scenario 1.
The practical laboratory classes would not be affected by the change of scenery since from the beginning, the division into two groups of approximately 12 students is contemplated and the groups would not use the laboratory at the same time.
In the case of scenario 2, the total distribution of hours would be carried out as follows:
Face-to-face sessions: Activity 2 (6 h); Activity 3 (8 h); Activity 4 (14 h); Expository (6 h); Exam (4 h). TOTAL in person = 38 h (70%)
Online sessions: Tutorials (6 h); Expositives + seminars (10 h). TOTAL online = 16 h (30%)
Scenario 3 (Closure of facilities)
All teaching would be done online.
The face-to-face lectures will be replaced by online sessions that will be as synchronous as possible. The interactive face-to-face sessions will be
replaced by synchronous and asynchronous online sessions. It will use the
online tools available at the USC (Virtual Campus and MS Teams).
Activities outside the ETSE: This situation would not allow these activities, so
the following alternatives are proposed:
• Field trip to the Sar river: Videos would be used to show a field exit for the
river water collection and the management of portable probes for the determination of parameters in situ.
• Visit to the Encoro do Con Hydrobiology Station: It will be replaced by a virtual tour.
ASSESSMENT SYSTEM
Scenario 2 (Partial restrictions on physical attendance)
It would not change the assessment system since both the activities that constitute the continuous assessment and the exam would be carried out the same way as in scenario 1. As stated previously the later consists of the oral presentation of the final report prepared by the students in groups of two people. In the case of scenario 2, a subdivision of students into two groups of approximately 12 students would enable two shifts for a face-to-face defence of the work in a classroom, allowing space for safety distance.
Scenario 3 (Closure of facilities)
The assessment system would not change since both the activities that constitute the continuous assessment and the exam would be carried out equally. The only difference, should scenario 3 occur, would be the online defence of the works through the MS Teams platform.
Maria Mercedes Parajo Montes
- Department
- Physical Chemistry
- Area
- Physical Chemistry
- Phone
- 881814212
- mmercedes.parajo [at] usc.es
- Category
- Professor: Temporary PhD professor
Sarah Fiol López
Coordinador/a- Department
- Physical Chemistry
- Area
- Physical Chemistry
- Phone
- 881816042
- sarah.fiol [at] usc.es
- Category
- Professor: University Professor
| Monday | |||
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| 12:00-13:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Spanish | Classroom A8 |
| Tuesday | |||
| 12:00-13:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Spanish | Classroom A8 |
| 13:00-14:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Spanish | Classroom A8 |
| Wednesday | |||
| 12:00-13:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Spanish | Classroom A8 |
| 13:00-14:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Spanish | Classroom A8 |
| 01.13.2022 09:00-12:00 | Grupo /CLIL_01 | Classroom A8 |
| 01.13.2022 09:00-12:00 | Grupo /CLIL_02 | Classroom A8 |
| 01.13.2022 09:00-12:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Classroom A8 |
| 06.29.2022 16:00-19:30 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Classroom A8 |
| 06.29.2022 16:00-19:30 | Grupo /CLIL_01 | Classroom A8 |
| 06.29.2022 16:00-19:30 | Grupo /CLIL_02 | Classroom A8 |