B029614 - XENOBIOTIC COMPOUNDS IN THE ENVIRONMENT AND ORGANISMS

Italian

The course provides an overview of European and national environmental regulations. The main classes of xenobiotic compounds are introduced along with their physicochemical characteristics, which influence the distribution processes in the various environmental sectors. The course provides knowledge on the main techniques for their quali-quantitative determination.

Educational material supplied by the Professor

Knowledge. At the end of the course, the student will have acquired knowledge of the European and the national environmental legislation. The student will also have acquired knowledge on the physicochemical characteristics of the main priority and priority hazardous xenobiotic substances. The student will then acquire knowledge necessary for the study of environmental contamination, both in relation to the distribution of xenobiotic substances in terrestrial and biota compartments, and as regards their determination by chromatography.
The student will also acquire a wide range of information regarding wastewater treatment techniques.
Competences acquired: To be able to interpret environmental contamination data (both in terms of the reliability of the data and its environmental meaning). To be able to evaluate depurative processes in waste waters.
Skills acquired. To be able to critically evaluate available data in the light of existing laws and technical aspects.

None

Lectures in the classroom and technical visits to companies operating in the field of the environment

Oral examination on topics examined during the lectures.

Regulations in the environmental field. European and national legislation with particular reference to the issue of protection of water resources. The Water Directive 2000/60/EC and subsequent modifications and updates. National legislation on the quality of water and its protection against pollution: from 319/76 to the current single environmental text.
Priority hazardous and hazardous xenobiotic substances: physicochemical characteristics and environmental diffusion. Emerging xenobiotic substances.
The complexity of environmental analytical chemistry. The environmental chemical analysis of xenobiotic organic substances: regulatory guidelines and European "watch lists".
Fundamentals of extraction techniques. Principles of chromatography: theory of the chromatographic plate and Van Deemter's equation. Gas chromatography: types of instruments and chromatographic columns. Applications of gas chromatographic analysis in the environmental field. Liquid chromatography: types of instruments and chromatographic columns. Applications of liquid chromatographic analysis.
Wastewater treatments: biological methods, advanced oxidation methods and adsorption methods. Technical visit to a wastewater treatment plant.