| Department of Agriculture and Ecology
82 % Department of Basic Science and Environment 12 % Forest & Landscape 6 % | |||||||||||||||||||
| Earliest Possible Year | BSc. 3 year to MSc. 1 year | ||||||||||||||||||
| Duration | One block | ||||||||||||||||||
| Credits | 7.5 (ECTS) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Course Level | Joint BSc and MSc | ||||||||||||||||||
| Examination | Continuous Assessment written examination and oral examination All aids allowed Description of Examination: Assessment is based on two written tests (quizes) during the course as well as individual assessment of 5 written products (case study/exercises) and oral presentation of the case study Weight: Written tests: 25%. Computational exercises: 45%. Case study, report and presentation: 30% 7-point scale, internal examiner | ||||||||||||||||||
| Organisation of Teaching | Lectures; Theoretical exercises, including use of computer software and models; Case study, report; 1-1/2 days excursion | ||||||||||||||||||
| Block Placement | Block 3 Week Structure: C | ||||||||||||||||||
| Teaching Language | English | ||||||||||||||||||
| Optional Prerequisites | The course: Jord, Vand og Planter. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Mandatory Prerequisites | Grundpakken or equivalent (basic physics, ecology, chemistry, mathematics) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Restrictions | Limited to 34 students by availability of teaching resources. Students will require access to computers with specialized software and the internet for the weekly theoretical calculation exercises and for group work on a case study. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Course Contents | |||||||||||||||||||
| The course deals with technology for pollution abatement, waste treatment and waste utilization related to natural resource industries (agricultural crop and animal production, forestry, food processing) and presents technology systems suited for developing countries as well as for industrialized nations. These include end-of-pipe solutions (environmental technology e.g. filtration, disinfection, biological and chemical scrubbers, activated sludge process, biogas plants, lagoons) as well as systems that draw upon the self-design capacity of ecosystems as an integral part of the solution (ecotechnology e.g. constructed wetlands, biomanipulation, phytoremediation). Topics include principles of ecological engineering design; mass balances with first order reactions, CMFR and PFR models of closed systems; basics of exergy/emergy flow analyses; fate of pollutants in the natural environment and in waste treatment facilities and effects of environmental pollutants on biological organisms; noise pollution; physical, biological and chemical waste treatment processes; environmental and eco-technologies for treatment and utilization of wastewater, air pollution and odours, chemical contaminants and organic solid waste; in-situ and ex-situ technologies for soil and groundwater remediation and for aquatic ecosystem restoration. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Teaching And Learning Methods | |||||||||||||||||||
| The lectures will be used to provide an overview of the applications, solution methods and tools, and basics of environmental technologies. During lectures instructors will solve a number of example calculation problems to illustrate the use of mathematical tools, models and good problem solving practices. In addition to lectures there will be a series of calculation assignments that will be run over the entire instructional period. Several assignments will make use of software such as QSAR models, simulation software and spreadsheets. Case studies will involve a lecture followed by group work on a design or analysis problem that builds upon basic skills practiced in the calculation assignments. A written report on a technological topic or design problem chosen according to the students' own interest will be assigned. There will be one full-day excursion to relevant sites. The excursion will allow students to see technology systems under operation, and relate to the practical limitations as well as opportunities for environmental pollution abatment and waste management. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Learning Outcome | |||||||||||||||||||
| The main objectives of the course are to introduce key methods used to quantify environmental systems for selection and design of environmental and eco-technologies, and to provide an overview of different approaches and technologies for abatement, treatment and utilization of wastes from bioresource industries and households. The course is recommended for students who upon completion of their studies will be employed in sectors dealing with environmental issues, such as in public inspection, environmental consulting, agriculture, forestry and the bioprocessing industries. Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to: Knowledge: - Describe processes governing transport and transformation of chemical substances within the physical environment, biological organisms, and technology systems - Identify and compare technologies available for control and treatment of effluents at source, at end-of-pipe and as integrated into the natural environment - Identify potential environmental impacts associated with use of such technologies - Articulate philosophies and values behind the selection of "environmental" versus "ecological" technology systems - Be aware of the limitations of key methods used to design (size) environmental and ecotechnologies Skills: - Transfer math concepts to solve 1st-order linear differential-integral equations, manipulate log relationships, convert between dimensional systems of units - Utilise relevant software for QSAR and problem solving (e.g. EPI-Win, Chem-Draw, Excel, R) - "Design" (size only) selected environmental and ecotechnologies (e.g. constructed wetlands, wastewater lagoons, biofilters) Competencies: - Translate problem statements provided in "words" into quantitative statements/models - Integrate principles from chemistry, physics, biology, and ecology with mass and energy balances to develop and solve simple mathematical models of environmental/technology systems - Apply simplyfied assumptions and estimate model and design parameters in the face of biological variability and uncertainty in measurement and prediction | |||||||||||||||||||
| Course Litterature | |||||||||||||||||||
| (1) Scientific and technical articles and handouts will be provided at cost (2) Periodic Table Electronically available literature: (3) NEH/USDA Agricultural Waste Management Field Handbook (http://www.info.usda.gov/CED/ftp/CED/neh651-all.pdf) (4) US EPA FactSheets on Biosolids Technology and on Wastewater Treatment Technology (http://www.epa.gov/owm/mtb/mtbfact.htm) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Course Coordinator | |||||||||||||||||||
| Dvora-Laiô Wulfsohn, dw@life.ku.dk, Department of Agricultural Sciences/Environment, Resources and Technology, Phone: 35333395 Hans Christian Bruun Hansen, haha@life.ku.dk, /VIVA - Knowledge about Water, Phone: 3528 Marina Bergen Jensen, mbj@life.ku.dk, Forest & Landscape Denmark/Unit of Landscape, Phone: 35331790 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Study Board | |||||||||||||||||||
| Study Committee NSN | |||||||||||||||||||
| Course Scope | |||||||||||||||||||
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