Environmental Sciences Laboratories III

Code:

L.EA014

Acronym:

LCA III

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Natural Sciences - Environmental Science

Instance: 2024/2025 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Civil and Georesources Engineering
Course/CS Responsible:	Bachelor in Environmental Engineering

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
L.EA	32	Syllabus	2	-	6	52	162

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

Acquisition of knowledge in methodologies for quality assessment and monitoring of soil and solid wastes.
This course aims to provide students with practical knowledge on various subjects relevant to an environmental engineer, as well a consolidation of knowledge gain in other units. Teamwork and achievement reports are also skills that students should develop.

Learning outcomes and competences

At the end of this course unit students will be able to:
- Sampling and ensure an accurate soil sample;
- Characterize soils and wastes from their physical and chemical properties;
- Promote physical separability of fractions of soil or wastes;
- Write technical and scientific reports describing the results obtained in experimental work, analysis and main conclusions.

Working method

Presencial

Program

Module I -Laboratory techniques for sampling and separation of soil and waste: Sampling and handling of solid samples; Particle size analysis; Physical processes of separation.
Module II - Characterization of soils from their physical and chemical properties: Determination of organic carbon and organic fraction, bulk density, moisture content, pH and cation exchange capacity of soil; Determination of NAG (Net Acid Generation); Respirometry determination of contaminated soil; Determination of Solid/liquid partition coefficient.
Module III - Characterization of residues from their chemical properties: Ability to neutralize waste; Waste leaching tests and characterization of the leach according to the following parameters: Determination of mercury by cold vapor atomic absorption; Determination of arsenic by hydride generation atomic absorption; Determination of CrVI)with complexation and Uv-vis; Hydrometallurgy of silver from waste.

Mandatory literature

Skoog, Douglas A.; Fundamentals of Analytical Chemistry. ISBN: 0-03-074922-0

Complementary Bibliography

Sawyer, Clair N.; Chemistry for environmental engineering and science. ISBN: 0-07-119888-1
United States Environmental Protection Agency; Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste, Physical/Chemical Methods (SW-846), 1997
Clesceri, Lenore S. 340; Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater. ISBN: 0-87553-235-7

Teaching methods and learning activities

Execution of scheduled laboratory tests. Short useful presentations of adequate procedures. Use of two different laboratories in a rotational system.

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation without final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Trabalho escrito	35,00
Apresentação/discussão de um trabalho científico	25,00
Trabalho laboratorial	40,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	80,00
Frequência das aulas	52,00
Trabalho escrito	30,00
Total:	162,00

Eligibility for exams

Laboratory classes are compulsory for all the students.

For all modules, if a student misses a lesson, he/she will be given a zero grade for that lesson in the assessment component of the practical lessons.

Calculation formula of final grade

FINAL GRADE (FG): Final Grade comprises the assessment of all practical classes (AC) and two group reports (REP: MODULE1 + MODULE2 - REP1_2; MODULE3 - REP3) and test (NT).

FG=0.4*AC + 0.3*REP + 0.3*NT 

in which:

AC - Continuous Assessment. The Continuous Assessment of the classes will be based on the following criteria: previous preparation of the experimental work (15%); students’ performance at the laboratory (35%); assessment of the mini-report with results and discussion to be delivered seven days after the completion of the assignment (50%).

REP = (5REP1 + 2REP2 + 3REP3)/10

Examinations or Special Assignments

No additional or special assignments, beyond those indicated herein, are provided.

Internship work/project

Not applicable.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

Not applicable.

Classification improvement

Only applicable to students, who assisted and obtained approval of the course. For the latter, in accordance with section 11.4 of the Specific Assessment Regulation of FEUP students (2018), students must obtain a subsequent occurrence frequency curriculum of the course.

Observations

The assessment is not possible to be done in a single moment