Acquifer and Soil Rehabilitation

Code:

MEMG0021

Acronym:

RSA

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Technologies, Applied Sciences, Project

Instance: 2012/2013 - 1S

Active?	Yes
Web Page:	https://moodle.fe.up.pt/1213/course/view.php?id=489
Responsible unit:	Mining Engineering Department
Course/CS Responsible:	Master in Mining and Geo-Environmental Engineering

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MEMG	2	Plano de estudos oficial a partir de 2008/09	2	-	6	56	162
MIEA	82	Syllabus since 2006/07	4	-	6	56	162

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

BACKGROUND: the knowledge of scientific principles and technologies involved in soil and groundwater remediation is a fundamental necessity for environmental engineers. In fact the large number of cases of environmental heritages concerning soil and groundwater contaminations cannot be ignored. On the other hand soil and groundwater legislations impose progressively stricter limits on the acceptable concentrations.

SPECIFIC AIMS: Identify, recognize and characterize soil and groundwater contaminations; previous selection of the most convenient technologies to remediate a contaminated site; detailed evaluation of the alternatives; Main parameters for design; Control and monitoring of the remediation action plan.
PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE:
EA0008 Environmental Geology
EA0007 Environmental Chemistry I
EA0012 Environmental Chemistry II
EA0006 Mathematical Analysis I
EA0011 Mathematical Analysis II
EA0028 Heat and Mass Transfer

PERCENTUAL DISTRIBUTION
Scientific Component (establishes and develops scientific bases) – 30%
Technological component (applies to design and process operation) – 30%.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: At the end of this subject the students will be able to:
- Chose the feasible alternatives for remediating a site with contaminated soil and/or groundwater;
- Establish the methodology and procedures for designing a corrective action plan.
- To design in-situ experiments in order to gather information for the full design;
- Design a full scale process;
- Design the monitoring system in order to verify the non-existence of perverse effects.

Working method

Presencial

Program

Review of fundamental concepts of environmental chemistry;
Transport and fate of contaminants in subsoil;
Review of Basic Concepts of Environmental Chemistry – Multiphase Equilibrium;
Transport and Fate of Contaminants in the subsoil;
Introduction to Environmental Risk Analysis and Brief Notions of Toxicology;
Impermeable and Permeable Reactive Barriers;
Natural Atenuation as a type of Remediation;
Biological Technologies: Landfarming; Biological Piles; bioventing, bio-sparging, enhanced in-situ bioremediation, Phyto-Remediation
Physical Technologies: Soil-Vapour Extraction; Air Sparging; Dual Phase Extraction ; Electrokynetics ; soil washing and soil flushing ;
Thermal Technologies : Low Temperature Thermal Dessorption ;
Chemical Technologies: (ISDCO) In-Situ Chemical Oxidation and Extraction with Super-Critical Fluids;
Groundwater Treatment: Pump and Treat; Air Stripping.

Mandatory literature

António Fiúza; Protecção e reabilitação de solos e aquíferos contaminados, 2004

Complementary Bibliography

Grasso, Domenic; Hazardous waste site remediation. ISBN: 1-56670-056-6

Teaching methods and learning activities

First the students review the main concepts related to multi-phase equilibrium of chemical systems and new concepts (partition coefficients) are introduced for environmental systems. As next step the students are learn the different transport and fate mechanisms in the subsoil. As all the remediation should be justified by a Risk Analysis in the next step the basic concepts of Toxicological Quantitative Risk Analysis are introduced. As next step the students are introduce to several remediation technologies chosen according to several criteria such as dissemination, in-situ, off-site, physical, thermal, chemical and biological alternatives that allow to remediate contaminations originated by different pollutants: mainly organics and heavy metals. In the application classes students solve problems related to the design of remediation systems.

Evaluation Type

Evaluation with final exam

Eligibility for exams

To be admitted to exams, students have to attend 75% of the theoretical-practical and practical classes.

Calculation formula of final grade

Grade of the exam.

Examinations or Special Assignments

Not applicable

Classification improvement

2nd period of examinations.

Observations

This course unit is complemented by e-learning.