The course is focused on the background knowledge and topics for sanitary engineers with the goal of providing the students with a methodological approach and the ability of understanding contaminated matrices characterisation and remediation. Specific attention is given to environmental technollogies and processes used in wastewater and waste treatment.
Basics of biological, chemical and physical processes of interest in waste, gas and wastewater treatment. Capability of characterising a polluted stream and of designing bioreactors for wastewater treatment
Prerequisites
Basics of chemistry, physics, fluid mechanics and mathematics from other BSc engineering courses.
Teaching Methods
Lectures, exercises, practicals and guided visits to treatment plants.
Type of Assessment
Written and oral exams
Course program
A. Environmental Pollution
• Ecosystems, biogeochemical cycles, eutrophication.
• Health based targets
• Environmental quality parameters: water, soil and air
• Effect of organic wastes on stream ecosystems
• Solid waste characterization and production
B. Principles of Italian and European environmental legislation
C. Basic processes
• Chemical reaction kinetics
• Microbiology and biological kinetics
• Transport phenomena: advection, diffusion and dispersion
• Ideal reactors
• Mass transfer
D. Water and wastewater treatment processes and technologies
• Sedimentation
• Coagulation and flocculation
• Sand filtration
• Activated carbon, Ion Exchange
• Water disinfection
• Biological activated sludge
• Nitrogen removal
• Anaerobic metabolism
• Sludge treatment and disposal
• Constructed wetland
• Wastewater treatment plants
• Water treatment plants
• Sludge treatment and disposal
E. Solid waste management
• Solid waste management: principles and strategies
• Collection of solid waste
• Solid waste treatment, recovery and reuse
• Landfilling