Water safety and quality (7000), 2013/14

AUTHOR:

Jorge Estévez
Miguel Ángel Sogorb
Eugenio Vilanova

Dept. Applied Biology

Area Toxicology

This subject has been teached in 
Degree in Environmental Sciences (P04) and Degree in Environmental Sciences (2nd stage) (P04)

Students will be capable of assessing problems on safety drinking water and writing a technical report. The idea is that by the end of the learning process students are familiar with the most frequent water safety and water qualityproblems, and are capable of participating in decision making according to the laws currently in force on controlling problems relating to chemical and/or microbiological pollutants

Materials

Theory Practice Solved practice Exercise Solved Exercises Proyectos Case studies Exams Self-assessment Seminar Presentation

Type of documents

pdf ppt avi swf xls html

Description

All the materials here included are used by students during the year 2013/14 in the subject 7000 called Water safety and quality.

In particular, they match to :

Theory Practice Solved practice Exercise Solved Exercises Proyectos Case studies Exams Self-assessment Seminar Presentation

Subject name Number CT CP CTOT
WATER SAFETY AND QUALITY 7000 3 1.5 4.5
Type Elective Semester First Course 5
Description Students will be capable of assessing problems on safety drinking water and writing a technical report. The idea is that by the end of the learning process students are familiar with the most frequent water safety and water qualityproblems, and are capable of participating in  decision making according to the laws currently in force on controlling problems relating to chemical and/or microbiological pollutants
Departamento APPLIED BIOLOGY
Área TOXICOLOGY
Grado DEGREE IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES (P97)
Centro DEGREE IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES (2nd stage) (P97)

 

Learning objectives

Overall course objectives
  • GENERAL OBJECTIVE (WATER SAFETY AND QUALITY)

    Students will be capable of assessing problems on safety drinking water and writing a technical report. The idea is that by the end of the learning process students are familiar with the most frequent water safety and water qualityproblems, and are capable of participating in decision making according to the laws currently in force on controlling problems relating to chemical and/or microbiological pollutants

Specific course objectives
  • Understanding the recommended guidelines of standard method for physical-chemical controls using calcium as an example. Becoming familiar with an extraction example and with organic compound determination
Overall theoretical objectives
  • As students undertake the several work project stages that substitute the classic exam, they will become competent enough to use existing water safetyinformation and legislation on waters for human consumption and to produce reports about the parameters specified in the laws currently in force on:

    – the scientific criteria on which regulations are based
    – the causes of polluted waters
    – the effects that pollutants have on the natural environment 
    – the effects that pollutants have on health
    – the analyses methods and control strategies
    – the causes of recommendations not being fulfilled
    – possible exemptions

Overall laboratory objectives
  • Training in examples of analytical methods to control quality parameters for drinking water.

 

Contents

The global contents of this subject are the following:

Current technical-health regulations on drinking water issues in Spain and the European Union. WHO guidelines. 

Health criteria for establishing limits for chemical substances and qualityparameters. 
The toxicological properties data needed to establish daily intake. Consumption criteria and dietary supply through water. Criteria based on the toxicological limit. 
Criteria based on the precaution principle. 
Chemical analytical limits criteria. Quality parameters in drinking waters. 
Tap waters and bottled waters. 
Generalities. Organoleptic parameters. Physical/Chemical parameters. Anions. Cations. Elements and compounds considered toxic and/or undesirable. 
Organic micropollutants. 
Microbiological parameters. 
Certain parameters of special interest. Lead, arsenic, pesticides, chlorine-derived elements, water treatment substances, copper, boron, nitrates and nitrites, microtoxins, others. From each one: pollutant sources, health problems, socio-economic problems relating to their application, control methods. Risk management and  decision making. 
Management responsibilities. Assessing the risks involved in temporary pollutions.Decision making should limits be exceeded. Assessing pollutants not considered in the regulations. Incidences in the food industry
Methods to control and analyse drinking waters. Sampling and frequency of controls. Characteristics of the control methods. Some representative examples of the control techniques used. Bottled mineral waters and medicinal waters. Concepts, specific regulations, and quality and labelling criteria. 
The water quality analyses laboratory. Authorising laboratories. Quality control of hydrologic analyses. Good Laboratory Practices. Selecting an analytical method. Selecting a sample collection method. UNE regulations. ISO regulations. CustodyChain. Interpreting the results of a water analysis. Interpreting the results of a physical analysis. Interpreting the results of a chemical analysis. 
Health aspects relating to water quality
Environmental aspects relating to the quality of drinking waters. 
The technological and socio-economic problems to be implemented.

Teaching method

  • Students activity will consist in undertaking a project report. Some of the theoretical classes will include teacher presentations, but students will participate by presenting information on the progress made in the project or theme theyhave been assigned, and everyone in the classroom will participate in the discussion. At the end, students will hand in a copy of the information obtained and a well summarised report on the assigned theme, and will give a talk about it in class. This procedure will be used to complete the course subject without having to sit an exam

Evaluation system

  • Those students who wish to opt for the project report preparation system (recommended) will not be expected to do a written exam. Their capacity to carryout this project will be specially assessed; it will help them to know how to prepare reports on technical themes and will defend them in their future professional lives. Score of Theory= [5xDELIVERIES OF DRAFT AND FINAL REPORT) + 3x(ORAL PRESENTATIONS) + 2x(ATTENDANCE or GENERAL THEME)]/10. The general theme will not be required if class attendance exceeds 60%. If students cannot attend classes on a regular basis, they will make up for this byundertaking a alternative activity that consists in general type work to be assigned by the teacher. It is particularly useful for students granted with ERASMUS stays, or similar, or for those undertaking a occupational work (valid for calls in June, September and December). FINAL MARK = [8x(theory) + 2x(practice)]/10. If students do not opt for this system, the theoretical mark will consist in sitting a final written examination. This exam will consist in 10 questions that the student will answer about the course subject matter, including the classes presented by the teacher and the assignments presented by students. The teacher may orally ask students questions about what they have written. The assessment of Practice entails laboratory attendance, student attitudes in the laboratory and the reports of the results. Alternative activities may be assigned to students who find it difficult to attend laboratory practices given the timetable. The marks obtained in the theory or practice are maintained for the next year course

Instructor(s)

Nombre E-mail
JORGE ESTEVEZ DOMENECH
EUGENIO VILANOVA GISBERT
MIGUEL ANGEL SOGORB SANCHEZ

Learning materials

Haz clic para descargar

Course Download

Haz clic para descargar