Environmental Biotechnology

This subject deals with a set of contents in a global and integrated way that provides the Biotechnology Graduate with the environmental perspective of biotechnology. Specifically, the following objectives are pursued:
- To identify aerobic wastewater treatment systems.
- To apply knowledge of anaerobic biological processes to the balances and design of methanogenic reactors.
- To identify biological processes for the treatment of solid waste.
- To list the different possibilities of bioremediation of contaminated soils.
- To know how to propose solutions to different environmental problems.

The programme of the subject is structured in 3 main blocks, each of them divided into a series of chapters.

BLOCK I. Environmental biotechnology (3 h)

Chapter 1 (2 h (E) + 1 h (S)). Introduction to Environmental Biotechnology. Global environmental problems. Microorganisms and the environment. Applications of Environmental Biotechnology. Management and treatment of wastewaters. Management and treatment of solid waste and contaminated soils. Management and treatment of gaseous streams. Emerging contaminants. Biofuels.

The programme of the subject is structured in 3 main blocks, each of them divided into a series of chapters.

BLOCK I. Environmental biotechnology (3 h)

Chapter 1 (2 h (E) + 1 h (S)). Introduction to Environmental Biotechnology. Global environmental problems. Microorganisms and the environment. Applications of Environmental Biotechnology. Management and treatment of wastewaters. Management and treatment of solid waste and contaminated soils. Management and treatment of gaseous streams. Emerging contaminants. Biofuels.

BLOCK II. Characterisation and treatment of wastewater (16 h)

Chapter 2. Introduction to wastewater treatment (3 h (E) + 2 h (S)). Characterisation of wastewater: physical, chemical and biological parameters. Characterisation of flow rates and pollutant loads. Applicable legislation. Wastewater treatment methods.

Chapter 3. Fundamentals of biological wastewater treatment processes (5 h (E) + 4 h (S) + 2 h (L)). Removal of organic matter, nitrogen and phosphorus. Introduction and design of activated sludge process. Introduction and design of methanogenic reactors. Emerging technologies.

Seminars. Problem solving on wastewater characterisation and treatment.

Laboratory: visit to a wastewater treatment facility.

BLOCK III. Characterisation and treatment of solid waste (18 h)

Chapter 4. Introduction to solid waste treatment (3 h (E) + 2 h (S)). Definitions. Waste classification. Waste characterisation: physical, chemical, thermal and waste list. Waste management plans.

Chapter 5. Solid waste biological treatment (4 h (E) + 4 h (S)). General concepts. Composting. Anaerobic digestion. Other solid waste management alternatives.

Chapter 6. Bioremediation of contaminated soils (3 h (E) + 2 h (S)). General concepts. Bioremediation techniques: in situ, on site and off site. Other remediation techniques. Biomonitoring.

Seminars. Problem solving on characterisation and treatment of solid waste and remediation of contaminated soils.

GROUP TUTORIAL (1 h)
This will be devoted to the presentation of the compulsory group work.

FINAL EXAM (3.5 h)
There will be a final exam complementary to the continuous evaluation that will consist of a theoretical part (short questions) and a practical part (problems).

Basic bibliography
RITTMANN, B.E. y MCCARTY, P.L. Environmental Biotechnology: Principles and Applications, 2nd edition. McGraw-Hill Education, 2020. Recurso electrónico. ISBN: 9781260441604.

CASTILLO, F. Biotecnología Ambiental. Editorial Tébar Flores, 2005. ISBN: 978-8473602112.

Complementary bibliography

EVANS, G.E. y FURLONG, J. EnvirJohn Wiley and Sons, 2011. Oxford : Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford, 2010. Recurso electrónico. ISBN: 9780470975152.

KIELY, G. Environmental Engineering. Boston: Mc-Graw Hill Higher Education, 1998. ISBN: 0077091272.

• Wastewater treatment
Metcalf & Eddy Inc. Wastewater Engineering. Treatment and resource recovery. 5ª Edición. New York: Mc-Graw Hill, 2014. ISBN: 9781259010798.

• Solid waste treatment
Tchobanoglous, G. Gestión Integral de Residuos Sólidos. Madrid: Editorial Mc-Graw-Hill., 1998. ISBN: 8448118308.

• Contaminated soils
Ortiz, I., Sanz, J., Dorado, M. & Villar, S. Técnicas de recuperación de suelos contaminados. Colección coordinada por la Fundación para el conocimiento Madri+d, Universidad de Alcalá, 2007. Disponible en internet en:
https://www.madrimasd.org/sites/default/files/informacionidi/biblioteca…

Knowledge/content: Con01, Con03

Skills: H/D01, H/D02, H/D03, H/D06, H/D10, H/D11

Competences: Comp01, Comp02, Comp03, Comp05, Comp08

In the lectures, lecture-type teaching will be used to develop a large part of the syllabus. (Con01, Con03, H/D01, H/D11)

Seminars will focus on posing and solving questions, problems and case-studies (problem-based learning), sometimes individually and sometimes in groups (collaborative learning), in order to emphasise and complement the contents seen in the lectures. Students will hand in some of the assignments developed during the seminar classes for assessment. Attendance to this activity is compulsory. (Con01, Con03, H/D01, H/D03, H/D05, H/D06, H/D10, H/D11, Comp01, Comp02, Comp03, Comp05, Comp08)

The active participation of the students will be sought and encouraged, both in the lecture hours and in the seminars.

The laboratory hours will be used to conduct a technical visit to a wastewater treatment facility and students will be asked to write a report that considers in particular the application of the concepts seen in the course. Attendance to this activity is compulsory. (Con01, Con03, H/D01, H/D10, H/D11, Comp03, Comp08)

During the first week of the course, students will be required to carry out a compulsory team work, which will be presented during the group tutorial. Individual tutorials will be used to monitor the progress of the work. (Con01, Con03, HD01, H/D02, H/D03, H/D05, H/D10, H/D11, Comp01, Comp02, Comp03, Comp05, Comp08)

The USC Virtual Classroom will be used with the following objectives:
- To provide information about the subject (teaching guide, timetables, exams, announcements, etc.).
- To provide didactic material for the classes (slides of the subjects, case studies, complementary material, etc.).
- To serve as a means of communication between students and teaching staff.
- To deliver assignments.

The MS Teams tool will also be used as a means of non-presential student/teacher communication.

Final exam. There will be a final exam complementary to the continuous evaluation which will have a weight of 60%, needing to reach at least 4 points out of 10 to be able to compensate in the whole of the subject. The exam will have a theoretical part (short questions) with a weight of 40%, and a practical part with a weight of 60%. In both parts separately, at least 3.5 out of 10 must be reached in order to be able to compensate.

Activities. The proposed activities, including the technical visit report, will have a weight of 15% in the final grade.

Group tutorials. The completion of the team work together with its presentation will have a weight of 15% in the final grade. It is compulsory to carry out this activity.

Teachers’ report: 10%. Active participation (formulation of questions or answers) in the lecturers and seminars will be valued.

For the assessment of the second opportunity, all the grades of the activities assessed during the course will be maintained, except for the final exam, so that students will only have to take a new final exam.

Repeating students may request to keep the grades corresponding to the group work and the technical visit report, having to retake the proposed activities and the final exam.

Students who do not take any of the compulsory activities will be considered NOT SHOWN.

In cases of fraudulent performance of exercises or tests, the provisions of the "Regulations for the evaluation of students' academic performance and revision of grades" will apply.

The learning outcomes assessed in each item are indicated below:
-Final exam: Con01, Con03, H/D01, H/D11, Comp01, Comp03, Comp05
-Activities: Con01, Con03, H/D01, H/D05, H/D06, H/D10, H/D11, Comp01, Comp02, Comp05, Comp08
-Group tutorial: Con01, Con03, H/D01, H/D02, H/D03, H/D05, H/D10, H/D11, Comp02, Comp05, Comp08
-Teacher’s report: Con01, Con03, H/D01, H/D02, H/D11, Comp01, Comp02, Comp03, Comp05

The subject has a workload of 4.5 ECTS, which is distributed as follows:

Activity ..........................................Hours………..... Face-to-face (%)
Lecturers……………. ...............................20......................100
Seminars…...........................................15.......................100
Laboratory……………………………………………..2.0……………………….100
Group tutorial……..................................1.0.......................100
Exam and revision.................................4.0........................100
Personal work…..……………………………………70.5………………………….0
Total.................................................112.5

- Class attendance and participation is recommended.
- The use of the Learning Management System of the subject and the use of tutorials to resolve any doubts that may arise is highly recommended.
- It is advisable that students have a certain command of English for the consultation of bibliography.

Classes will be taught in Spanish, although didactic material in English will be used.