Environmental Engineering

The aim of the subject is to introduce the student into the environmental issue, presenting the pollution in different sources. With this purpose basic knowledge (theoretical and practical), about the existing issue with the environmental pollution of anthropogenic origin, will be facilitated. The characterization, management and treatment of the wastewater, the solid wastes and the contaminated gases, as well as the bases related to the current legislation, will be studied. In addition, the main policies, tools and indicators developed within the frame of the environmental management for the prevention of the pollution will be presented.

Therefore objectives of this subject are:

. Identify the main environmental technologies according to the area of application.
. Be capable of giving answer to a specific problem of pollution based on technical, legal and economic criteria.
. Be capable of evaluating the environmental impact of technical solutions to solve a problem.
. Be capable of taking part in the implantation of environmental management tools.

The contents listed on the report of Undergraduate studies on Chemical Engineering will be developed: “Pollution. Wastewater characterization. Wastewater pre-treatments and treatments. Solid waste characterization, management and treatment. Polluted gases characterization and treatment. Integrated Prevention and Pollution Control (IPPC). Environmental Impact Assessment. Current legislation”

The subject will be divided in four sections:

Section I: Environmental pollution and management (7 h)

Unit 1. General view of the environmental issue and ethical related questions. (2 h)
Impact of the anthropogenic activities. Types of pollutants, origin, characterization and treatment. The limits of growth. Depletion of non-renewable resources. Concept of sustainable development and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Circular economy. Ethics in environmental engineering.

Unit 2. Environmental management systems. (2 h)
ISO 14001 and EMAS. Integrated Prevention and Pollution Control (IPPC). Best Available Techniques (BAT). Reference documents (BREF). Emission Limit Values (ELV). Integrated Environmental Authorization (IEA). Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR). Environmental management tools. Life cycle assessment (LCA). Environmental footprints.

Unit 3. Environmental Impact Assessment. (3 h)
Conceptual, legal and institutional framework. Environmental inventory. Assessment of the environmental elements. Identification and assessment of environmental impacts and calculation of final impact. Measurements to minimize the global impact. Programs of environmental watchfulness. Case studies.

Section II: Wastewater treatment (14 h)

Unit 4. Introduction to the wastewater treatment. (4 h)
Characterization of wastewater: physical, chemical and biological parameters. Characterization of flows and polluting loads. Current legislation. Wastewater treatment methods. Introduction to the analysis and selection of treatment processes.

Unit 5. Pre-treatments and physico-chemical treatments. (4 h)
Separation of coarse solids, flow equalization, decantation, sedimentation, floatation and filtration. Chemical treatments. Neutralization, chemical precipitation, coagulation-flocculation, oxidation-reduction, adsorption.

Unit 6. Fundamentals of biological wastewater treatments. (6 h)
Removal of organic matter and nitrogen. Introduction and design of activated sludge process. Problems of exploitation. Processes of adhered biomass. Biofilms bioreactors.

Section III: Solid waste characterization and treatment (8 h)

Unit 7. Solid waste characterization. (4 h)
Solid waste definition. Solid waste classification. Solid waste characterization: physical, chemical and biological properties. European and national legislation. The Waste European Catalogue.

Unit 8. Solid waste treatment (4 h)
Landfilling, biological treatment and thermal processes.

Section IV: Air pollution and treatment of contaminated gases (9 h)

Unit 9. Atmospheric pollutants characterization. (2 h)
Main sources and impacts of atmospheric pollutants. Gas streams characterization: particles and gases. Emission and inmission. Odours. Legislation.

Unit 10. Treatment technologies (I): removal of particles in suspension. (3 h)
Behaviour of particles within a fluid. Streams characterization. Technologies of particles separation: chambers of sedimentation, cyclones, electrostatic precipitators (ESP), baghouses and scrubbers.

Unit 11. Treatment technologies (II): gaseous contaminants and vapour. (4 h)
Criteria for the definition of a treatment strategy. Main physico-chemical processes: i) incineration of VOCs; ii) absorption; iii) adsorption. Gas decontamination by means of biological reactors: biofiltration.

• Basic Bibliography

Kiely, G. Environmental Engineering. Editorial Mc-Graw Hill Higher Education, 1998. ISBN: 0-07-709127-2.
Code ETSE: A200 1 C

Surampalli, R.Y., Zhang, T.C., Satinder, K.B., Krishnamoorthy, H., Rama, P. & Mausam, V. Handbook of Environmental Engineering. Boston: Mc-Graw Hill Education, 2018. ISBN: 9781259860225 (on-line)

• Complementary Bibliography

• Wastewater treatment
Metcalf & Eddy Inc. Wastewater Engineering. Treatment and reuse. 5ª Edición. New York: Editorial Mc-Graw Hill Higher Education, 2014. ISBN: 978-1-259-01079-8
Code ETSE: A213 13 H

• Gases treatment
Wark, K. & Warner, C.F. Contaminación del aire: origen y control. México: Limusa, 2001. ISBN: 978- 968-18-1954-5
Code ETSE: A222 26

• Solid waste treatment
Tchobanoglous, G. Gestión Integral de Residuos Sólidos. Madrid: Editorial Mc-Graw-Hill., 1998. ISBN: 84-481-1830-8.
Code ETSE: A233 9 C

• Environmental management
Azapagic, A., Perdan, S. & Clift, R. Sustainable development in practice: case studies for engineers and scientists. Chichester (England): Wiley & Sons, cop., 2004. ISBN: 0-470-85609-2.
Code ETSE: A245 9

Claver Cortés, E., Molina Azorín, J.F. & Tarí Guilló, J.J. Gestión de la calidad y gestión medioambiental: fundamentos, herramientas, normas ISO y relaciones. 3ª Ed. Madrid: Pirámide, D.L. 2011. ISBN: 9788436824582.
Code USC: A EM 99 A.

Garmendia, A., et al. “Evaluación de impacto ambiental”. Madrid: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2010. ISBN: 9788420543987.
Code USC: EMA 911.

Granero Castro, J. et al. Evaluación de Impacto Ambiental. FC Editorial. ISBN: 978-84-92735-51-8. Madrid, 2010. Sinatura ETSE: A242 33.

Specific skills

CI.10. Basic knowledge and application of environmental technologies and sustainability.

General skills

CG.7. Ability to analyse and assess the environmental impact of the technical solutions.
CG.10. Ability to work in a multilingual and multidisciplinary environment.
CG.11. Knowledge, comprehension and ability to apply required legislation in the frame of the profession of Technical Industrial Engineer.

Transversal skills

CT.1. Ability of analysis and synthesis.
CT.5. Ability of information management.
CT.7. Decision making.
CT.8. Teamwork.
CT.13. Ability to apply the knowledge in practice.
CT.16. Sensitivity towards environmental issues.
CT.19. Autonomous learning

Learning Management System (LMS)

The LMS of the USC will be used through the Moodle application, as a communication tool with the students. It will offer them information on the teaching programming throughout the course in the classroom and complementary materials for the study of the subject (teacher's notes as well as scientific-technical articles), promoting the autonomous study of the student and the management of bibliographic sources in English.

At the beginning of the course, students will be provided with the following material on the subject's Learning Management System:
• TEACHING GUIDE: the approved teaching guide for the subject (Galician, Spanish, English).
• DAILY PLANNING: a guide that will indicate the detailed planning of day-to-day activities.
• PRESENTATIONS: the guide-presentations used by the teacher in the expository classes (pdf format).
• EXERCISES: pdf file with the list of exercises as well as their resolutions.
• COMPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: for each topic such as relevant legislation, scientific articles, links to web pages with content of interest (products, companies, etc.).

Teaching methodology
• Expository and interactive classes: The master class (expository classes) will be used to develop most part of the contents. The seminars will be basically dedicated to the realization of exercise sessions (exercise bulletins will be delivered) promoting interactive classes with the participation of students in solving them.
• Technical visit to an industrial facility: A technical visit to a wastewater management facility or urban and / or industrial waste is considered as a necessary complement to the topics of the subject, whenever possible. It is intended to involve students in the aforementioned visit by conducting an evaluation through a questionnaire.
• Teamwork: students are expected to carry out a teamwork task related to a topic in block I, which they will hand out at the end of the course.
• Group Tutorials: There will be two group tutorials focused on: a) impact matrices in an EIA; b) the modelling of biological reactors using the Excel spreadsheet.
• Individualized tutoring: they will be carried out at the student's request face-to-face or eventually via the MS Teams platform.

ONGOING ASSESSMENT (OA)
In this subject, the following percentages of the final mark will be applied: OA: 35 or 70%, Final Exam: 65 or 30% (to choose by the student).

The student´s mark is the weighted average of his performance in all the sections assessed: exam, performance in the class (participation, cooperative work) and the technical visit.

Activities comprising the Ongoing Assessment
The Ongoing Assessment comprises the following activities:
• Check questionnaires: 3 - 4 short questionnaires (30 min) in Moodle to be carried out after finishing each section of contents. To perform individually. Mark weighting: 35%.
• Group Tutorials that will be assessed by means of deliverables (Leopold Matrix, Excel Modelling). To carry out in teams. Mark weighting: 10% (5% each one).
• Teamwork that will consist on a deliverable on a thematic task of Section I. Mark weighting: 15%.
• Technical visit that will be assessed by means of a questionnaire, which will be given to the students the day of the visit. Students will fill in the questionnaire during the visit to deliver at the end of the visit. It is an individual task. Mark weighting: 5%.
• “Proactive behaviour in the class” is intended to assess each student´s daily attitude, in special: a) proves that he/she follows the subject and the discussions in the class up to date; b) appropriated comments on what has been taught; c) positive motivation and attitude in the class, among others. To be carried out individually. Mark weighting: 5%.

Final exam
• The exam will comprise two different parts: theoretical questions (3.5 points) and numerical problems (3 points). Students will have to obtain a mark of 3 out of 10 in each part to pass the exam. The theoretical part can be replaced by the short questionnaires if the student did them. Mark weighting: 30 or 65%.

"In cases of fraudulent performance of exercises or probes, the provisions of the Regulations for evaluating student academic performance and reviewing grades will apply."

Distribution of the marks
Ongoing Assessment 3.5 7
- Questionnaires - 3.5
- Group Tutorials 1 1
- Teamwork 1.5 1.5
- Technical Visit 0.5 0.5
- Proactivity 0.5 0.5
Final exam 6.5 3
- Theory (min. 30%) 3.5 -
- Problems (min. 30%) 3 3

The subject will be passed with a minimum final grade of 5. For this purpose to reach a mark of 30% of the maximum achievable mark in the exam is required.

The consideration of “not presented” will be taken if students do not attend any evaluation activity (exam, group tutorials, teamwork or technical visit). If students do not attend only one of them, the qualification at the first opportunity will be “non pass”.

Those who have to go to the second opportunity will keep the grades obtained in group tutorials, teamwork, technical visit and proactive classroom behaviour. If they have not participated in a specific activity, they will have additional questions:
- If students did not participate in teamwork, they will be asked questions about innovative technologies.
- If students did not participate in group tutorials, questions related to the corresponding topics will be included.
- If students have not participated in the technical visit, questions about it will be included.

COMPETENCES EVALUATION

The skills to be developed are:
Activity………………………………….Modality………….………….......…….Skills
Master lectures………………….Expository..……..… CI.10, CG.10, CG.11, CT.5, CT.16, CT.19
Exercises solving………………….Seminars……………………….. CI.10, CG.7, CT.1, CT.7, CT.13
Case study…………………………….Tutorial session……………... CI.10, CG.7, CG.11, CT.8, CT. 13
Technical visit……………………….Seminars …………………….… CI.10, CT.13, CT.16

The subject has a workload equivalent to 4.5 ECTS distributed as indicated in the table. The face to face hours indicate the number of hours in the class of the subject, for the various activities undertaken. The factor indicates the estimate of hours the students have to spend per hour of activity. The personal work is the quantification of the factor multiplied by the hours devoted to each activity. The total is the total workload involved in each activity. The total dedication in hours of the subject is of 112.5 hours of work considering that each ECTS involves 25 hours student’s work.

Distribution of formative activities in ECTS

Activity ………………..….Face-face hours…………………Personal work……….ECTS
Master Lectures…….….. 28.0………………………………… 34.0……………………….2.5
Seminars…………………..….9.0……………………………………11.0……………………….0.8
Computer room ……….….0.0…………………………………… 0.0……………………….0.0
Laboratory practices …...0.0…………………………………… 0.0……………………….0.0
Tutorials (in groups)……..1.0…………………………………….4.0……………………….0.2
Subtotal.......................38.0..............................49.0....................3.5
Tutorials (individuals)……1.0…………………………………….2.0………………………..0.1
Exam and revision…………5.0…………………………………….17.5……………………..0.9
TOTAL…………………………….44……………………………………..68.5……………………..4.5

It is supposed that the students who register in the subject have basic knowledge important to pass it, gathered throughout the first 3 years of the study of Chemical Engineering Degree, on:

Fundamental Chemistry, Inorganic, Organic and Analytical Chemistry.
Analysis and Fundamentals of Chemical Processes
Mathematics, Computers and Physics.
Engineering of Chemical Reaction
Mass Transfer
Technical English

Furthermore, to obtain an optimum performance in the subject it is advisable that the student have additional knowledge in informatics tools at user level (Word, Excel, use of e-mail, check of web pages). The attendance and active participation to the lectures is advised together with the continuous study of the subject and the use of the Moodle tool following the indications mentioned before.

The use of the Learning Management System is recommended as the backbone of all the activities to be carried out in this subject.

The subject will be taught depending on the two groups designed in the PDA: (1) in Spanish/Galician and (2) English. However, only English information sources will be handled.