Experiments in Environmental Engineering

The objective of the subject is for students to carry out a series of experimental practices, where they will use both the knowledge acquired in the Master degree, as well as acquire new knowledge during the development of various laboratory practices. In this sense, this subject pursues the following learning outcomes focused on knowing the fundamentals of wastewater and gas treatment, being able to make a basic economic evaluation, prepare reports and apply critical thinking to all these activities.

In order to achieve this objective, the subject consists of a series of experimental practices where pilot and laboratory scale plants are operated with the most common treatment technologies for liquid effluents or contaminated gases.

The subject has the following general contents:
• Operation and control of wastewater treatment plants at laboratory and pilot scale.
• Physical chemical operations.
• Monitoring of biological reactors.
• Treatment of gaseous effluents.

The laboratory practices that will be taught to adjust to the indicated contents are indicated below:
1.- Coagulation Floculation. Sludge conditioning
2.- Sludge flotation
3.- Fenton oxidation process
4.- Dye degradation kinetic by means of ozone
5.- Reverse Osmosis plant
6.- Activated sludge plant (CAS)
7.- Reactor of granular biomass
8.‐ Gases treatment plant
9.‐ Sludge settling

Basic Bibliography

Operating manual of the Laboratory of Environmental Technology. Chemical Engineering Department. University of Santiago de Compostela.

DÍAZ, M. Ecuaciones y cálculos para el tratamiento de aguas. Madrid: Paraninfo, 2019. ISBN: 84‐283‐4152‐4 (on‐line)

Complementary bibliography

COOPER, Charles David and F.C. ALLEY. Air pollution control: a design approach. 3ª ed. Illinois: Waveland press inc., 2002. ISBN: 0‐88133‐758‐7 (A 222 12A)
ECKENFELDER, W. Wesley. Industrial Water Pollution Control 3ª ed. Boston: Mc‐Graw Hill Book Company, 1999. ISBN: 0‐07‐116275‐5 (A213 39)
HENZE, M., VAN LOOSDRECHT, M.C.M., EKAMA, G.A. and BRDJANOVIC, D. Biological wastewater treatment: Principles, Modelling and Design. Londres. IWA Publishing, 2008. ISBN 978‐1‐84‐339188‐3

E‐book to download from the following link:

https://iwaponline.com/ebooks/book/707/Tratamiento‐biologico‐de‐aguas‐r…
METCALF & EDDY Inc. Ingeniería de aguas residuales. Tratamiento, vertido y reutilización. 3ª ed. Madrid: Mc‐Graw Hill, D.L. 2000. ISBN: 84‐481‐1607‐0 (A213 13 A, B)
METCALF & EDDY Inc. Wastewater engineering: treatment and resource recovery. 5ª ed. New York: McGraw‐Hill Higher Education, 2014. ISBN: 978‐1‐259‐01079‐8 (A213 13 H1, H2, I1, I2, J1, J2, K1, K2)

The student will develop many skills that appear in the memory of the Master studies in Environmental Engineering.

General Skills

CG1 ‐ Identify and articulate environmental problems.
CG4 ‐ Apply knowledge of mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology and other natural sciences, obtained through study, experience, and practice, with critical reasoning to establish economically viable solutions to technical problems.
CG7 ‐ Direct and manage the organization of work and human resources applying criteria of industrial safety, quality management, occupational risk prevention, sustainability, and environmental management (good practices).

Basic Skills

CB6 - knowledge and understanding that provide a basis or opportunity for originality in developing and / or applying ideas, often in a research context
CB7 - That the students can apply their knowledge and their ability to solve problems in new or unfamiliar environments within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts related to their field of study
CB8 - Students should be able to integrate knowledge and handle complexity and formulate judgments based on information that was incomplete or limited, include reflecting on social and ethical responsibilities linked to the application of knowledge and judgments
CB9 - That students can communicate their conclusions and the knowledge and rationale underpinning to specialists and non-specialists in a clear and unambiguous way.
CB10 - Students must possess the learning skills that enable them to continue studying in a way that will be largely self-directed or autonomous.

Transversal Skills:

CT 1. Develop skills associated with teamwork: cooperation, leadership, knowing how to listen.
CT 3. Adapt to changes, being able to apply new and advanced technologies and other relevant developments, with initiative and an entrepreneurial spirit.
CT 4. Demonstrate critical and self-critical reasoning, analytical and synthetic skills.
CT 5. Prepare, write and publicly defend scientific and technical reports and projects.
CT 7. Mastery of time management and critical situations.
CT 8. Ability for interpersonal relationships.

Specific Skills:

CE 8. Address a real problem of Environmental Engineering from a scientific-technical perspective, recognizing the importance of the search and management of existing information and applicable legislation.
CE 9. Possess the skills of autonomous learning to maintain and improve the skills of Environmental Engineering that allow the continuous development of the profession.

Experimental practices will be carried out in the laboratory in teams of 2-3 members.

Before the start of the course, students will be provided with the guide document on the available laboratory setups and their usefulness, with basic information for planning the practices to be carried out (practice scripts).

The students will receive the scripts of all the available practices of which they will carry out 2 practices.

Before beginning the realization of each practice, the students will have a time of 15-20 minutes to read the script. Once this period has elapsed, the teacher will ask them questions about the fundamentals of the process. Depending on the level of knowledge they present, they will be recommended to read a certain part of the proposed bibliography or will be given authorization to start the practice.

The students will prepare a laboratory notebook during the practices in which the most relevant information of the practices carried out will be reflected. This notebook will include, among other information, an analysis of the results, based on the use of the bibliography and the use of spreadsheets. Furthermore, it will include safety information regarding one of the practices.

The Virtual Campus (Moodle) will be used as a communication tool between teachers and students, using this application to make laboratory scripts and complementary materials available to students.

The competences are developed throughout each of the activities carried out during the course, according to the attached list:

Experimental laboratory practices: CG1, CG4, CG7, CB6, CB7, CB8, CB10, CT1, CT3, CT4, CT7, CT8
Laboratory notebook and spreadsheet: CG1, CB6, CB7, CB8, CB9, CB10, CT1, CT3, CT4, CT5, CT7, CT8, CE8

It is expected that during the course 2 laboratory practices will be carried out. The quality of the work done will be assessed preferentially. For the final qualification three factors will be considered:

- Quality of the work done in the laboratory (20%) (CG1, CG4, CG7, CB6, CB7, CB8, CB10, CT1, CT3, CT4,CT7, CT8). Active participation, the ability to work individually and in teams, as well as the maintenance of order and cleanliness in the laboratory will be assessed.

- Quality of the delivered notebook with the information about the practices (45%) (CG1, CB6, CB7, CB8, CB9, CB10, CT1, CT3, CT4, CT5, CT7, CT8, CE8). The notebook will be delivered one week after the end of the practices.

- Examination (35%) (CG1; CB7, CB8, CE9): in which questions related to the experimental laboratory will be asked, including questions related to safety in the laboratory.

To pass the course it is essential to attend the laboratory sessions as established in the University regulations.

To pass the subject it is also necessary to obtain at least 40% of the Exam mark and obtain a minimum global qualification of 5.0 points. In the case of not reaching 40% of the exam grade, the overall grade of the subject will correspond only to the exam.

For the second opportunity in the same academic year, the grades obtained in the Notebook + Laboratory work sections will be kept.

Students who do not participate in any of the proposed activities will be considered not presented.

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

Memory Master in Environmental Engineering assigns a workload of 22 face-to-face hours of laboratory, 2 hours of group tutorials, 2 hours of exam and 49 hours of personal work, corresponding to 75 hours of student work (3 ECTS).

It is recommended that students bring the subject up to date, and that they prepare as soon as possible the notebook. It is recommended that students pass the subjects or attend classes, respectively, in those subjects of modules 1 and 2.

The teaching of the subject will be taught, preferably in Spanish and alternatively in Galician. The English language will be used in the case of foreign students that need it.

For laboratory practices, the student must come equipped with a lab coat and safety glasses. A shared notebook is necessary for each group of students.

The admission and permanence of the students enrolled in the practical laboratory requires that they know and comply with the standards included in the “Protocol of basic training in security matters for experimental spaces” of the School of Engineering, available in the security section of its Web. To access the document do as follows:
1. https://www.usc.gal/gl/centro/escola-tecnica-superior-enxenaria
2. Access your intranet
3. Go to Comisións/Comisión Seguridade e Saúde/Formación
4. Press in “Protocolo de formación básica en materia de seguridade para espazos experimentais”

In relation to occupational safety and risk prevention, for each of the practices, students will have a basic operating manual that includes the most relevant aspects in relation to occupational safety and risk prevention.

The Virtual Campus will be used as a tool to provide information / announcements about the teaching activity throughout the course and complementary materials for the study of the subject.