ANALYSIS OF POLLUTANTS TO DETERMINE THEIR FATE AND TRANSPORT IN POLAR REGIONS

This course will teach the students about the problems related to the transport and fate of persistent inorganic and organic pollutants in polar regions. These compounds affect climate change, and the health of the overall environment by accumulating in polar regions and then passing through the food web, eventually to man. The course will also introduce the concepts of trace analytical chemistry specifically applied to Polar areas and focusing on sampling and experimental design.

The student will be expected to understand the cycles and impacts of persistent and short lived pollutants on polar environments. The student should appreciate the development and impact of legislation on these pollutants, and understand what the limitations are. The student will understand the idea of the anthropocene, it's impact on the poles and will be able to discuss where it exists or not and develp their own ideas for when it started.

Knowledge of environmental science and chemistry

This course will cover the following topics.

a. A history of human pollutant emissions
b. Distinguishing natural from anthropogenic emissions
c. Overview of general atmospheric circulation
d. Field sampling campaign design
e. Measuring the concentration of anthropogenic pollutants in Polar areas in different matrices
f. The impact of climate change on pollutant cycles
g. Transport and deposition of anthropogenic emissions in polar region
h. Exchange of contaminants between the polar environmental spheres
i. Biomagnification
j. Human contributions to heavy metal pollution

These points will then be reinforced by detailed case studies including:

1. The Anthropocene and the man’s footprint on the Arctic, an overview.
2. Lead contamination of the cryosphere, the effects of a successful legislative solution
3. Persistent organic compounds in the polar regions, the Grasshopper effect and the effects of the Stockholm convention
4. Dust and black carbon, the next target pollutant for legislative control?
5. Radiogenic contamination
6. Role of Polar regions in the mercury cycle, will the Minamata convention have an effect.
7. The Antarctic Ozone hole

Reading assignments will be given in class and include textbook chapters and scientific papers. The frontal lessons and supplementary materials will be available in pdf format on moodle.

For a positive mark in the exam the following is requested: an active participation in the lessons, including the reading and summary of scientific articles that will be made available and assigned to the students during the lessons.
The students will have to prepare an oral presentation (pptx) for the exam.
The grade breakdown will be approximately:
class participation 20%
student reports 40%
program discussion 40%

The course format will be a blend of lecturing, journal article discussion, and student reports.
Class assignments will be given. Students will lead discussions of journal articles.

English

Teaching Language: English

written and oral

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Climate change and energy" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development