NES2302 : Pollution of Air, Water & Soil
- Offered for Year: 2024/25
- Module Leader(s): Dr Simon Peacock
- Lecturer: Dr Shannon Flynn
- Owning School: Natural and Environmental Sciences
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 10 |
| ECTS Credits: | 5.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
To provide a sound platform of understanding relating to the sources, movement and effects of pollution on atmospheric, terrestrial and freshwater environments. By the end of the course students will appreciate the scale and extent of pollution impacts and be able to place modern problems in a historical content.
Outline Of Syllabus
The module will provide students with an introduction to the sources, movement and effects of pollution on atmospheric, terrestrial and freshwater environments. The course will review the history of pollution and the development of monitoring techniques and risk assessment approaches, in a bid to highlight the scale and nature of current pollution issues and abatement policy-drivers.
History of air pollution and its effects, including development of concepts. Emission, dispersion and deposition of pollutants. Bio-monitoring of air pollution. Examples of major air pollutants: SO2, NOx, O3, NHx. The forest decline controversy. Sources and impacts of soil pollution. Biology of freshwater pollution, organic and plastics pollution and eutrophication; acidification. Heavy metal contaminants. Radionuclides. Agricultural pollution. Soil remediation.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 20:00 | 20:00 | N/A |
| Structured Guided Learning | Lecture materials | 14 | 1:00 | 14:00 | N/A |
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 1 | 12:00 | 12:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 3 | 2:00 | 6:00 | N/A |
| Guided Independent Study | Student-led group activity | 1 | 11:30 | 11:30 | N/A |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 35:00 | 35:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Module talk | 1 | 1:30 | 1:30 | N/A |
| Total | 100:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
The online lectures will enable an appreciation of pollution history, methods of study and the consequences. Coursework is directed towards preparing information in a concise manner, encouraging teamwork, and developing presentation skills (delivered and tested in class).
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Exams
| Description | Length | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written Examination | 1440 | 1 | A | 100 | 24 Hour Exam |
Formative Assessments
Formative Assessment is an assessment which develops your skills in being assessed, allows for you to receive feedback, and prepares you for being assessed. However, it does not count to your final mark.
| Description | Semester | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prof skill assessmnt | 1 | M | Group Presentation in person |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The formal exam invites critical discussion of issues, some of which involve integration of material from different sources. The range of questions will allow some scope for the special interests to be displayed. ranging from mechanistics to policy issues.
Coursework requires each group (4 students maximum) to make a 15 minute oral presentation for subsequent discussion in class(team produced and peer assessed).
Study Abroad students may request to take their exam before the semester 1 exam period, in which case the format of the paper may differ from that shown in the MOF. Study Abroad students should contact the school to discuss this.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- NES2302's Timetable