Syllabus

SOILS AND POLLUTION

Instructor: Paul R. Bloom

Course descrpition:  Principles of microbiology, chemistry, physics applied to evaluation of pollution of soils. Mitigation of pollution in agricultural/urban settings, remediation of polluted sites.

Textbook

Pepper, I.L., C.P. Gerba, and M.L. Brusseau (2006) Environmental Pollution Science (Second ed). Academic Press, New York.

Other readings

Baird, C. (1995) Environmental chemistry. W.H. Freeman., New York.

Additional reading will be assigned.

Lectures

1. Soil composition and soil pollution. Chapter 2 .

2. Review of soil biology. Chapter 5.

3. Water and transport of contaminants. Chapters 3 and 6 

4. Xenobiotic Chemicals in the Environment. Chapter 7 & Baird, Chapter 5 and appendix 3

5. Biological processes and the fate of contaminants. Chapter 8.

6. Toxicology Chapter 13

7. Risk assessment and the task of setting human health limits. Chapters 14 and 22.

8. Pollution of surface waters. Chapter. 18 .

9. Municipal waste and water treaments.  Chapter 26 and 28.

10. Agricultural Pollution: Fertilizer and Manure. Chapter 27

11. Pesticides ansd other chemical pollutants. Chapters 10 and 16.

12. Soilid and hazardous waste. Chapter 25

13. Regulations Chapter 13.

14. Environmental monitoring Chapter 14.
15. Groundwater pollution Chapter 17

16. Remediation. Chapters 19 and 20. plus additional assigned reading

Tests 2 midterms and a final.

Problem Sets 7 plus occasional daily assignments, which will constitute an  8th problem set.

Papers 2

Local Field Trips 2

Grading

Problem sets 15%

Midterms 15% each

Final 25%

Papers: 15% each