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  2. Understanding Pollution [SCI1186]

School: Science

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Understanding Pollution

  • Unit Code

    SCI1186

  • Year

    2016

  • Enrolment Period

    1

  • Version

    1

  • Credit Points

    15

  • Full Year Unit

     N

  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus

Description

This unit explores the range of pollutants and polluting activities and emphasises the physical and chemical processes involved. The consequences of pollution are examined from biological and environmental perspectives.

Equivalent Rule

Unit was previously coded SCI1193

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Contribution to discussion.
  2. Demonstrate competency in moving between qualitative and quantitative data.
  3. Demonstrate consolidation of skills in the following areas:
  4. Describe the physical, chemical and biological interactions involved.
  5. Identify and characterise pollutants,
  6. Measure a range of pollutants,
  7. Numeracy and statistics,
  8. Understand the impact of pollutants on biological and environmental systems,

Unit Content

  1. Climate change (global warming and greenhouse gases) and ozone depletion.
  2. Emerging pollutants of concern. Global and local solutions to pollution problems.
  3. Nature of pollution and how human activities contribute to it at global, national and local scales - e.g., ecological footprints, population increase, urbanisation
  4. Origin, transport and fate of biological and chemical air, water and soil pollutants.
  5. Solid and liquid waste, management of municipal waste, hazardous waste
  6. The nature of the pollution associated with the use of energy: electromagnetic radiation, ionising and non-ionising radiation, nuclear power (basic nuclear physics, production and storage of radioactive waste), noise, aesthetic pollution.
  7. Toxicology; how pollutants affect organisms in the environment e.g., LC

Additional Learning Experience Information

Lectures, Laboratories, Tutorials & Excursion. Practical skills in measurement of pollutants are developed in labs. Students gain skills in facilitation and group discussion in tutorials. Compulsory skills workshop held during semester.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant Board of Examiners.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
Laboratory WorkLaboratory reports40%
Tutorial PresentationTutorials10%
ExaminationEnd of semester examination50%

Text References

  • ^ Miller, G.T. (2009) Living in the environment: principles, connections and solutions (16th ed.). Wadsworth, Belmont, USA
  • Giesel, T. S. (1971). The Lorax 64pp Random House, NY, USA
  • McCullough, C.D. (2011). Understanding Pollution Unit Guide 78pp Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia
  • Harrison, R.M. (ed.) (2006). An introduction to pollution science 579pp Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, UK
  • Hill, M. K. (2004). Understanding Environmental Pollution: a primer (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press, UK
  • Jones, J. C. (2008). Atmospheric Pollution 109pp . J.C. Jones & Ventus Publishing ApS, USA
  • Aplin, G. (2003) Australians and their Environment 560pp Oxford University Press, UK
  • Goudie, A. (2006) The Human Impact on the Natural Environment; Past, Present and Future (6th ed.). Blackwell Publishing, Carlton, Australia

^ Mandatory reference

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Academic Misconduct

Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • unauthorised collaboration;
  • cheating in examinations;
  • theft of other students' work;

Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.

The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.

SCI1186|1|1

School: Science

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Understanding Pollution

  • Unit Code

    SCI1186

  • Year

    2016

  • Enrolment Period

    2

  • Version

    1

  • Credit Points

    15

  • Full Year Unit

     N

  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus

Description

This unit explores the range of pollutants and polluting activities and emphasises the physical and chemical processes involved. The consequences of pollution are examined from biological and environmental perspectives.

Equivalent Rule

Unit was previously coded SCI1193

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Contribution to discussion.
  2. Demonstrate competency in moving between qualitative and quantitative data.
  3. Demonstrate consolidation of skills in the following areas:
  4. Describe the physical, chemical and biological interactions involved.
  5. Identify and characterise pollutants,
  6. Measure a range of pollutants,
  7. Numeracy and statistics,
  8. Understand the impact of pollutants on biological and environmental systems,

Unit Content

  1. Climate change (global warming and greenhouse gases) and ozone depletion.
  2. Emerging pollutants of concern. Global and local solutions to pollution problems.
  3. Nature of pollution and how human activities contribute to it at global, national and local scales - e.g., ecological footprints, population increase, urbanisation
  4. Origin, transport and fate of biological and chemical air, water and soil pollutants.
  5. Solid and liquid waste, management of municipal waste, hazardous waste
  6. The nature of the pollution associated with the use of energy: electromagnetic radiation, ionising and non-ionising radiation, nuclear power (basic nuclear physics, production and storage of radioactive waste), noise, aesthetic pollution.
  7. Toxicology; how pollutants affect organisms in the environment e.g., LC

Additional Learning Experience Information

Lectures, Laboratories, Tutorials & Excursion. Practical skills in measurement of pollutants are developed in labs. Students gain skills in facilitation and group discussion in tutorials. Compulsory skills workshop held during semester.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant Board of Examiners.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
Laboratory WorkLaboratory reports40%
Tutorial PresentationTutorials10%
ExaminationEnd of semester examination50%

Text References

  • ^ Miller, G.T. (2009) Living in the environment: principles, connections and solutions (16th ed.). Wadsworth, Belmont, USA
  • Giesel, T. S. (1971). The Lorax 64pp Random House, NY, USA
  • McCullough, C.D. (2011). Understanding Pollution Unit Guide 78pp Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia
  • Harrison, R.M. (ed.) (2006). An introduction to pollution science 579pp Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, UK
  • Hill, M. K. (2004). Understanding Environmental Pollution: a primer (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press, UK
  • Jones, J. C. (2008). Atmospheric Pollution 109pp . J.C. Jones & Ventus Publishing ApS, USA
  • Aplin, G. (2003) Australians and their Environment 560pp Oxford University Press, UK
  • Goudie, A. (2006) The Human Impact on the Natural Environment; Past, Present and Future (6th ed.). Blackwell Publishing, Carlton, Australia

^ Mandatory reference

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Academic Misconduct

Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • unauthorised collaboration;
  • cheating in examinations;
  • theft of other students' work;

Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.

The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.

SCI1186|1|2