Biotechnology and Genomic for Industry and Environment

BIOTECHNOLOGICAL PROCESSES FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE ENERGY

Course objectives

EDUCATIONAL GOALS (INGLESE) The course aims to provide an overview on the application of biotechnological processes in the field of environmental protection, with particular reference to the main processes involved in waste and wastewater treatment, including their valorization, both as secondary resources and for energy purposes. In this context, the course also intends to provide the basic elements of the analysis and description of the aforementioned processes, as taken from chemical engineering methods (kinetic analysis, mass and energy balances, thermodynamic relationships), providing specific examples for the cases studied. Students who have passed the examination will have known and understood (descriptor 1: acquired knowledge): - Fundamentals of the main biological processes for the treatment of waste and wastewater and for energy and materials recovery - Methods of quantitative representation of processes and preliminary sizing of the related equipment - Use of specific techniques for measurement, monitoring and control, of relevance in the processes studied Students who have passed the examination will be able to (descriptor 2: acquired skills): - Apply methodologies for the analysis of processes of industrial relevance in the field of treatment and valorization of waste and wastewater and for the production of energy from renewable resources (up to the preliminary design of the main process units) - Frame the contents learned in the more general context of environmental protection, also with reference to the regulatory framework - Frame the contents learned in the more general context of development of chemical industry, with particular reference to environmental sustainability. Lectures along with individual study will allow to get the acquisition of above-described knowledge and to increase and evaluate the critical and judgment skills (descriptor 3) and the ability to communicate what has been learned (descriptor 4)

Channel 1

MARIANNA VILLANO Lecturers' profile

Program - Frequency - Exams

Course program

The main topics the course deal with can be grouped as follows: Part I (Introduction) - Strategies of environmental protection (mentions) (1CFU) - Introductory aspects, environmental sustainability, process and product innovation, saving and reuse, treatment, remediation and environmental damage. European Directives and Italian D.Lgs 152/2006, Environmental Impact Assessment, Integrated Environmental Authorization, Best Available Technologies and reference documents, protection of water, wastewater treatment Part II - Treatment and recovery of wastewater (3 CFU) - Characterization of wastewaters, with main reference to: quantitative significance and environmental impact of civil and industrial wastewater; categories of contaminants; methods for physico-chemical and biological characterization; biodegradability tests - Biological treatment processes: carbon removal, nitrogen removal; processes based on suspended biomass and on and attached-biomass (mentions); oxygen transfer in biological reactors; mass balance in biological reactors with and without biomass recirculation; respirometric methods for the characterization of kinetics and biological activity of the biomass; control of filamentous bulking phenomena. Treatment and valorization of waste and wastewater by means of the anaerobic digestion process. Part III - Bioremediation of contaminated sites (mentions) (1 CFU) - Characterization of contaminated sites, Biodegradation or bioattenuation of main categories of contaminants (e.g. chlorinated solvents). Natural attenuation; in situ, ex-situ, off-site bioremediation processes, advanced biomonitoring and control tools. Practical experiences (1 CFU): Laboratory activities

Prerequisites

The course is at the II year of the two-year master degree. There are no particular prerequisites except for the enrolment in the Master Degree program. In particular, basic elements on unit operations and on chemical and biological reactors will be briefly recalled during the lectures.

Books

The teacher provides students with a copy of the lectures, with ad hoc prepared handouts, and with some articles from literature. This in addition to the digital material available on the Eiduco platform.

Teaching mode

The course is structured in lectures during which the presentation of the topics takes place with the aid of diagrams, figures and tables as well as with the definition of chemical formulas and quantitative relationships, on which simple numerical exercises are also performed by the teacher. The lessons take place in the classroom and the exposure takes place through the use of slides by the power-point program. The slides are structured to also provide the basis of individual study for exam preparation.

Frequency

Presence in class during lectures is suggested

Exam mode

The exam test aims to verify the level of knowledge of the topics of the teaching program and the reasoning skills developed by the student on the topics themselves. The overall examination allows to verify the achievement of the objectives in terms of knowledge (descriptor 1) and acquired skills (descriptor 2) as well as communication skills (descriptor 4). The assessment consists of an oral exam with open questions during which the candidate is asked to use simple diagrams and figures and, where the subject requires it, to report the main mathematical expressions that describe the phenomena treated.

Lesson mode

The course is structured in lecture and laboratory activities. In the lectures the presentation of the topics takes place with the aid of diagrams, figures and tables as well as with the definition of chemical formulas and quantitative relationships, on which simple numerical exercises are also performed by the teacher. The course will also be carried out with the use of the Eiduco digital platform, which will allow the student to interact both during the lesson and subsequently with the teacher and elaborate the didactic material presented.