Chemical pollution can cause severe ecosystem and human health problems at different scales. This course will help you understanding the fate and effects of pollutants, which is the key to finding solutions to this important issue.
This course covers the primary sources of contaminants in the environment and their impact on human and environmental health. We start discussing relatively well-understood pollutants (e.g. pesticides, fertilisers, metals) to building knowledge that allows the critical assessment of contaminants of emerging concerns (e.g. plastics, pharmaceuticals, PFAS).
Principles of environmental chemistry are introduced to help understand and predict the fate of pollutants after their emission and the approaches that can be used for their remediation. The basic principles behind quantitative ecological risk assessment are also introduced and applied to mitigate and manage the risk associated with pollutants.
Exercises and oral presentations provide opportunities to explore specific situations using multidisciplinary approaches and develop critical thinking skills when evaluating information from different sources. Group work helps build collegiality and interdisciplinary professional skills. Student also have the opportunity to research and present about a specific case study of their choice.
When possible, the course also includes an excursion to illustrate how contaminants are managed in the urban setting of Auckland.