Soil and Water Contamination - 2025 entry

This module will provide an overview of the occurrence, behaviour and fate on anthropogenic pollutants in the natural environment along with contemporary methodologies for their remediation. The fundamental properties of soil, groundwater and surface water will be covered along with an overview of the analytical techniques that are currently used to characterise anthropogenic pollutants within such matrices.

This module is suitable for students studying courses in geology, mining, engineering and environmental science. It is recommended for interdisciplinary pathways. No pre-requisite module is required.

The aim of this module is to provide an understanding of the causes, characteristics and hazards related to contaminated land and of the practical approaches to its assessment and remediation. The module is enriched with case studies from the lecturers’ own research experience.

On successful completion of this module, you should be able to:

Module Specific Skills and Knowledge:

1. Recognise and characterise sources and pathways of contamination and identify potential receptors;

2. Devise an appropriate strategy for the assessment of a potentially contaminated site;

3. Understand the principles of contaminant migration and bio-availability;

4. Devise appropriate methodologies for the remediation of contaminated land;

Discipline Specific Skills and Knowledge:

5. Identify potential hazards at a contaminated site;

6. Suggest the most appropriate remediation methods and management strategies for a contaminated site;

Personal and Key Transferable/ Employment Skills and Knowledge:

7. Select and interpret data in order to critically evaluate a specific problem and then produce detailed (but not verbose) recommendations/reasoned arguments for appropriate solution;

8. Select and organise material to produce a coherent argument in a professional report;

9. Perform oral presentations to a professional standard.

The module content will include:

• A general introduction to environmental pollution including environmental pollutants and their sources and impacts and spatial variability;

• Basic environmental chemistry including the effect of oxidation state, redox and pH;

• The environmental compartment of soil, groundwater and surface water

• Bio-accessibility and ecotoxicity of metals to receptors;

• Soil and water sampling methodologies and field and laboratory-based techniques for the characterisation of such samples;

• Remediation strategies for polluted soils and water bodies.

Deferral – if you have been deferred for any assessment you will be expected to submit the relevant assessment. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 50%) you will be expected to submit the relevant assessment.. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of referral will be capped at 50%.

Students will pick a new case study.

Basic Reading:

Reading list for this module: