AEW-31306 Water Quality

Course

Credits 6.00

Language of instruction:

English

Assumed knowledge on:

Basic chemistry, differential equations, introductory knowledge of surface water quality and aquatic ecology.

Contents:

This advanced course provides a critical overview of the processes and quantitative process descriptions that are essential to understanding surface water quality and systems analysis of aquatic systems. Chemical and physical processes are emphasized and treated in the context of policy and risk assessment developments. Six themes will be treated: (1) Advanced aquatic chemistry, (2) Transport and exchange processes, (3) Fate and bio-magnification of micro-pollutants, (4) Nutrient behaviour, and algal nuisance, (5) Basic water quality modelling, (6) Oceans. Each theme takes one week of the course. For each theme a recent scientific paper is critically analysed, in order to identify key innovations in the field. These papers are updated annually.

Learning outcomes:

After this course the student is capable of:
- quantifying and critically evaluating the importance of physical, chemical and biological processes in freshwater and marine aquatic (eco)systems, such as chemical reactions in lakes and rivers, solute transport, sedimentation and re-suspension, gas-water exchange, sediment-water exchange, adsorption and bioaccumulation, oligotrophication and eutrophication, nutrient behaviour and retention, C-, N-, and P- behaviour in aquatic systems, light climate and algal growth, carbonate and aragonite formation, marine geochemistry and ocean acidification.

Activities:

- PC practical basic water quality modelling;
- preparing and attending lectures;
- independent study;
- practising problem solving;
- reading and discussing selected scientific papers.

Examination:

- weekly assignments (20%);
- written exam (80%). This exam is partly open book.
Successful partial interim examinations remain valid for a period of three years.

Literature:

Study material:
course reader with exercises.
Powerpoint presentations (delivered through MyPortal, prior to the lectures).
Answers to exercises.
Selected scientific papers.