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EM 204/206 - AIR, WATER AND SOIL QUALITY STANDARDS AND

                         ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES (and Waste Management)

Lecture Materials

COURSE DESCRIPTION

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An Environmental standard is a mandated level of performance that is legally enforced. This is a measure to be used in setting regulatory limits for potentially polluting emissions/effluents, which is the level of substance in the environment that is consistent with the maintenance of that environment in a healthy, unaffected state.

 

This is a graduate course in Environmental Management Program. This course deals with the imposed quality standards on water, air and soil. Likewise, the course focuses on understanding the physical and chemical processes occurring in soils as well as the chemical and physical properties of subsurface soil environments; the nature of air pollution, its effect on the public and legal remedies. Further, topics on various methods of measurements of all parameters of interest in water and wastewater quality studies will be discussed as well. Specific project requiring analysis, interpretation, and recommendations will be a major part of the work.

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COURSE OBJECTIVES

 

The objectives of this course are the following:

 

  1. To acquire in-depth knowledge in environmental quality standards and recognize its importance in environmental management and protection;

  2. To understand the underlying chemical principles of the three areas; water, soil and air;

  3. To understand the different sources of pollution that could alter or degrade the quality of water, soil and air.

  4. To investigate the possible degradation pathways of the different pollutants such that pollution can be minimized, if not eliminated;

  5. To correlate the degree of pollution to the existing quality standards set by the government, and to study the effects of these pollutants to humans, flora and fauna;

  6. To be able to familiarize the different analysis techniques that has been used in formulating these environmental quality standards.

  7. To evaluate the effectivity and limitations of the existing quality standards in air, water and soil in the Philippines;

 

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COURSE OUTLINE

 

I. Introduction : Environmental Quality Standards

 

1. Introduction to EQS

2. Concepts of EQS

        2.1 Classification of EQS

        2.2 Types of Environmental Standards

​3. Philippine Environmental Regulatory Agencies

4. Introduction to ISO Environmental Management System

5. Emerging Issues of EQS

6. Limitations of EQS

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II. Water Quality Standards

 

1. Hydrosphere Hydrological Cycle

2. Atmospheric water interaction between atmosphere and hydrosphere

3. Physico-chemical characteristics of water

4. Potability

5. Water Pollution

      5.1 Types and Sources of Pollutants

               5.1.1 Industrial

               5.1.2 Domestic Waste

               5.1.3 Organic and Biological Waste

                5.1.4 Agricultural Wastes

                           5.1.4.1 Fertilizers and Pesticides

                           5.1.4.2 Heavy Metals

                           5.1.4.3 Phenolic compounds

                           5.1.4.4 Detergents

      5.2 Analysis Techniques

               5.2.1 Water Sampling Methods

      5.3 Effects of Pollution on Water Quality

                5.3.1 Water Quality Standards

                5.3.2 Human

                5.3.3 Flora and Fauna

      5.4 Technical Reports (Case Study)

6. Effects of Water Quality

7. Strategies for Water Quality Assessments

8. Selection of Water Quality Variables

9. Classification of fresh and surface water; rivers, lakes, reservoirs, groundwater

10. National Standards for Drinking Water

11. Individual Report (Case Study: Water Quality)

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III. Air Quality Standards

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1. Air Cycles

        1.1 Air-Oxygen cycle

        1.2 Nitrogen cycle

        1.3 carbon dioxide cycle

2. Meteorology

        2.1 Atmospheric structure and stability

        2.2 Variation of wind, temperature and water vapour

        2.3 Turbulence, plume size, plume diffusion and trappings

        2.4 Topographic effects

        2.5 Estimation of atmospheric dispersion and diffusion

3. Global Climate Effects

        3.1 Urban climate changes

        3.2 Inversion phenomena

        3.3 Greenhouse Effects

                      3.3.1 Fog

                      3.3.2 Smog

                      3.3.3 Acid Rains

4. Air Monitoring Survey Network

        4.1 Siting criteria

        4.2 Principles and techniques for ambient and stock sampling

5. Particle Concentration

        5.1 Causes, effects, estimation of concentration

6. Analysis Techniques

        6.1 Air Sampling Methods

                        6.1.1 Intake Design

                        6.1.2 Sample Collection

                        6.1.3 Flow measurement and air moving devices

7. Environmental Indices

        7.1 Air Quality Standards

        7.2 Biological Indicators of Air Pollution

8. Effects of Air Pollution

        8.1 Flora and Fauna

        8.2 Human and Materials

9. Technical Reports (Case Study)

10. Individual Report (Air pollution, analysis and management)

 

​IV. Toxic Substances and Hazardous Waste Standards

 

​1. Background status

2. Hazardous waste problems

3. Classification of Hazardous Wastes

4. Environmental guidelines for regulated substance and hazardous waste

5. Violation and Fines

6. Innovative Technologies

7. Laws and Regulations

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V. Environmental Sampling and Analysis Techniques

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​1. Scope of Environmental Sampling

2. Where, What, When, How, How many

3. Environmental Analysis

4. Environmental Sampling Design

5. Environmental Sampling Techniques

6. Quality Control of Environmental Analysis

        6.1 Sample Preparation

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VI. Laboratory 

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      Conduct one publishable research project (one project for each group) which covers the quality standards for water, air and soil)

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SUGGESTED REFERENCES

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Books:

 

  1. Aggarwal, P. K.; Gat, J. R.; Froehlich, F. O. Isotopes in the Water Cycle: Past, Present and Future of Developing Science. Springer, 2005

  2. Harison, R. M. Understanding Our Environment: An Introduction to Environmental Chemistry and Pollution, 3rd Edition. Royal Society of Chemistry, 1999.

  3. Schauberger, V. The Water Wizard: The Extraordinary Properties of Natural Water. 1997

  4. Hites, R.A. Elements of Environmental Chemistry. Jhon Wiley and Sons Inc. 2007

  5. Wright, J. Environmental Chemistry. New York. 2003

  6. deVivo, B.; Belkin, H.E.; Lima, A. Environmental Geochemistry: Site Characterization, Data Analysis and Case Histories. Elsevier, the Netherlands, 2008

  7. Dunnivant, F. Environmental Laboratory Exercise for Instrumental Analysis and Environmental Chemistry. Jhon Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2004

  8. Pansu, M.; Gautheyrou, J. Handbook of Soil Analysis: Mineralogical, Organic and Inorganic Methods. Springer, the Netherlands, 2003

  9. Hutzinger, O., et.al. Indoor Air Pollution: The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry.

  10. Neilson, A.H.;Allard, A.S. Environmental Degradation and Transformation of Organic Chemicals, CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, 2008

  11. Wang, L.K.;Pereira, N.C.; Hung, Y.T. Advanced Air and Noise Pollution Control. Humana Press, Totowa, New Jersey, 2005

  12. Chapman, D. Water Quality Assessments. A Guide to the Use of Biota, Sediments and Water in Environmental Monitoring, 2nd Ed. Taylor and Francis. 1996.

  13. Zegel, WC. Standards, CRC Press LLC. 1999

  14. Pollution Prevention and Abatement Handbook: Toward Cleaner Production. World Bank Group and United Nations Environment. 1999

  15. P. Schjonning, S. Elmholt, B.T. Christensen. Managing Soil Quality. Challenges in Modern Agriculture. CABI Publishing, 2004.

  16. B. Kronvang, J. Faganeli, N. Ogrinc. The Interactions Between Sediments and Water. Springer, 2006.

  17. A. Ebel, T. Davitashvili. Air, Water and Soil Quality Modelling for Risk and Impact Assessment. Springer, 2007.

  18. C. Zhang. Fundamentals of Environmental Sampling and Analysis, John Wiley and Sons, Inc. 2007

 

 

Journals/Periodicals/Technical Reports/Case Studies

 

 

  1. Analysis of Waste water, soil and Sewage Sludge by ICP-OES (LabPlus International, Nov. 2005)

  2. Developing Standards Protocols for Soil Quality Monitoring and Assessment.

  3. Air Quality Module: Continual Development

  4. The State of Water Resources in the Philippines. Greenpeace Southeast Asian, Q.C. Philippines

  5. Introduction to International Environmental Standards

  6. Water Resources and Environment. Technical Note E.2.

  7. Water Resources and Environment. Technical Note F.1

  8. Philippines: Country Water Resource, Assistance Strategy. 2003 (The World Bank, East Asia and Pacific Region)

  9. Water Resources Management in Japan: Policy, Institutional and Legal Issues. 2006. Environment and Social Development East Asia and Pacific Region: The World Bank

  10. DENR Administrative Order

  11. Policy Notes

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COURSE REQUIREMENTS

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Lecture:

 

  1. Two(2) major exams

  2. Journal critiques (air, water)

  3. 1 workshop (air analysis and sampling)

 

Laboratory:

 

  1. Water sampling and analysis

  2. Final report (assigned topics)

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