The use of plants for environmental clean-up: strategies for the remediation of metal polluted soils (phytoextraction, phytomining, phytostabilisation, phytovolatilisation, revegetation) and of organic polluted soils (phytotransformation, phytodegradation, plant-mycroorganism systems). Rhyzofiltration: constructed wetlands
Knowledge acquired:
physiological characteristics of plants suitable for environment recovery, analysis of polluted matrices and remediation strategies.
Competences
To acquire qualification aimed to the knowledge of the polluted soil remediation techniques using higher plants.
Skills acquired (at the end of the course):
skill of understanding the environment conditions and assessing the best strategy for environment remediation.
Prerequisites
None
Teaching Methods
The teaching activity will be carried out by class lectures.
Further information
None
Type of Assessment
Final oral examination
Course program
Environmental pollution and sustainable development. Reasons and typologies of environmental degradation. Classes of pollutants, persistence and effects on ecosystems.
Soil pollution. Legislative aspects: DLgs152/06. Classification of the remediation techniques; review of the classical remediation methodologies: isolation and capping, mechanical separation, pirometallurgic separation, chemical treatments, reactive permeable barriers, electrokinetic separation, soil flushing, soil washing, soil venting.
Phytoremediation: principles and techniques (phytostabilization, phytostimulation, phytodegradation, phytovolatilization, rhizofiltration). Natural and assisted phytoextraction; phytoextraction efficiency and relative parameters influencing the yield. Design of a phytoremediation system; professional team; site inspection; site characterization: soil sampling and analyses. Selection of the most suitable species, infrastructures, sawing, monitoring and maintenance, case studies in Italy.
Water pollution. Legislative aspects; classical techniques for water treatment. Rhizofiltration of wastewater; applications; removal processes and role of the plants; plant species and their selection. Classification of the wetland systems, different kinds of typologies; projecting and constructing a wetland, case studies in Italy.