| Course ID: | PMR-SE>PHYTOREMS |
| Course title: | PHYTOREMEDIATION OF CONTAMINATED SOILS |
| Semester: | 6 / Spring |
| ECTS: | 5 |
| Lectures/Classes: | 15 / 15 hours |
| Field of study: | Plant Medicine |
| Study cycle: | 1st cycle |
| Type of course: | optional |
| Prerequisites: | Basic soil science and plant physiology |
| Contact person: | dr hab. inż. Katarzyna Szopka, profesor uczelni katarzyna.szopka@upwr.edu.pl; prof. dr hab. inż. Anna Karczewska anna.karczewska@upwr.edu.pl |
| Short description: | The course focuses on methods that use plants for remediation of polluted soils, i.e. for their decontamination or for other kinds of treatment aimed to improve soil properties and reduce environmental risk. Students learn about the main hazards caused by soil contamination, the methods used for assessment of contamination level and the rules how to choose the most suitable plants for phytoremediation, in particular for phytoextraction, phytostabilization and phytodegradation. |
| Full description: | The main kinds of soil contaminants and their sources. Heavy metals and organic pollutants. Hazards caused by soil contamination and factors that govern environmental risk, including human health hazard and degradation of ecosystems. Methods used for assessment of contamination level. Strategies of remediation and the main methods of phytoremediation. Phytoextraction, phytodegradation, phytovolatilization and rhizofiltration. The rules of plant choice for phytoremediation. |
| Bibliography: | 1) Karczewska A. et al. 2015: Phytoremediation of copper-contaminated soils. In: Phytoremediation (pp. 143-170). Springer International Publishing. 2) Tsao D. 2003. Phytoremediation. Springer Complementary: 3) Bradl H. (ed.) 2005: Heavy Metals in the Environment: Origin, Interaction and Remediation, Academic Press. 4). McCutcheon S., Schnoor J. 2003. Phytoremediation: transformation and control of contaminants. J. Wiley. |
| Learning outcomes: | Knowledge Students possess the basic knowledge in the fields of biology, chemistry, and biochemistry, that is necessary to understand plant processes and environmental effects caused by toxic substances. They describe chemical and biochemical changes that take place in the biosphere They have basic knowledge on biodiversity of natural environment, its development and protection from adverse biotic and non-biotic factors. Skills Students get information from literature and data bases, interpret the data and work out the conclusions. They are able to present and justify their own opinions. They are able to recognize and assess environmental hazards caused by human activity. Social competences Students are able to work individually and in groups in which they play various roles. They are aware o a common responsibility for the tasks that are carried out in a group. |
| Assessment methods and assessment criteria: | Knowledge Regular tests as assessment of classes and tests that check knowledge presented in lectures Skills Assessment of work carried out during classes: assessment of discussion and reports related to the tasks. Social competences Assessment of the results obtained from work carried out in groups A grade from lectures 50%, and a grade from classes 50 % |