This is a laboratory course supplemented by lectures that focus on selected analytical methods used to determine water quality and pollution. The course covers introduction to water quality parameters (with a focus on emerging and persistent pollutants), pollutants properties and measurement techniques. Fate and transport of pollutants in relation with their physicochemical properties, risk assessment in relationship to water quality are also covered.

Upon successful completion of this course the students will acquire new knowledge and specific skills on the following subjects:

• To understand the basic and critical qualitative characteristics of water samples, their connection to sources of pollution.
• To have knowledge of the tools and analytical techniques for determining the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of aqueous samples.
• To gain knowledge on the basic principles of operation of modern and advanced analytical techniques for the determination of metals and organic pollutants in aqueous samples
• To gain knowledge on basic principles of sampling and chemometrics.
• To evaluate water characteristics in order to draw conclusions about the level and type of pollution.
• To gain laboratory experience on a range of analytical water pollution assessment methodologies
• To understand the principles of operation on a range of analytical instrumentation
• Trained in laboratory safety rules

• Review, analyse and synthesise data and information, with the use of necessary technologies
• Autonomous work
• Decision making

Lectures:

• Physical and chemical characteristics of water
• Introduction to instrumental analysis
• Sampling
• Statistical evaluation of results
• Introduction to spectrophotometry
• Introduction to atomic spectroscopy
• Introduction to chromatography
• Gas Chromatography
• Liquid Chromatography
• Partitioning of organics in the environment
• Determination of the physico-chemcial properties of organics.

Labs:

• Safety in the laboratory. Measurements (volume, weight, pH). Solution preparation and further dissolving.  Buffers
• Identify unknown acid with strong base (volumetric analysis)
• Redox titration. Determination H₂O₂ using potassium permanganate.
• Complexometric titration. Hardness measurements using titration with EDTA.
• Determination of TSS, TDS, pH, conductivity, salinity, turbidity.
• Determination of BOD, COD, TOC, TC, IC, NPOC: (Using samples from river and WWTP)
• Determination of P-PO₄ N-NO₂^-, N-NO₃^- Cl^- using UV-spectrophotometer
• Determination of calibration curve in spectrophotometer
• High-performance liquid chromatography: determination of octanol water partition coefficient (K_ow) of organic compounds.
• Theoretical calculation of octanol water partition coefficients (K_ow) and Henry (K_H).

Use of Information and Communication Technology

• Power point presentations
• E-class support

Assessment Method

Laboratory exercises:

• Ten laboratory exercises- individual reports:60% of the Lab grade
• Final written lab exam: 40% of the Lab grade

Assessment and grading method:

• Lab work, 40% of the grade
• Final closed-book written exam, 60% of the grade

• Quantitative Chemical Analysis, Textbook by Daniel C. Harris