Biotechnology in environmental protection and remediation 1300-OBORSW-GES
• Biotechnology: General terms and the fields of knowledge and life basing on the achievements of biotechnology. Highlighting the importance of biotechnology in environmental protection,
• Overview of microbiological processes that control transformations of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur in the natural and anthropogenic environment,
• Wastewater treatment using activated sludge. Characteristics of wastewater, description of treatment technology, discussion on factors affecting the effectiveness of treatment and presentation of simulation models to optimize the purification process,
• Removal of metals from wastewater using microbiological methods. Discussion on the factors affecting the effectiveness of individual metals removal using different technologies,
• Selective removal of metals from poor ores, industrial waste and sewage sludge using microbiological methods: recovery metals which form sulphides by oxidizing them to sulphates with application of bacteria, recovery of uranium after oxidizing insoluble oxides to soluble uranyl salts, desulphurization of coal by microbial oxidation and leaching the sulphides it contains,
• Microbiological decontamination of soils from petroleum products. Source of contamination, conditions favouring natural biodegradation of petroleum, physical-chemical and biological methods of land reclamation,
• Tests of toxicity and biodegradability: chemical compounds present in the products with trade permit, continuous monitoring of the quality of surface water and potable water, control of the efficiency of wastewater treatment in biological wastewater treatment,
• Biological treatment of wastes: history, legal status, waste characteristics, preparation of the biological treatment process,
• Methane fermentation in biological waste treatment, technology, products of fermentation process,
• Composting, composting technologies and their worldwide distribution. Use of compost, environmental hazards occurring during the composting process and ways to minimize them.
• Selected examples of typical, commonly available technological solutions used in the fermentation process and the composting process,
• Biotechnological methods of protecting agricultural cultivation, cultivation efficiency. Microbial control of insects, weeds or plant diseases. Use of ecological knowledge in the application of these treatments,
• Transgenic plants and animals. Legal, ethical, political, social, ecological and environmental protection aspects associated with the use of GMOs. Characteristics of specific preparations that are commercially available,
• Biotechnology in the protection of lake water quality (e.g. biological barriers), marine and oceanic waters (e.g. fuel and oil pollution). Considerations on the possibility of carbon dioxide sequestration from the atmosphere through the control of phytoplankton productivity in areas where its production is limited by iron availability.
Type of course
Prerequisites (description)
Learning outcomes
The educational aim of the course is to acquaint the students with major biotechnological activity trends, intentionally used by humans in order to maintain the natural values of Earth's natural living organisms that colonized it.
On completion of the course, the student:
- possesses enhanced biological, ecological, chemical, geochemical and geological knowledge, allowing for a proper understanding of the complex relationships between abiotic and biotic processes used in biotechnology. This conviction gives a feeling of confidence and is necessary for making difficult unconventional decisions as often happens in environmental security practice,
- understands that biotechnology was for ages, though often unconsciously, used in environmental protection, and the knowledge they gained, serves a complete, scientific understanding of the practices,
- is assured that with development of modern civilization, nature is not able to survive in its natural state without a conscious support in biotechnological techniques. The most sophisticated and innovative biotech procedures are usually the most effective, but also most expensive. Ambitious plans connected with environmental protection can be made only with strong public support, and to get such support people should have strong conviction of the rightness of the chosen route, then it is much easier to convince others and achieve the goal.
Assessment criteria
Final written examination.
Practical placement
none
Additional information
Information on level of this course, year of study and semester when the course unit is delivered, types and amount of class hours - can be found in course structure diagrams of apropriate study programmes. This course is related to the following study programmes:
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: