Course syllabus for Environmental management and science for bioengineers

Course syllabus adopted 2025-02-11 by Head of Programme (or corresponding).

Overview

  • Swedish nameMiljöledning och miljövetenskap för biotekniker
  • CodeKKM081
  • Credits6 Credits
  • OwnerTKBIO
  • Education cycleFirst-cycle
  • Main field of studyBioengineering, Chemical Engineering
  • ThemeEnvironment 6 c
  • DepartmentTECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT AND ECONOMICS
  • GradingTH - Pass with distinction (5), Pass with credit (4), Pass (3), Fail

Course round 1

  • Teaching language Swedish
  • Application code 48116
  • Maximum participants70
  • Open for exchange studentsNo
  • Only students with the course round in the programme overview.

Credit distribution

0115 Examination 6 c
Grading: TH
6 c

In programmes

Examiner

Eligibility

General entry requirements for bachelor's level (first cycle)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Specific entry requirements

The same as for the programme that owns the course.
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Course specific prerequisites

Basic university level chemistry.

Aim

The course aims to provide knowledge of the natural environment, key environmental impacts caused by human interference, and some of the main information tools we use to manage environmental impacts and protect ourselves

Learning outcomes (after completion of the course the student should be able to)

1. describe different kinds of human impact on ecological systems
a. describe basic concepts in ecology
b. explain examples of how different species affect each other and their ecosystems
c. use simple calculations based on nutrient ratios
d. distinguish between four ecosystem services and explain examples of them
e. describe how biodiversity supports ecological system services
f. describe major threats to ecosystems and their dynamics
g. explain relationships between species and ecosystems and cascading effects

2. describe trends for and mechanisms behind regional and global environmental problems
a. explain the causes of global warming and the effects on human society
b. describe the reasons behind the thinning of the ozone layer and the effects on human society
c. describe the causes of the formation of ground-level ozone and explain why this is unrelated to the depletion of the ozone layer
d. describe how interventions against global environmental effects require simultaneous consideration of ecological, economic and social dimensions

3. describe and apply simple fate models for pollution
a. Explain chemical characteristics that determine the environmental fate of contaminants
b. Describe different methods for modelling contaminant fate in the environment
c. Apply simple box models for fate modelling

4. describe the risk assessment process and the effects of chemicals on human health and perform simple quantitative risk assessments
a. describe the function of structures and processes in the body that are relevant to toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics
b. describe the effects of some chemicals on human health
c. Describe and apply simple qualitative risk assessment methods
d. Describe methods for quantitative chemical risk assessment
e. perform simple quantitative risk assessments

5. perform a simple life cycle analysis in four steps
a. Be able to define “functional unit” and other key terms used in a "goal and scope", in line with the ISO standard for LCA
b. Describe different types of system boundaries/delineations for an LCA
c. Describe how allocation should be handled according to ISO
d. Perform classification and characterization in a simple LCA
e. Explain aspects of LCA result reporting

6. describe how different tools, instruments and management systems are used for sustainability purposes at company, national and EU level
a. describe principles and information tools linked to sustainable development
b. describe how Sweden coordinates environmental management nationally
c. describe which actors exist in the field of chemical legislation
d. describe how advocacy work is carried out within the EU
e. describe how chemicals are regulated in the EU by REACH with several pieces of legislation
f. Describe the Swedish Environmental Code and its various parts
g. Explain the Rules of Consideration
h. Describe how international law affects Swedish environmental law
i. Describe what an environmental management system is, its components and how it can be used to follow up an organization's environmental work

7. discuss different ethical principles in decision-making
a. Know and be able to apply Sweden's code of ethics for engineers
b. Know and be able to apply the ethical decision-making model described in the course book
c. Know and be able to apply the three basic normative theories

8. perform simple multicriteria analyses
a. give an overview of the scope of the concept of "multi-criteria analysis"
b. describe principle alternative methods in MCA
c. apply MCA in simple cases
d. describe how human values ​​are reflected in MCA


Content

Ecology and chemical cycles. Global environmental problems. Eutrophication and acidification. Transport and fate of chemicals.Chemical human health risk assessment: qualitative and quantitative methods. Exposure limits. The social environment: product life cycles, life cycle assessment, environmental management systems, strategic environmental planning, REACH, ethical decisionmaking and the engineer's tools.

Organisation

Lectures, tutorials and a group project with written and oral presentation.

Literature

Peters & Svanström (2019) Environmental Sustainability for Engineers and Applied Scientists. Cambridge University Press. ISBN: 9781316617731
The course textbook and additional material handed out during lectures. See the course syllabus in Canvas for details.

Examination including compulsory elements

Final written exam with short answer questions and calculations. Mark scale: fail, 3, 4, 5.

The course examiner may assess individual students in other ways than what is stated above if there are special reasons for doing so, for example if a student has a decision from Chalmers about disability study support.