49123 Waste and Pollution Management
Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular semester, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.
UTS: Engineering: Civil and Environmental EngineeringCredit points: 6 cp
Subject level:
Postgraduate
Result type: Grade and marksRequisite(s): 120 credit points of completed study in C10061 Bachelor of Engineering Diploma in Engineering Practice OR 120 credit points of completed study in C10066 Bachelor of Engineering Science OR 120 credit points of completed study in C10067 Bachelor of Engineering
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses.
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Handbook description
In this subject waste minimisation and pollution control are treated in an integrated and comprehensive manner, permitting evaluation of benefits of waste minimisation to industry and of pollution reduction in the environment. Students are introduced to leading edge technologies of waste minimisation and pollution control such as membrane processes; raw materials extraction and refinement; product development including design, manufacture, use, re-use/recycling and environmental auditing of the product life cycle. An understanding of management techniques for solid/hazardous and liquid wastes is developed. Other topics comprehensively covered include institutional barriers to improving the technologies of waste technology and management practices adopted in domestic waste, the paper industry, metal plating industry, food and dairy industry, household waste and water recycling in buildings.
Subject objectives/outcomes
Upon successful completion of this subject, students will be able to:
1) Comprehensively describe how waste minimisation and pollution control are treated
2) Evaluate the benefits of waste minimisation to industry and of pollution reduction in the environment
3) Appreciate, evaluate and apply leading edge technologies
4) Utilise various methods of management techniques for solid/hazardous and liquid wastes
5) Describe an overview of institutional barriers to improving the technologies of waste technology and management practices adopted in domestic waste, the paper industry, metal plating industry, food and dairy industry, household waste and water recycling in buildings.
Contribution to course aims and graduate attributes
The subject covers the environmental issues relating to domestic and industrial waste treatment processes. It will give students:
1. Deepening and broadening of skills and knowledge in waste minimisation and pollution control
2. Disciplinary, professional and technical knowledge
3. Application of expertise appropriate to the practice
4. Understanding the contexts of professional work
Through problem-based assignments, students work individually and in teams to develop the following GAs; they will produce and justify the rational of water and waste management practices (A1, A5, B1, B6, E2). Students will be introduced to waste minimisation and recycle design (B2) and practices and are required to consider short case studies for industrial waste management practices (A2, A4, B5, B6, E2).
Students will build competencies in the ability to apply systems thinking (A5) through examples of different waste minimisation technologies and management practices.
This Subject contributes to the following Graduate Attributes:
A1. Needs analysis, A2. Prioritize, A4. Sustainability, A5. Apply systems thinking, B1. Problem solving, B2. Design, B5. Implement and test solution, B6. Research skills, E2. Teams.
A complete list and description of Graduate Attributes for the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology can be found at
http://feit.uts.edu.au/faculty/graduate-attributes.html
Teaching and learning strategies
This subject includes 3 blocks of lectures, tutorials and computer laboratories through the semester. Each block will be held at 9.30 to 5pm on a Tuesday and 9.30 to 1pm on a Wednesday. The course is taught by lectures, assignment and project work.
Lectures are supported by lecture notes and readings and are placed on UTS online. You will gain most from the lectures if you read each block’s material in advance.
As a student in this subject you are expected to attend and participate in all tutorials, actively contribute to discussions, complete your assignments by their due dates.
Content
Introduction: Pollution control and needs for clean technology; Advances in pollution control: Processes and case studies, technological aspects of waste management; Techniques to achieve cleaner technologies with examples; Waste minimisation with case studies of developed and developing countries; Waste auditing in industries with examples on tanning and metal plating industries; Institutional barriers to waste minimisation: Employee incentives; Strategies for promotion of cleaner production for sustainable development; Treatment and utilisation practices for recycle of sewage and sludge; Solid and hazardous waste minimisation and management.
Assessment
Assessment Item 1: Waste Management and Recycling
| Intent: | To understand the wastewater and bio-solids management principles, basic design calculations and management practices |
| Objective(s): | Objectives: 1 |
| Weighting: | 10% |
| Criteria: | Criteria: Single answers (Quantitative and qualitative) and methodology/approach to problem-solving. |
Assessment Item 2: Waste minimisation methodologies and practices
| Intent: | To be able to carry out simple process design and rational description of processes in industrial waste minimisation. |
| Objective(s): | Objectives: 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| Weighting: | 15% |
| Criteria: | Criteria: Single answers (Quantitative and qualitative) and methodology/approach to problem-solving. |
Assessment Item 3: Alternative water sources
| Intent: | To understand the alternative water sources and their importance through search of case studies and design calculations |
| Objective(s): | Objective(s): 1, 3 |
| Weighting: | 25% |
| Criteria: | Individual assignment on best management stratergies. Short qualitative and quantitaive questions to illustrate the above principles (10%) Class group assignment on pollution abatement strategies (10%) |
Assessment Item 4: Final Exam
| Objective(s): | Objective(s): |
| Weighting: | 50% |
| Length: | The duration of the examination is 3 hours and 10 minutes. |
| Criteria: | Marks for each exam question are stated in the exam sheets. |
Minimum requirements
In order to pass the subject, you must
- complete, and submit each of the Assessment tasks
- obtain a minimum of 50% in the final exam and
- earn an overall total of 50 marks or more for the subject
Required texts
- Vigneswaran S, Visvanathan C and Jegatheesan V, 1998, ‘Industrial waste minimisation’, Ensearch, Malaysia
- Course notes are available at the bookshop
The CN Number is: Waste and Pollution Management, CN No. and Price will be advised at http://my.feit.uts.edu.au/pages/course/postgraduate/distance_mode/materials.
Recommended texts
Information on specific text will be provided in class
References
see recommended text
Other resources
see UTSonline
