The topics addressed in the present course are related to environmental protection and sustainable development. The course aims to provide the theoretical and practical knowledge essential for the design and management of solid waste treatment and disposal plants in view of circular economy principles. Basic knowledge of both national and European waste legislation will be provided considering also the recent updates. The different plant configurations will be presented and the collection models for sustainable waste management will be analyzed. The main issues and criticisms will be also discussed through case studies analysis.
The course focuses on the integrated waste management models and on applying circular economy principles, cycle closure, and material and energy recovery. Another course aim is the comparison of different treatment technology systems to identify the less impactful operational solutions among those available.
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Summarize the basic concepts of environmental legislation on solid waste and circular economy
- Describe the waste classification and the principles of integrated solid waste management
- Identify the most suitable treatment process for specific waste fractions
- Outline the different configurations of waste management and treatment processes
- Apply the life cycle assessment (LCA) to waste management
- Describe the latest research development in the field of waste management and treatment
Basic knowledge related to mathematics, chemistry, and physics is advised, but it is not formally mandatory
The teaching consists of frontal lessons, classroom exercises, small group activities, and a technical visit to a treatment plant. Self-assessment tests will be carried out during the course to encourage the learning process of the students.
Working students and students with SLD, disability, or other special educational needs are advised to contact the teacher at the beginning of the course to agree on teaching and examination methods that take into account individual learning modalities in agreement with the teaching objectives.
The teaching program includes the presentation and discussion of the following topics:
- European and Italian waste regulations, circular economy principles
- Waste classification, quantitative aspects related to waste production, a brief overview of liquid waste and hazardous waste
- Integrated municipal solid waste management, waste prevention and minimization, separate waste collection
- Selection and pre-treatment plants
- Material recovery and recycling
- Biological treatments of waste organic fraction: biostabilitation, composting, anaerobic digestion
- Treatment technologies for energy recovery from waste
- Landfilling: design and operation, biogas and leachate production and management
- Gaseous effluents from waste treatment plants (particulate matter, macro-pollutants, odor emissions): overview and treatment
- Brief hints about special waste (e.g., WEEE)
- Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): general framework and application to municipal waste management
Some specialized seminars will be taught by leading experts, while a technical visit to a waste treatment plant will be organized during the course.
At the beginning of the course, a detailed teaching program will be provided to the students.
The teaching materials (slides and exercises) will be available to students on Aulaweb. The following textbooks and legislations are suggested for deepening the topics covered in the course:
Ricevimento: The teacher is available for information and clarifications, Wednesday from 3 to 4 p.m. at Via Opera Pia 15A, 2nd floor. Please contact in advance the teacher by email (erica.gagliano@unige.it) to make a reservation or to arrange different days and timetables.
ERICA GAGLIANO (President)
ADRIANA DEL BORGHI
MICHELA GALLO
Lessons will be start according to the academic calendar of Master Degree Course.
Class timetables are posted on the EasyAcademy portal.
Oral exam on the topics discussed during the lectures. The case studies analyzed and the exercises carried out in the classroom will be part of the exam topics.
The oral exam aims to ascertain the ability to understand the topics covered in the teaching and to apply the learned concepts to broad or particular cases by critically analyzing the advantages and disadvantages. The ability to synthesize and present will be evaluated along with the accuracy in describing the topics, and the proper use of technical lexicon. Critical reasoning skills will also be judged.
