MPhil. Environmental Resources Management (Regular)

1. Aim and Objectives:

The programme is aimed at training graduates to equip them with knowledge in environmental resources and management. This will enable the students to solve environmental problems issuing from exploitation and processing of environmental resources.

 

The objectives of the programme are to train graduates to:

1. research into environmental resources issues
2. provide students with the skills required to manage environmental resources.
3. disseminate knowledge among stakeholders responsible for management of environmental resources.
4. equip students with knowledge for further academic studies

 

2. Components of the Programme:
   1. 1. Mandatory Courses

Course Code		Title	T		P		C
MSE 557	Research Methods and Scientific Writing			2		2		3

 

1. 1. 2. Core Courses

Course Code		Title	T		P		C
GED 569	Environmental Geology			3		1		3
ERM 551	Environmental Laws and Social Impact Assessment			3		1		3
ERM 552	Geo-Informatics			3		1		3
ERM 553	Environmental Pollution and Remediation			3		1		3
ERM 554		Water Resources Management	3		1		3
ERM 555	Environmental Economics and Sustainability			3		0		3
ERM 556	Environmental Statistics and Modelling			3		1		3
ERM 557	Occupational Health and Safety			3		1		3

 

1. 1. 3. Elective Courses

Course Code	Title	T	P	C
GED 554	Engineering Geology	3	1	3
ERM 558	Environment and Material Stability	3	1	3
ERM 560	Industrial and Municipal Waste Management	3	1	3
ERM 562	Environmental Conflict Management	3	1	3
ERM 564	Mine Waste Management	3	1	3
ERM 566	Land Remediation and Rehabilitation	3	1	3
ERM 568	Medical Waste Management	2	2	3
ERM 570	Corporate Social Responsibility	3	1	3
ERM 572	Marine/Coastal Water Resources Management	3	1	3
ERM 574	Environmental Impact of Oil and Gas Production	3	1	3
ERM 576	Air Quality Management	3	1	3

 

1. 1. 4. Research Component

Course Code		Title		T		P		C
ERM 651	Seminar I		0		4		2
ERM 652	Seminar II		0		4		2
ERM 653	Thesis I		0		12		6
ERM 654	Thesis II		0		12		6

 

1. 4. Practical training, industrial attachment, internship, clinical experience, etc.: N/A

 

1. 5. Semester-by-semester structure/schedule of course, showing the credit value of each course

 

Year One, Semester One

Core Courses

Course Code	Title	T	P	C
GED 569	Environmental Geology	3	1	3
MSE 557	Research Methods and Scientific Writing	2	2	3
ERM 551	Environmental Laws and Social Impact Assessment	3	0	3
ERM 553	Environmental Pollution and Remediation	3	1	3
ERM 555	Environmental Economics and Sustainability	3	0	3
ERM 557	Occupational Health and Safety	3	1	3
	Sub-Total	17	5	18

 

Year One – Semester Two

Core Courses

Course Code	Title	T	P	C
ERM 552	Geo-Informatics	3	1	3
ERM 554	Water Resources Management	3	0	3
ERM 556	Environmental Statistics and Modelling	3	1	3
*** ***	Elective I	3	1	3
*** ***	Elective II	3	1	3
*** ***	Elective III	3	1	3
	Sub-Total	18	5	18
	Year Total	35	10	36

 

 

Three (3) electives must be selected depending on area of specialization.

 

Electives Courses

Course Code	Title	T	P	C
GED 554	Engineering Geology	3	1	3
ERM 558	Environment and Material Stability	3	1	3
ERM 560	Industrial and Municipal Waste Management	3	1	3
ERM 562	Environmental Conflict Management	3	1	3
ERM 564	Mine Waste Management	3	1	3
ERM 566	Land Remediation and Rehabilitation	3	1	3
ERM 568	Medical Waste Management	2	2	3
ERM 570	Corporate Social Responsibility	3	1	3
ERM 572	Marine/Coastal Water Resources Management	3	1	3
ERM 574	Environmental Impact of Oil and Gas Production	3	1	3
ERM 576	Air Quality Management	3	1	3

 

YEAR TWO – SEMESTER ONE

Table 1: Courses to be taken by students in the second year

Course Code	Title	T	P	C
ERM 651	Seminar I	0	4	2
ERM 653	Thesis I	0	12	6
	Sub-Total	0	16	8

 

YEAR TWO – SEMESTER TWO

Table 2: Courses to be taken by students in the Second Semester

Course Code	Title	T	P	C
MSE 652	Seminar II	0	4	2
MSE 654	Thesis II	0	12	6
	Sub-Total	0	16	8
	Year Total	0	32	16
	Programme Total	35	42	52

 

 

3. Course Description:

GED 554   Engineering Geology (3, 1, 3)

Brief Description

To inspire students to think clearly and critically about the importance and solution of environmental resources management problems in the context of geological knowledge. Students will be able to understand the environmental aspects of geological materials, processes and transformations as related to human activities and health, and also management of the related impacts on the environment. At the end, students will be trained with analytical skills for them to be able to undertake geological risk and hazard assessments.

 

Course Objectives

The objectives of the course are to:

1. Identify hazards, the causes, effects, and options available to mitigate natural hazards, such as earthquakes, landslides, coastal erosion, soil erosion, expansive soils, ground subsidence and flooding;
2. Understand how anthropogenic activities like mining and mine waste (particularly tailings) disposal affect the environment and propose mitigation strategies
3. Identify the impacts of geologic materials and processes on human health.

 

Course Content

In this course, students will cover the following topics: General Introduction to environmental geology including motivation for environmental studies. Earth’s structure and plate tectonics. Earth materials (Soil resources, Water resources, Mineral/Rock resources, Fossil fuels). Brief geology of Ghana. Hazardous earth processes: Earthquakes, Mass wasting processes, Ground subsidence, Problematic soils (including expansive soils), Soil and coastal erosion, Flooding, Pollution; their causes, effects and mitigation strategies Mine waste (tailings) management, Geological processes and health.

 

Mode of Delivery

Lectures will be delivered in classrooms at College of Engineering, KNUST and through the KNUST Virtual Classroom. Mode of delivery will include assignments, quizzes, group discussions, practicals, presentations, fieldwork and field trips.

 

Reading List

1. Montgomery, C. (2019). Environmental Geology, McGraw-Hill Education, ISBN13 9781260547795.
2. Keller, E. (2010). Environmental Geology, 9^th Edition, Pearson.
3. Merritts, D. Menking K, and Dewet, A. (2014). Environmental Geology: An Earth Systems Approach, W. H. Freeman & Co Ltd, ISBN13 9781429237437
4. Selinus O. (2013). Essentials of Medical Geology. Springer Dordrecht, Heidenberg.
5. Ravi J. (2015). Environmental Impact of Mining and Mineral Processing: Management, Monitoring, and Auditing Strategies, Elsevier - Health Sciences Division, ISBN13 9780128040409.
6. Spitz, K. & Trudinger, J. (2019). Mining and the Environment: From Ore to Metal

 

 

GED 569   Environmental Geology (3, 1, 3)

Brief Description

This course is designed to provide students with a scientific overview of geology as it relates to human activities. The course will investigate the physical constraints imposed on human activities by the near surface and surface geological processes that are continually shaping the environment that we live in, and also the resources that we utilize to sustain our lives on Earth.

 

Course Objectives

The objectives of the course are to:

1. acquire knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of engineering geology.
2. appreciate the processes of engineering geological investigations, evaluation of engineering properties of soils and rocks, characterisation and classification of soils and rocks for design and construction of civil engineering projects such as slopes, buildings, dams, etc.
3. analyse and understand engineering geological maps and sections.
4. perform basic engineering geological assessments and analyses, and to understand the relevance of engineering geology in civil projects in and on rock and soils.

 

Course Content

Definition and scope of Engineering Geology. The Earth and its systems. Rock weathering and engineering implications. Introduction to ground investigation and exploration. Engineering geological characterization and classification of rocks and soils. Engineering geological maps and plans.

 

Mode of Delivery:

Lectures will be delivered in classrooms at College of Engineering, KNUST and through the KNUST Virtual Classroom. Mode of delivery will include assignments, quizzes, group discussions, practicals, presentations, fieldwork and field trips.

 

Reading List:

1. Waltham T: Foundations of Engineering Geology, 3^rd Edition, Taylor and Francis, 2009.
2. Zaruba, Q. (2012). Engineering Geology. (Vol 10).  Elsevier Science
3. Price, D.G: Engineering Geology – Principles and Practice, Springer ,2007
4. Bell F. G.: Geological Hazards: their assessment, avoidance and mitigation. E & FN Spon, London, 1999
5. Montgomery C. W.: Environmental Geology. McGraw-Hill Companies, Boston, New York, San Francisco, 2005.

 

 

MSE 557   Research Methods and Scientific Writing (2, 2, 3)

Brief Description

This course introduces students to the quantitative and qualitative research methods and equip them with the skills, techniques, and knowledge required to design, carry out, read, analyse and report quantitative and qualitative research. The course also includes critical analysis of published papers and mock projects to provide students with a hands-on opportunity to comprehend terms like data type, sampling, survey tools, data analysis, research ethics and data interpretation. The course will also focus on an introduction to ethics in research, principles of ethics and codes of ethics. Students will be able to develop solid technical report and paper/thesis writing skills, analysis and data interpretation techniques, and research. Alongside, the course shall provide exposure to proposal and research report writing and communication skills through presentations, readings, discussion and practical clinics. Emphasis will also be made on scientific and technical writing.

 

Course Objectives

Some other objectives of the course are:

1. Develop an understanding of the framework of the research process and its terminology.
2. Enable students to understand various research designs and techniques.
3. Equip students with effective skills in the use of tools and techniques required for conducting research.
4. Develop an understanding of the ethical dimensions of conducting applied research.
5. Enable students to apply the skills to writing proposals and research/project reports.

 

 

 

Course Content

Overview of research process and methods, Research classifications, Introduction to research methods, Ethics in research, Principles of ethics and codes of ethics, Literature search and scientific article review, Data collection and sampling design, Formulation and testing of hypothesis, Experimental research and designs, Proposal and thesis writing, Scientific and technical writing, Significance of technical writing, plagiarism and similarity, writing project report, dissertation, proposal, preparing presentations and presentation skills,

 

Mode of Delivery

Lectures will be delivered in classrooms at College of Engineering, KNUST and through the KNUST Virtual Classroom. Mode of delivery will include assignments, quizzes, group discussions, practicals and presentations.

 

Reading List

1. Bryman, Alan & Bell, Emma (2011). Business Research Methods (Third Edition), Oxford University Press.
2. Rubin, Allen & Babbie, Earl (2009). Essential Research Methods for Social Work, Cengage Learning Inc., USA.
3. Chawla, Deepak & Sondhi, Neena (2011). Research methodology: Concepts and cases, Vikas Publishing House Pvt. Ltd. Delhi. Pawar, B.S. (2009). Theory building for hypothesis specification in organizational studies, Response Books, New Delhi.
4. Rubens, P. (2002). Science and technical writing: A manual of style. Routledge.
5. Creswell, J. W. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches. 5th Ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. ISBN: 978-1-5063-8670-6.

 

 

ERM 551   Environmental Laws and Social Impact Assessment (3, 1, 3)

Brief Description

This course provides an overview of different aspects of Environmental Impact Assessment, Social Impact Assessment, Health Impact Assessment and Strategic Environmental Assessment. Students will be introduced to Environmental Impact Assessment for a large infrastructure project (e.g., mine site, new hospital), covering a wide range of processes (soil, air, water, hydrological cycle, nutrient cycles) and resulting in an environmental impact statement report. Furthermore, students will learn the regulations governing these assessments in Ghana.

 

Course Objectives

The objective of the course is to:

1. emphasize production, assessment, synthesis, evaluation aspects of environmental factors, i.e., air environment, water environment, visual impacts and noise, biological, cultural, and socioeconomic environment together with Real-time case studies and writings.
2. Understand the governmental methodologies and Environmental Impact Studies
3. Understand the legal methodologies and procedural foundations of EIA towards sustainable development.
4. Predict and assess project impacts on air, noise, surface water, soil and groundwater, aesthetics, noise, biological environment, cultural environment, socioeconomic environment, visual impacts, public participation and comprehensive decision-making process.

 

Course Content

History of EIA: Development and environmental degradation, EIA Functions, International and National Laws (Legal Framework of EIA); Social Impact Analysis; The EIA process: Screening, Scoping, Alternatives in EIA, Impact prediction, Mitigation measures; EIA tools and techniques; Preparing EIA reports, Quality and Review of EIA reports, Consultation and participation: Public Participation, EIA and decision-making, Monitoring and auditing, The future for EIA and Practitioner’s Views of EIA; The Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Trans boundary Context;  Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA): Objective, Key provisions; Introduction to Health Impact Assessment (HIA).

 

Mode of Delivery:

Lectures will be delivered in classrooms at College of Engineering, KNUST and through the KNUST Virtual Classroom. Mode of delivery will include assignments, quizzes, group discussions, practicals and presentations.

 

Reading List:

1. Glasson, J., & Therivel, R. (2013). Introduction to environmental impact assessment. Routledge.
2. Morrison-Saunders, A. (2018). Advanced introduction to environmental impact assessment. Edward Elgar Publishing.
3. Glasson, J., & Therivel, R. (2019). Introduction to environmental impact assessment. Routledge.
4. Iyer, V. G. (2010). Environmental Impact Assessment of Hazardous Industries and Application of Cleaner and Greener Technology, Plenary Lecture 4 in 3rd WSEAS together with Constantza Maritime University. In International Conference on Environmental and Geological Science and Engineering (EG’10), Energy and Environmental Engineering Series (A Series of Reference Books and Textbooks) (ISSN: 1792-4685 (pp. 3-5).
5. Carroll, B., Fothergill, J., Murphy, J., & Turpin, T. (2019). Contents and Preliminary Pages. in Environmental Impact Assessment Handbook: A practical guide for planners, developers and communities (pp. i-xx). ICE Publishing.

 

 

ERM 552   Geo-Informatics (3, 1, 3)

Brief Description

This course is designed to equip students with necessary skills required to handle, manage and analyse geo-spatial data. It will focus on the use of spatial analysis for efficient environmental resource management that attempts to balance between needs and resource availability. Effectiveness of actions towards a sustainable resource management and protection is therefore built on spatial information availability, reliability and accuracy.

 

Course Objective

The course aims to apply Geographic Information System (GIS), Remote Sensing (RS), Global Position System (GPS) and Cartography in environmental resource management.

 

The objectives are:

1. 1. to employ GIS for environmental resource data input, data management (data storage and retrieval), data manipulation and analysis, and data output;
   2. to use GPS to capture data into GIS for environmental resource management and analysis;
   3. to access readily available free global RS data as a source of data into GIS for environmental resource management and analysis;
   4. to employ basic principles of Cartography in making map in GIS platform;
   5. to perform geo-spatial analysis on GIS/RS datasets and apply it to discover solutions to environmental resource management; and
   6. to perform hands-on practical

 

 

 

Course Content

Basic principles of digital cartography, maps and GIS: History and definitions; Information acquisition and treatment-Spatial data models: vector models, raster, etc.; Data input techniques; on-screen digitizing, scanning, and Vector-Raster and Raster-Vector conversion; Planimetric integration: map projections and coordinate transformations; Spatial interpolation techniques: trend surface analysis, local interpolation techniques; Accuracy of spatial data analysis; Cartographic modelling techniques: resolution, model building; Introduction to remote sensing: physical principles of earth observation, data acquisition and interpolation; Remote Sensing scanning techniques: optical spectrum, multispectral, thermal; Radar remote sensing: physics, platforms, sensors, image processing and interpretation; Database Management System (DBMS); and basic principles of GPS.

 

Mode of Delivery

Lectures will be delivered in classrooms at College of Engineering, KNUST and through the KNUST Virtual Classroom. Mode of delivery will include assignments, quizzes, group discussions, practicals, presentations, fieldwork and field trips.

 

Reading List:

1. Tian, B. (2016). GIS technology applications in environmental and earth sciences. CRC Press.
2. Huisman, O., & De By, R. A. (2009). Principles of geographic information systems. ITC Educational Textbook Series, 1, 17.
3. Kraak, M. J., & Ormeling, F. J. (2013). Cartography: visualization of spatial data. Routledge.
4. Peterson, G. N. (2014). GIS cartography: a guide to effective map design. CRC Press.
5. Dixon, B., & Uddameri, V. (2016). GIS and geocomputation for water resource science and engineering. John Wiley & Sons.

 

 

ERM 553   Environmental Pollution and Remediation (3, 1, 3)

Brief Description

Contamination of air, water, and soil may result from various human activities such as urban, industrial, mining, and agriculture. The potential and actual impacts of contamination from these activities on natural ecosystems and the resultant need for remediation are, in many cases, well documented. This course will cover the subject of air, water, and soil pollution from a wide range of sources. Students will gain a broad appreciation for the impact that different pollutants have on the environment, how these pollutants would be quantified, and strategies for their remediation.

 

Course objective

The objectives of the course are to:

1. Understand the different types of environment.
2. Explain the relevance of maintaining the environment and its diversity.
3. Describe sources and consequences of poor land, water and air quality on the environment and its inhabitants.
4. Design appropriate technologies in the remediation of the polluted environments
5. Understand the policies and regulations in addressing environmental pollution.

 

Course Content

The course will introduce students to everyday challenges faced by environmental engineers with special emphasis on air quality, land quality and water quality. Air quality will encompass sources of air pollution, outcomes of poor air quality, acid rain, global warming and air pollution. Land quality will detail the differences in renewable and non-renewable, results of the misuse of non-renewable resources. Topics to be covered under water quality include importance of fresh water, scarcity and contamination of water, treatment of wastewater. Measures to address or remediate quality of water, air and land will be considered.

 

Mode of delivery

Lectures will be delivered in classrooms at College of Engineering, KNUST and through the KNUST Virtual Classroom. Mode of delivery will include assignments, quizzes, group discussions, practicals and presentations.

 

Reading List

1. Ela, W. P., & Masters, G. M. (2014). Introduction to environmental engineering and science (3rd Ed.). Pearson.
2. Spellman, F. R. (2017). The science of environmental pollution (3rd ed.). CRC Press.
3. Masten, S. J., & Davis, M. L. (2020). Principles of environmental engineering and science (4th Ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
4. Rathinasamy, M., Chandramouli, S., Phanindra, K. B. V. N., & Mahesh, U. (2019). Water resources and environmental engineering II: Climate and environment (1st ed.). Springer Singapore.
5. Mihelcic, J. R., Zimmerman, J. B., & Auer, M. T. (2014). Environmental engineering: Fundamentals, sustainability, design (2nd Ed.). Wiley.

 

 

ERM 554   Water Resources Management (3, 0, 3)

Brief Description

This course is intended to introduce students to the planning and management of water resources projects through case studies and the policy and institutional framework of the water sector in Ghana and other countries. It will also look at integrated water resources management and catchment management in addition to the management of extreme events like floods, droughts, and climate change.

 

Course Objectives

The objectives of this course is to:

1. Understand the issues associated with the planning and management of water resources
2. Use different techniques in the measurement of stream flow.
3. Assess surface and ground water resources.
4. Understand the principles of integrated water resources management.
5. Appreciate the concepts in water resources planning and management.

 

Course Content

The topics covered in this course includes the following: Introduction to Water Resources; Hydrologic cycle, World water resources development, concept of sustainable water resources development. Challenges in Water Resources Management: Water quality and water pollution, water quantity and water budget. Management of Water Resources: Why management, Concept of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), Water allocation, Basic Techniques for Water Analyses:  Rainfall analysis, evaporation, transpiration and evapotranspiration, Discharge measurement, Estimating Environmental Flow Requirements, Climate Change and Water Availability and Water Demands. Introduction to ground water resources management.

 

Mode of Delivery

Lectures will be delivered in classrooms at College of Engineering, KNUST and through the KNUST Virtual Classroom. Mode of delivery will include assignments, quizzes, group discussions, practicals and presentations.

 

Reading List

1. Mays, L. W. (2010). Water resources engineering. John Wiley & Sons.
2. Loucks, D. P., & Van Beek, E. (2017). Water resource systems planning and management: An introduction to methods, models, and applications. Springer.
3. Singh, V. P., Yadav, S., & Yadava, R. N. (Eds.). (2017). Water Resources Management: Select Proceedings of ICWEES-2016 (Vol. 78). Springer.
4. Wang, L. K., Yang, C. T., & Wang, M. H. S. (Eds.). (2016). Advances in water resources management. Springer International Publishing.
5. Aswathanarayana, U. (2001). Water resources management and the environment. CRC Press.

 

 

ERM 555   Environmental Economics and Sustainability (3, 0, 3)

Brief Description

This course evaluates the role of the major international stakeholders in environmental economics and sustainability. Through discussion and conferencing, students who represent institutional stakeholders active in the fields of sustainability and the environment in transdisciplinary case studies (TCS) develop their skills in critical policy analysis, policy formulation, negotiation, and advocacy. Students engage with current issues like climate change, globalization, food, energy, water, health, employment, human rights, transportation, biodiversity, deforestation, poverty, and inequality by increasing their awareness of and participation in dialogue about pertinent areas of politics, philosophy, psychology, and development. This helps them resolve current or potential management issues relating to environmental economics and sustainability.

 

Course Objectives:

Building from within the context of economics and economic thinking, this course introduces a trans-disciplinary approach to ecology, sustainability and environmental economics.

 

The objectives of the course are to:

1. Expose students to the economics of sustainable development and evaluation of environmental policy.
2. Equip students with skills in environmental policy formulation and analysis, negotiation and advocacy based on economic principles.
3. Expose students to the economics of current environmental issues like externalities, climate change, biodiversity, energy, water and food security, deforestation, inequality and poverty.
4. Equip students with skills to resolve current or potential management issues relating to environmental economics and sustainability.

 

Course Contents:

Introduction to Environmental Economics, Social Choices and Social Welfare, Markets, Externalities, and public goods: Economic Efficiency, The Drivers of Environmental Impact, Cost-Benefit Analysis - Valuation of environmental resources, Sustainability Practitioner, Emissions, responsibility and risk management, Environmental Policy Analysis, The Global Environmental issues, International Environmental Agreements, Economic growth, population and the environment, environmental Kuznet’s curve (EKC), rural/urban development and sustainable cities, Everyday Sustainability for Business, Sustainability Indices, Transitioning from Millennium Development Goals to Sustainable Development Goal.

 

Mode of delivery:

Lectures will be delivered in classrooms at College of Engineering, KNUST and through the KNUST Virtual Classroom. Mode of delivery will include assignments, quizzes, group discussions, practicals and presentations.

 

Reading List:

1. Ma, U., (2017). Do More with Less: A Guide for Uncertain Times. Routledge.
2. Field, B. C. and Field, M. K. (2016). Environmental Economics: An Introduction, (7th edition), McGraw-Hill
3. Hussan, A (2013). Principles of Environmental Economics and Sustainability: An integrate deconomic and ecological approach (3rd edition); New York Routledge
4. Perman, R., Ma, Y., McGilvray, J. and Common, M. (2003). Natural resource and environmental economics. Pearson Education.
5. Lang, T & Heasman, M (2015); Food Wars: The Global Battle for Mouths, Minds and Markets (2^nd Ed.); Routledge, London

 

 

ERM 556   Environmental Statistics and Modelling (3, 1 3)

Brief Description

As the world gets more crowded and technology continues to develop, environmental problems multiply. There are many aspects of these problems–economic, political, psychological, medical, scientific and technological. Addressing such problems often involves quantitative aspects; in particular, the acquisition and analysis of environmental data. Treating these quantitative problems effectively involves the use of statistics. When one is confronted with a new problem that involves the collection and analysis of data, two crucial questions exist: “How will using statistics help this problem?” and “Which techniques should be used?” The course has been designed and intended to help budding environmental scientists/managers to answer these questions in order better to understand and design systems for environmental protection. The course is about how to extract information from data and how informative data are generated in the first place. Analysing data is part science, part craft and part art. An effort has been made through this course to provide some useful tools „to get to the grips‟ of environmental problems and to encourage the students to develop the necessary craft and art.

 

Course Objective

The objectives of this course are to:

1. Equip students with statistical tools to generate environmental data
2. Make students apply differential equations to modelling of environmental data
3. Make students proficient in the use of computer software for modelling
4. Gain broad understanding of the conceptual underpinnings of statistics in ecology and conservation, the major issues and pitfalls associated with study design, and the key distinctions among statistical methods or classes of methods commonly used in ecology and conservation.
5. Work and learn in an interdisciplinary environment; specifically, to develop problem solving skills in an interdisciplinary team environment.
6. Engage in active, student-directed learning in preparation for professional life.

 

Course Contents

Environmental models – deterministic and stochastic; generation of environmental data; types and objectives of environmental studies, stochastic processes in environment; the nature environmental data; concept of random variable and its relevance with respect to the environmental data; relevance of statistics in environmental management; populations and samples – parameters and statistic. Description of environmental data, Probability models and their use, Environmental data sampling, Collecting environmental data: Sampling and Monitoring, Test of hypothesis, Environmental data analysis.

 

Mode of Delivery

Lectures will be delivered in classrooms at College of Engineering, KNUST and through the KNUST Virtual Classroom. Mode of delivery will include assignments, quizzes, group discussions, practicals and presentations.

 

Reading List:

1. Smith, J., & Smith, P. (2007). Environmental modelling: an introduction. Oxford University Press.
2. Jakeman, A. J., Voinov, A. A., Rizzoli, A. E., & Chen, S. H. (Eds.). (2008). Environmental modelling, software and decision support: State of the art and new perspective.
3. Bivand, R. S., Pebesma, E., & Gómez-Rubio, V. (2013). Hello world: introducing spatial data. In Applied spatial data analysis with R (pp. 1-16). Springer, New York, NY.
4. Diggle, P. J. (2014). Statistical analysis of spatial and spatio-temporal point patterns. CRC press.
5. Scott, M., & Chandler, R. (2011). Statistical methods for trend detection and analysis in the environmental sciences. John Wiley & Sons.

 

 

ERM 557   Occupational Health and Safety (3, 1, 3)

Brief Description

The course provides an overview of the important issues in Occupational Health and Safety. We will look at the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its standards and also the larger political agenda of the global economy and how it impacts on the safety and health of workers around the world. The class style will be participatory, including small group discussions and activities. Related videos will supplement our class discussion. Students will consider major types of workplace health and safety problems; review existing public policy in the area and learn how to conduct a workplace audit. They also consider how employers, unions, and public policy might improve health and safety outcomes. Issues are addressed using multiple disciplines.

 

Course Objectives

This course will give students:

1. An understanding of health and safety law, liability and enforcement
2. An explanation of the principles of health and safety management in the workplace and an understanding of who should be responsible for different aspects of health and safety
3. A broad knowledge of the typical hazards in a workplace and how these should be managed
4. A practical explanation of risk assessment and what constitutes a suitable and sufficient assessment
5. An understanding of human factors and risk management

 

Course Content

The course deals with basic definitions and concepts; Importance of managing workplace health and safety by understanding the morals and money, regulating health and safety, employers and employees’ responsibility; How health and safety management systems work and what they look like; Managing risk – understanding people and processes by looking at the health and safety culture and its improvement, assessing risk, safe systems of work for general work activities, permit-to-work systems and emergency procedures; Health and safety monitoring and measuring, Health and safety analysis and prevention strategies through active and reactive monitoring, investigating incidents, health and safety auditing and reviewing of health and safety performance; Health and safety analysis and prevention strategies.

 

Mode of Delivery

Lectures will be delivered in classrooms at College of Engineering, KNUST and through the KNUST Virtual Classroom. Mode of delivery will include assignments, quizzes, group discussions, practicals and presentations.

 

 

Reading List

1. Goetsch, David L. (2014). Occupational Safety and Health for Technologists, Engineers and Managers, 8th Ed., Pearson.
2. Ferret, E. & Hughes, P. (2011). Introduction to Health and Safety at Work. The Handbook for the NEBOSH National General Certificate. Butterworth Heinmann.
3. Manuele, F. A. (2020). Advanced Safety Management: Focusing on Z10.0, 45001, and Serious Injury Prevention, 8th Ed., John Wiley & Sons.
4. Stephen A. (2018). Health and Safety, Environment and Quality Audits: A Risk-based Approach, Taylor & Francis Inc., ISBN13 9780815375395, 3rd Ed.
5. Player, R. (2019). Safety, Health and Environment, 2nd Ed., Pearson.

 

 

ERM 558   Environment and Material Stability (3, 1, 3)

Brief Description

Concepts of integrated resources management will be analyzed as the basis for making linkages between protecting the environment, and economic development. The students will be introduced to the fundamental concepts of environmental sustainability applied to engineering materials, which includes an introduction to the concepts and tools for the assessment of the environmental resource use and environmental impact by materials and systems, as well as relevant knowledge related to materials.

 

Course Objectives

The objectives of this course are to:

1. To gain knowledge of the environmental conditions and degradation mechanisms that cause engineered materials to degrade and what is required for prevention or control.
2. To be able to identify contemporary issues in environmental degradation of materials and how to go about understanding degradation mechanisms, rates, control, etc.
3. To develop an understanding of the environmental and economic impact of materials and their degradation throughout their life cycle.
4. To become familiar with traditional terminology, conventions, and sources of materials degradation.

 

Course Content

This course will cover the mechanisms, energetics, and kinetics of environmental degradation of materials, economic impact, prevention and mitigation strategies, and current issues.

 

Mode of Delivery

Lectures will be delivered in classrooms at College of Engineering, KNUST and through the KNUST Virtual Classroom. Mode of delivery will include assignments, quizzes, group discussions, practicals and presentations.

 

Reading List

1. Clark, D. E. (1993). Environmental stability of materials—issues and opportunities. MRS Bulletin, 18(9), 25-31.
2. Kneese, A. V., Ayres, R. U., & d'Arge, R. C. (2015). Economics and the environment: A materials balance approach. Routledge.
3. Hihara, L. H., Adler, R. P., & Latanision, R. M. (Eds.). (2013). Environmental degradation of advanced and traditional engineering materials. CRC press.
4. Kutz, M. (2018). Handbook of environmental degradation of materials. William Andrew.
5. Kumar, V., Singh, J., & Kumar, P. (Eds.). (2020). Environmental Degradation: Causes and Remediation Strategies (Vol. 1). Agro Environ Media, Publication Cell of AESA, Agriculture and Environmental Science Academy.

 

ERM 560   Industrial and Municipal Waste Management (3, 1, 3)

Brief Description:

This course looks at the design of sustainable technologies for liquid and solid waste management: conventional domestic wastewater treatment plants, sanitary landfills and destruction processes for hazardous wastes; advanced reuse technologies, including wastewater nutrient removal, energy recovery from liquid and solid wastes; product recovery from oily wastes, solvents and abattoir wastes.

 

Course Objectives

This course is aimed at helping students understand, classify and manage solid wastes. To be able to identify routes of entry of different solid waste sources, the characteristics of solid waste and to suggest suitable action sand plans to handle different situations. It also aimed at helping students understand modern treatment technologies and regulations as well as sustainability of the chosen technology and how to evaluate different case studies and apply the learnt material.

 

Course Content

In this course students will cover the following topics: Introduction: evolution of solid waste management. Characterization of municipal and industrial solid waste. Physical, chemical, and biological properties of municipality/industrial solid wastes. Industrial waste: hazardous and non-hazardous, etc. Municipal waste, management and planning issues. Hazardous wastes found in municipal solid waste. Solid waste generation. Waste handling and separation, storage, and processing at the source. Collection of solid waste. Material separation and processing technologies. Thermal conversion technologies Biological and chemical conversion technologies. Recycling of materials found in solid waste. Disposal of solid waste and closure of landfills.

 

Mode of Delivery

Lectures will be delivered in classrooms at College of Engineering, KNUST and through the KNUST Virtual Classroom. Mode of delivery will include assignments, quizzes, group discussions, practicals and presentations.

 

Reading List

1. Epstein, E. (2011). Industrial composting. Environmental engineering and facilities management. New York: Taylor and Francis Group.
2. Arvanitoyannis, I. S. (2010). Waste management for the food industries. Academic Press.
3. Pichtel, J. (2014). Waste management practices: municipal, hazardous, and industrial. CRC press.
4. Jindal, A. K., Gupta, A., Grewal, V. S., & Mahen, A. (2013). Biomedical waste disposal: A systems analysis. medical journal armed forces india, 69(4), 351-356.
5. Board, N. P. C. S. (2018). Handbook on Rubber and Allied Products (with Project Profiles) (Photostate Edition). NIIR Project Consultancy Services.

 

 

ERM 562   Environmental Conflict Management (3, 1, 3)

Brief Description:

The focus of this course will be on understanding the causes, dynamics and consequences of environmental conflicts as well as on understanding the range of possible approaches to managing these conflicts. The course will explore traditional procedures used to manage disputes in the public sector and analyze why these traditional mechanisms frequently fail when confronting the unique characteristics of environmental and resource disputes. Innovations in dispute resolution, from formal mediated negotiations to informal multi-party collaborative planning efforts, will be examined in detail. Specific real-world cases of environmental or natural resource conflicts and dispute resolution and collaborative processes will be used to illustrate key points

 

Course Objective

This course is aimed at equipping students with resources that will aid in mitigating social situations in which a minimum of two actors (parties) strive to acquire at the same moment in time an available set of scarce resources.

 

The objectives of the course are;

1. Describe the multiple forms of natural resource and environmental conflict
2. Explain and critique theories of environmental conflict
3. Demonstrate ability to analyze stakeholder interests
4. Practice group facilitation and mediation skills
5. Recommend appropriate tools for conflict mitigation

 

Course Content

In this course students will cover the following topics: Introduction and overview of environmental conflict management, Negotiation, Group decision making, Stakeholder analysis, Power and conflict, Assessing conflicts – analytical framework, The dual concern model, Conflict strategies – perceived feasibility, Conflict complexity – systems approach, Systems thinking – approaches in practice, Trust – a key to conflict management, Trust and conflict, Intractability framing and reframing, Conflict escalation handling dynamics, Strategies for environmental conflict, Negotiation strategies and tools, Cooperation and competition, Learning as a key to conflict management, Using experience – Kolb’s learning cycle, Learning through reflection, Collaborative design and conflict energy

 

Mode of Delivery

Lectures will be delivered in classrooms at College of Engineering, KNUST and through the KNUST Virtual Classroom. Mode of delivery will include assignments, quizzes, group discussions, practicals and presentations.

 

Reading List

1. Zalesny, M. D. (2003). Making Sense of Intractable Environmental Conflicts: Concepts and Cases.
2. Kriesberg, L. (2016). Louis Kriesberg: pioneer in peace and constructive conflict resolution studies (Vol. 1). Springer.
3. Wondolleck, J. M., & Yaffee, S. L. (2000). Making collaboration work: Lessons from innovation in natural resource managment. Island Press.
4. Homer-Dixon, T. F. (2010). Environment, scarcity, and violence. In Environment, scarcity, and violence. Princeton University Press.
5. Daniels, S. E., & Walker, G. B. (2001). Working through environmental conflict: The collaborative learning approach.

 

 

ERM 564   Mine Waste Management (3, 1, 3)

Brief Description

This course brings students up to date with the latest developments in tailings and mine waste management. The course introduces students to the different types of mine waste, mode of collection and disposal.

 

Course Objectives

This course is aimed at helping students understand the various Mine wastes generated and their management in order to safeguard the environment. Thus, the necessity of treatment of the residual fraction of Mine waste to recover valuable materials (metals) and energy (refuse derived fuel (RDF) and biogas) for the creating of circular economy.

 

Course Content

Generation, types, composition, environmental effect of mine-wastes. Definition and basics of sustainable development and sustainable raw material management. Determination of material characteristics (chemical and physical properties) and evaluation of the results. Material flow of production and consumption mine-wastes. Treatment and preparation of mine-wastes based on various utilization needs. Processes of mechanical waste preparation. General waste preparation technologies. Quality and quantity of mine-waste and its residual fraction. Biostabilisation of degradables, recovery of metals, RDF and/or biogas: evaluation of technologies meeting different processing goals, machinery and economics, their design. The comparison of different mine-waste processing technologies in respect of the material and energy balances.

 

Mode of Delivery

Lectures will be delivered in classrooms at College of Engineering, KNUST and through the KNUST Virtual Classroom. Mode of delivery will include assignments, quizzes, group discussions, practicals and presentations.

 

Reading List

1. Insam, H., Riddech, N., & Klammer, S. (Eds.). (2013). Microbiology of composting. Springer Science & Business Media.
2. Ghaly, A. E. (2006). Paul T. Williams, Waste Treatment and Disposal, John Wiley & Sons Ltd., London, England (2005), p. 380.
3. Drzymała, J. (2007). Mineral processing: foundations of theory and practice of minerallurgy. University of Technology.
4. Vaughn, J. (2009). Waste management: A reference handbook. Abc-clio
5. Chandrappa, R., & Das, D. B. (2012). Solid waste management: Principles and practice. Springer Science & Business Media.

 

 

ERM 566   Land Remediation and Rehabilitation (3, 1, 3)

Brief Description

This course explores the principles and practice of contaminated land assessment and remediation. It provides broad knowledge of underlying science, as well as practical skills related to the assessment of contamination sources, pathways and risks to human health. While the lectures introduce theoretical background and gradually build the expertise, the practical have been based on various assessment tools and develop practical knowledge and quantitative skills. The learning activities replicate tasks that one would encounter in environmental consultancy and provide valuable transferrable skills

 

Course Objectives

The objective of the course is to

1. Emphasize the interrelationships between environmental factors and their importance in rehabilitating or reclaiming the potential of a degraded or disturbed environment.
2. Describe current legislation and best practice as it applies to land contamination
3. Assess the content and suitability of site investigation and remediation report
4. Identify and prioritise major issues in degraded lands requiring rehabilitation
5. Emphasize mine site rehabilitation as part of mine site environmental management, including pH, salinity, sodicity, and erosion issues
6. Critically assess rehabilitation requirements and develop rehabilitation management plans tailored to a given site.

 

Course Content

Introduction. An Overview of Legislation and Frame works: Key Environmental Legislation; Legislation during rehabilitation planning and land use; Environmental Impact Assessment; Mine Closure. Erosion by water; Soil erosion by wind; Soil structural degradation; Soil acidification; Water repellence by soil; Salinization; Land capability classification; Soil conservation structure design; Acid sulphate soils and their management; Mass movement.

 

Mode of Delivery

Lectures will be delivered in classrooms at College of Engineering, KNUST and through the KNUST Virtual Classroom. Mode of delivery will include assignments, quizzes, group discussions, practicals and presentations.

 

Reading List

1. Datar, A., Audet, P., & Mulligan, D. (2011). Post-Mined land rehabilitation in India: Cataloguing plant species used in land revegetation.
2. Bolan, N. S., Kirkham, M. B., & Ok, Y. S. (Eds.). (2017). Spoil to soil: mine site rehabilitation and revegetation. CRC Press.
3. Davis, M. L., & Cornwell, D. A. (2008). Introduction to environmental engineering. WCB McGraw-Hill.
4. Meuser, H. (2012). Soil remediation and rehabilitation: treatment of contaminated and disturbed land (Vol. 23). Springer Science & Business Media.
5.  Bech, J., Bini, C., & Pashkevich, M. A. (Eds.). (2017). Assessment, restoration and reclamation of mining influenced soils. Academic Press.

 

 

ERM 568   Medical Waste Management (3, 1, 3)

Brief Description

The course will cover management of waste generated by healthcare facilities like physician’s offices, hospitals, dental practices, laboratories, medical research facilities, and veterinary clinics. The course will finally focus on practical measures to manage medical waste production, through various technologies.

 

Course Objective:

The objectives of the course are to:

1. Educate on the types of wastes (solid, liquid, and gaseous) generated by healthcare facilities, research facilities, and laboratories.
2. Understand the risks associated with the handling of health-care waste.
3. Provide an overview of laws and regulations governing the safe treatment, storage, transport, and disposal of medical waste.

 

Course Content:

This course will introduce students to Types of medical waste; Problems associated with improper medical waste disposal; The potential impacts of the waste stream on both human health and environment; Effective collection, segregation, treatment and disposal of medical wastes from the healthcare establishments; Infectious waste management procedures; Management of medical waste defined by WHO and other International Organizations, laws and policies.

 

Mode of Delivery:

Lectures will be delivered in classrooms at College of Engineering, KNUST and through the KNUST Virtual Classroom. Mode of delivery will include assignments, quizzes, group discussions, practicals and presentations.

Reading List

1. Garvin, M. (1995). Infectious Waste Management: A Practical Guide (1st ed.). CRC Press.
2. Nega, T., Lens, P. N. L., & Siebel, M. A. (2011). Health Care Waste Management: Assessment, problems and improvement options. VDM Verlag Dr. Müller.
3. Reinhardt, P. A. (2018). Infectious and Medical Waste Management (4th ed.). CRC Press.
4. Shishir, B. (2009). Hospital Waste Management: A Guide for Self-Assessment and Review (1st ed.). Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers (P) Ltd.
5. Blackman Jr, W. C. (2016). Basic hazardous waste management. CRC press.

 

 

ERM 570   Corporate Social Responsibility (3, 1, 3)

Brief Description

Worldwide, companies are faced with the challenge of conforming to the ethical norms and values that vary across countries. Each country expects these companies to show a degree of responsibility in conforming to these ethics. Today, companies are expected to do more than just simply follow the law. Companies are expected to be responsible for protecting basic human rights of workers and paying living salaries. The unprecedented challenges of the 21^st century have aggravated the demand for more corporate responsibility. Companies are also expected to contribute in mitigating these challenges. This course discusses the interplay between business and society in a globalized world and explores how companies can meet stakeholder expectations in a manner that balances social, environmental and economic goals.

 

Course Objectives

At the end of this course, students will be able to:

1. Explore the relationship between ethics, business and the subsequent theories of justice and economics across different cultural traditions,
2. Explain the relationship between ethics, morals and values in the workplace.
3. Formulate ethical philosophy to explain how it contributes to current practice.
4. Analyse some of the competing demands on business when scrutinizing the ethics of business activity and critically apply understanding of ethics to real-world contexts.
5. Gather and analyse information by way of undertaking a research project on a topic relevant to business ethics.

 

Course Content

In this course students will cover the following topics: Introduction to social responsibility in the age of the reputation economy, the responsible company: definitions and scenarios, objectives and advantages, essential timeline, the three dimensions of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), sustainability as a lever to enhance innovation, competitiveness and reputation. Approaches and directions for the future CSR and shared value creation, emergent issues from CSR to Corporate Social Innovation, social responsibility and best practices. Main social responsibility areas of intervention, stakeholders: information, relations, engagement, the CSR tools, the sustainability balance sheet and communicating social responsibility.

 

Mode of Delivery:

Lectures will be delivered in classrooms at College of Engineering, KNUST and through the KNUST Virtual Classroom. Mode of delivery will include assignments, quizzes, group discussions, practicals and presentations.

 

Reading list

1. Moon, J. (2014). Corporate social responsibility: A very short introduction (Vol. 414). Oxford University Press, USA.
2. Baxi, C. V., & Ray, R. S. (2012). Corporate social responsibility. Vikas Publishing House.
3. Haski-Leventhal, D. (2018). Strategic corporate social responsibility: Tools and theories for responsible management. Sage.Corporate Social Responsibility : Strategy, Communication, Governance, Edited by  Andreas Rasche, Mette Morsing and Jeremy Moon, Cambridge University Press, ISBN13 9781107535398, 2018
4. Haynes, K., Murray, A., & Dillard, J. (2012). Corporate social responsibility. Taylor & Francis.Charlotte Walker, Charlotte Said, John D. Kelly, Corporate Social Responsibility? Human Rights in the New Global Economy, The University of Chicago Press, ISBN13 9780226244303, 2015
5. Ashby, M. F. (2022). Materials and sustainable development. Butterworth-Heinemann.

 

 

ERM 572   Marine/Coastal Water Resources Management (3, 1, 3)

Brief Description

This course looks in depth at a range of challenges unique to marine and coastal environments, from the health of ocean ecosystems to the conservation, preservation, and sustainable development of coastlines. Students would study cutting-edge methods for planning and allocating resources, planning and modelling ecosystems, and establishing and expanding coastal economies.

 

Course Objective

This course is aimed at helping students with resources and facilities to study Ghana’s diverse marine environments, wildlife, urban development and maritime heritage.

 

Its main objectives are to:

1. Learn how the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals can be incorporated in coastal and marine conservation and development.
2. Learn the key theories and principles of Geographic Information System (GIS) data mapping and analysis.
3. Understand the challenges and opportunities of marine policy, planning and conservation.
4. Design and undertake your own advanced research project.
5. Analyse the problems arising from the interactions between the ecosystem and the decisions of resource users and managers.

 

Course Content

In this course students will cover the following topic: Coastal, Marine and Fresh Water Resource Management; Coastal Physical Processes and Shoreline Management; Marine Policy, Planning and Conservation; Fieldwork. Living renewable resources in marine, coastal and large freshwater ecosystems provide food, income and employment in many parts of the world and have many non-consumptive use values. Impacts on these resources and ecosystems occur through fishing for food and income. But there are also direct and indirect impacts as tourism, sport fishing, wind energy parks, conservation measures such as Marine Protected Areas and pollution. Effective management of the use of marine ecosystems requires a social–ecological systems approach to analyse the problems arising from the interactions between the ecosystem and the decisions of resource users and managers. In this course management is treated as a continuous decision-making process. Based on realistic problem formulations by those involved in management ecologically sound, economically feasible and socially acceptable objectives are formulated. A strong focus of the course is on the collection and presentation of adequate information on fisheries, fish stocks, ecosystems and their biophysical and economic drivers.

 

Mode of Delivery

Lectures will be delivered in classrooms at College of Engineering, KNUST and through the KNUST Virtual Classroom. Mode of delivery will include assignments, quizzes, group discussions, practicals and presentations.

 

Reading List

1. Agardy, T. (2010). Ocean zoning: making marine management more effective. Earthscan.
2. Claudet, J. (Ed.). (2011). Marine protected areas: a multidisciplinary approach. Cambridge University Press.
3. Iversen, E. S. (2012). Living marine resources: their utilization and management. Springer Science & Business Media.
4. Holland, D., Sanchirico, J., Johnston, R., & Jogleka, D. (2012). Economic analysis for ecosystem-based management: Applications to marine and coastal environments. Routledge.
5. Kritzer, J. P., & Sale, P. F. (2010). Marine metapopulations. Elsevier.

 

 

ERM 574   Environmental Impacts of Oil and Gas Production (3, 1, 3)

Brief Description

This course introduces students to the major environmental and sustainability challenges associated with oil and gas exploration a. The course is specifically designed to help students identify the major source of waste generation within the upstream and downstream oil and gas sectors and understand state-of-art techniques presently used in managing waste in the industry. The problem sets in this course are tailored to equip students with a conceptual grasp of the global and local impacts of oil and gas exploration on climate change and loss of biodiversity.

 

Course Objective

This is aimed at helping students to:

1. Understand the different types of waste and their generation across the different streams.
2. Identify the impacts of waste (oil and gas) on biodiversity loss and climate change.
3. Understand the present day measures in managing waste from the oil and gas sector.

 

Course Content

The course will cover topics relating to major potential hazards arising from activities of oil and gas exploration and refining. This will include the impact at different levels: water, air, soil/land pollution and effect on living beings on the planet. Major emphasis will be on wastewaters, gas emissions, solid waste, greenhouse effect, climate change and aerosols generated during drilling, production and refining. Oil spillage and effects, environmental impact assessment and risk management of the oil and gas operations will also be looked at.

 

Mode of Delivery

Lectures will be delivered in classrooms at College of Engineering, KNUST and through the KNUST Virtual Classroom. Mode of delivery will include assignments, quizzes, group discussions, practicals and presentations.

 

Reading List:

1. Robertson, J. O., & Chilingar, G. V. (2017). Environmental aspects of oil and gas production. John Wiley & Sons.
2. Testa, S. M., & Jacobs, J. A. (2014). Oil spills and gas leaks: Environmental response, prevention, and cost recovery. McGraw-Hill Education.
3. Kaden, D., & Rose, T. L. (Eds.). (2015). Environmental and health issues in unconventional oil and gas development. Elsevier.
4. Olaguer, E. P. (2016). Atmospheric impacts of the oil and gas industry. Academic Press.
5. Murawski, S. A., Ainsworth, C. H., Gilbert, S., Hollander, D. J., Paris, C. B., Schlüter, M., & Wetzel, D. L. (Eds.). (2020). Deep Oil Spills: Facts, Fate, and Effects. Cham: Springer.

 

 

 

ERM 576 Air Quality Management

Brief Description

This course provides a comprehensive overview of the issues surrounding air pollution in all environment. The course will draw upon a variety of disciplines, including science, economics, politics, law, and medicine, to present a multifaceted understanding of the problem.

 

Course Objectives

The objectives of the course are to:

1. Students will be equipped to effectively explore the full life cycle of air pollution, including the identification of pollutants and their sources, transport mechanisms, affected populations, and their control measures.
2. Gain an understanding of the atmospheric dispersion of air pollution.
3. Introduce students to the standards and regulations governing air quality.
4. Students will be exposed to air quality management practices.

 

Course Content

Sources and classification of air pollution: Introduction, types, sources, classification of air pollutants and effects of air pollution. Air pollution monitoring, standards and regulations: Ambient air quality monitoring techniques, selection of monitoring locations, Air pollution indices, standards, norms, rules and regulations and air quality management plan. Air pollution meteorology: Composition and structure of the atmosphere, atmospheric energy balance, humidity, condensation, lapse rate and atmospheric stability, Wind rose diagram, Potential temperature. Dynamics of pollutant dispersion and disposal: Basic understanding of chemical and physical processes that transform and transport pollutants in the atmosphere, mechanism that leads to the formation and emissions of air pollutants, dispersion of air pollutants and Gaussian plume models. Air pollution control and removal: Methods for monitoring and control; selection of control equipment’s, engineering control concepts; process change, fuel change; pollutant removal and disposal of pollutants; control devices and systems, removal of dry particulate matter, liquid droplets and mist removal, gaseous pollutants and odour removal, control of stationary and mobile sources. Indoor air pollution: Introduction to indoor air pollution, types of pollutants, sources & classification of indoor air pollutants and their effects.

 

Mode of delivery

Lectures will be delivered in classrooms at College of Engineering, KNUST and through the KNUST Virtual Classroom. Mode of delivery will include assignments, quizzes, group discussions, practicals and presentations.

 

Reading List

1. De N.N. (2000) Air Pollution Control Engineering, McGraw-Hill International Edition.
2. Godish T. (2004) Air Quality, Lewis Publishers, New York.
3. Griffin R.D. (2007) Air Quality Management, Taylor & Francis Publication.
4. Lutgens F.K. and Tarbuck E.J. (1996) The Atmosphere an Introduction to Meteorology, Printice Hall Publisher, New Jersey.
5. Boubel R.W., Turner D.B., Fox D.L. and Stern A.C. (1994) Fundamentals of Air Pollution, 3^rd edition, Academic Press, Inc.

 

 

 

4. Requirements for Graduation:

1. The minimum credit hours for the programme is 36
2. Students should obtain a minimum mark of 50% in all the taught courses and should obtain a minimum cumulative weighted average mark of 55%
3. Students should participate in fieldwork, laboratory work, give seminars and complete a research work that shall form the basis of his thesis, for assessment.  Each student should successfully defend his thesis at an oral examination.

 

 

5. Assessment Regulations:

There shall be formal university examinations in all registered courses at the end of each semester. The examination in each course shall not be less than two hours of duration. The end of semester examinations are weighted 60% of the final marks, whilst the continuous assessments are weighted 40%. The continuous assessment shall be determined by any of the combination of the following: mid-semester examinations, quizzes, tests, reports, assignments, practical work, etc. to assess students’ progress.