Environmental Science - Pollution and Monitoring MSc

About the Course

Pollution and Monitoring, Environmental Science - Pollution and Monitoring Master’s course is suitable for graduates or those with relevant experience who wish to develop a career in practical environmental monitoring and control for industry, consultancies and public bodies using applied environmental science.

The course provides a rigorous academic treatment of the fundamental scientific principles and practice of assessing and controlling the extent of environmental damage caused by humankind’s activities.

Aims

This course emphasises the processes and techniques related to the reduction of emissions to air, land and water, and the effects of pollution. It is designed to allow those whose career choice lies in fields such as environmental science, health protection and regulatory processes, to acquire a broad based knowledge of the concepts involved.

The course is vocational and provides effective entry into all professions related to environmental pollution assessment and control.

About the Institute for the Environment

During your MSc you will be based in the Institute for the Environment (IfE). IfE is a rapidly expanding research centre housing a strong team of leading experts held in high international regard in their respective fields. In 2011, IfE's research revealing the link between chemicals in rivers and reproductive health won the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education.

Enquiries

Institute for the Environment
Brunel University
Email ife@brunel.ac.uk
Tel +44 (0)1895 266105

Course Director: Dr Abdhul Chaudhary
Email abdhul.chaudhary@brunel.ac.uk

Related Courses

Course Content

Modules (all core)

Sustainable Development in Practice

The key aim of this module is to develop the skills required to analyse, research and tackle sustainable development problems. This is achieved via a series of group projects that illustrate the complex interplay of environmental, societal and economic implications for a range of stakeholders in real sustainable development case studies. Developing the process of personal review, reflection and development is the second major aim of the module.

Ecosystem Function

Ecological principles
Earth systems and their interactions
Ecological energetics and nutrient cycles
Factors influencing biodiversity
The biogeography of Earth
Biological stability, homeostasis and sustainability
The Gaia hypothesis
How and what should we conserve?
Biological extinctions in earth history, present and future
Is development sustainable

Research and Critical Skills in Environmental Sciences

Main topics of study: methods and techniques for knowledge analysis; skills associated with critical and reflective understanding/evaluation; skills associated with communication of scientific issues; issues associated with professional practice and research in environmental sciences; case studies in global climate change – development of an integrated understanding of the impacts of climate change on society and the environment and the increasing importance of sustainability as a guiding principle in all arenas of human activity.

Global Climate Change

Introduction: brief overview of the relationship between climate and biophysical and social systems. Introduction to global networks (eg IGBP) and agreements (eg Kyoto).
The instrumental record of climate and what it reveals about variability and reliability of climate. Coverage of methods and causes of recent climate variability.
Past global changes: methods, reliability, global data sets and case studies. What these reveal for the full range of climate variability and on driving forces behind climate change. Selected case studies.
Past climates and societal responses. Case studies.
Models and future climates. Types of models, testing models, reliability and uncertainty. Global networks and IPCC selected regional scenarios.
Future impacts on biophysical systems, agriculture, human health, resources, energy usage. Case studies and directed project work.
Rapid change caused by natural hazard processes: earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, hurricanes, etc.

Environmental Hazards and Risk

Conceptualising hazard and risk

Probability and the concept of risk
The risk management cycle: risk assessment frameworks
Human versus environmental risk assessment
Exposure characterisation: environmental transport and fate of chemicals
Hazard characterisation: toxicity endpoints from gene to community
Dose-response profiling: low dose effects and non-monotonic dose response relationships
Point-deterministic and probabilistic risk assessment procedures

Ecotoxicology

An introduction to environmental toxicology
Toxic substances in the aquatic environment
Aquatic toxicity testing in the laboratory
Field studies in aquatic toxicity
Bioaccumulation and Bioavailability
Metabolism of pollutants
Structure-activity relationships
A specific example: oestrogenic chemicals in the aquatic environment and their effects on fish
Single chemical versus mixture toxicity: modelling mixture effects
Monitoring of the aquatic environment

Risk perception and management

The precautionary principle: late lessons from early signs
Risk management and risk communication
Perception of risk and stigma: socio-political influences on risk assessment

Integrated Pollution

Water pollution;
Groundwater pollution;
Marine pollution;
Atmospheric pollution;
Bioindicators;
Organics in the environment;
Heavy metals in the environment;
Pollution abatement technologies;
Waste handling and treatment;
Trade / industrial effluent treatment;
Municipal wastewater (sewage) treatment;
Sludge management;
Contaminated soil;
Sediment management.

Environmental Monitoring

Sampling techniques;
Analytical techniques for environmental monitoring;
Practical experiments;
Introduction to statistical methods;
Data handling and retrieval;
Site visits;
Report writing

Dissertation

Recent examples of dissertations by students taking this course include:

History of pollution in Lake Sapanca, Turkey;
The use of ionic liquids for treatment of solid and liquid wastes.

Fees for 2013/14 entry

UK/EU students: £5,800 full-time; £2,900 part-time

International students: £15,000 full-time; £7,500 part-time

Read about funding opportunities available to postgraduate students

Fees quoted are per annum and are subject to an annual increase.

Entry Requirements

Normally at least a second class honours degree or equivalent in a relevant discipline eg Environmental Science; Chemistry; Biological Science; Geography; Environmental Health. Applicants with appropriate experience and other qualifications will be considered.

English Language Requirements

IELTS: 6.5 (min 6 in all areas)
TOEFL Paper test: 580 (TWE 4.5)
TOEFL Internet test: 92 (R20, L20, S20, W20)
Pearson: 59 (51 in all subscores)
BrunELT 65% (min 60% in all areas)

Brunel also offers our own BrunELT English Test and accept a range of other language courses. We also have a range of Pre-sessional English language courses, for students who do not meet these requirements, or who wish to improve their English.