Leonardo da Vinci Programme

Leonardo da Vinci Programme
Project No: SK/99/1/084125/PI/I.1.1.a/FPI
Development of Educational Modules for the Speciality "Environmental Chemistry"

PREFACE

Over the last decades the impact of human activity on the environment has been of increasing concern throughout Europe. Development of new technologies and their transfers, industrial processes, and agricultural activities undergo nowadays to a complex assessment of their impact on environment. Although educational and training programs for preparing environmental planners and managers have been established, there is a need of higher education in the field of environmental chemistry providing people dealing with environmental issues with a thorough chemical education.

This coursebook was prepared in the frame of the 1.5-year Leonardo da Vinci Project ”Development of the Educational Modules for the Speciality Environmental Chemistry” lasting from January 2000 till June 2001 and it represents one of the results of joint effort of a group of people working in the field of environmental chemistry at universities as well as non-academic institutions. Namely, the following institutions participated in the Project:

Royal Veterinary & Agricultural University, Denmark
Porvoo Vocational School, Finland
University of West Hungary, Hungary
Jožef Stefan Institute, Slovenia
Nova Gorica Polytechnic, Slovenia
University of Glasgow, UK
Soil Science and Conservation Research Institute, Slovakia
State Institute of Public Health, Slovakia
Slovak Environmental Agency, Slovakia
Matej Bel University, Slovakia (The Contractor)

The Partnership was formed to keep a balance between EC (Denmark, Finland and UK) and the associated countries (Hungary, Slovenia and Slovakia) as well as between universities (6 partners) and external institutions (4 partners). All of the participating institutions have demonstrated their good European experience as well as their expertise in the field of environmental chemistry.

Our activities within the Project were focused mainly to the following objectives:

Development of the study curricula for the course of environmental chemistry

Our purpose was to compare subjects’ content, training methodology and educational tools used in courses concerning the chemical aspects of environment in the universities from different European regions. The needs of external institutions (enterprises, environmental agencies, etc.) were identified and incorporated into curricula by direct consultations with these institutions.

Development of coursebooks in selected areas of environmental chemistry

In the frame of the Project a series of coursebooks was developed, namely:

Atmospheric Chemistry and Air Pollution Modelling
Water Chemistry
Soil Chemistry
Ecophysics
Environmental Analytical Chemistry
Solid Waste Chemistry and Management
Legislative Aspects of Environment
Applied Environmental Chemistry

The study materials were prepared by international workgroups that involved 3-12 people and were co-ordinated by an expert in the field. Their content was suggested not to substitute existing textbooks, but rather to be focused on using theoretical knowledge to solving update, especially regional, problems by means of different examples and problem tasks.

As far as the level of the prepared series of coursebooks it is intended to be used in the 3^rd and 4^th years of a 5-year Master degree course, respectively in the corresponding terms depending on the system of university education in a particular country. Although the main target group of our project are students, the coursebooks can also be applied in the courses of distance or lifelong learning training provided the university gives such courses. Ecologists in undertakings, employees in environmental agencies and offices can appreciate the prepared materials to spread their knowledge in the field as well.

It is the hope of the authors that the study materials will find good use in the scientific community as coursebooks for students, who are interested in learning more about modern environmental chemistry.

All materials in english and slovak mutation are available in the library of SEA, Tajovskeho 28, Banska Bystrica.