Environmental Control & Public Health

This course aims to provide basic training in understanding of our natural resources and related environmental problems and legislation.

The following learning outcomes are expected after you have successfully completed this course:

1. Define and describe pollution and pollutants.
2. Describe the necessity for the conservation of land, air and water resources, and for the minimization of pollution.
3. Quantify and assess the nature and extent of pollution, its dangers and effects on the environment.
4. Describe and discuss various methods of pollution identification, assessment, measurement and control available in the fields of land, air, water and noise pollution.
5. Describe how pollution or resource management problems can be tackled with the knowledge of pollution conversion and amenity considerations.
6. Give an outline of pollution control and public health legislation, which is in force or proposed, and the methods and difficulties of implementation.
7. Outline some of the techniques of epidemiological investigation of pollution and public health problems.
8. Read, interpret and criticize published data, and perform relevant calculations in the fields of epidemiology, water supply, conservation and environmental management.
9. Perform simple experiments in the laboratory.
10. Write reports and undertake critical analysis of practical problems in environmental protection.

The teaching materials of ENVR S237 include:

• The unit texts: Units 1 to 16
• 8 video programs
• 3 experiments

The course is as self-contained as possible. The necessary introductory biology, chemistry and mathematics are covered in the first four units (Units 1–4) and the mathematics supplement (MS).

Details of what is involved in each study week are given in the Academic Timetable, which is available on the Online Learning Environment (OLE).

The University provides the Online Learning Environment (OLE) for all courses. This provides a variety of features to support the presentation of a course:

• Discussion board shared by all students and tutors on the course. Problems can be posted for anyone to offer help. In the past this has possibly been the most popular way of getting help. Often you can find that the answer to your own problem has already been supplied to another student with a similar problem.
• Email. Each student and tutor has an email account for direct communication between individuals and groups. Most of the news and comments from the Course Coordinator will be sent to you through this email system.
• Important news. Any stop press will be posted on the OLE. An alert will be displayed to indicate any new items posted.
• Study units. Soft copies of the units will be available through the site.
• Assessment questions and late submission application. All assignments are provided through the OLE.
• Check assignment score. You can check the marking score of any assignment and the marking status.

The OLE should become a regular part of your study habits. Check the site regularly for updates or news as well as useful and interesting posting on the discussion board. If you are a new student, you will get a copy of the OLE User Guide, which explains how to use the system. You can also refer to the online OLE User Guide at http://ole.hkmu.edu.hk/help.html.

One reference is set for this course. It is:

• Porteous, A (2000) Dictionary of Environmental Science and Technology, 3rd edition, John Wiley & Sons, ISBN 0471 935441 (or the latest edition).

The course text contains words marked in bold italic, which can be found in the set reference above, but you should pay attention to the page numbers because of the different editions of the reference. You are recommended to read their definitions in the set reference. A copy of this set reference is placed in the HKMU Library (call no. GE 10.P67 1996).

Experiment is an essential component of the course. There are experiments associated with Units 3, 4, 5–6 and 11–12 and students will carry out most of these experiments in the University's laboratory:

1. pH experiments
2. Water experiments
3. Noise experiments

To fulfil the course requirement, you must attend 2 out of 3 experiments. Failure to attend these compulsory experiments will result in a 'Fail' in the course grade. All experiments will be related to the ssignments.

Please refer to the Laboratory Schedule for the dates of these experiments and put a note on your Calendar. (Please ignore the Home Experiment Kit (HEK) video and the audiocassette mentioned in the study units, as we will conduct most of the experiments in the University's laboratory.)

There is continuous assessment for the course, which includes five assignments. The continuous assessment comprises 50% of the overall course score (OCS). There is a 3-hour final examination at the end of the course. The final examination also comprises 50% of the overall course score.

The due dates for assignments are shown in the Presentation Schedule (which will be revised depending on the circumstances). The assignments relate to the study units, supplements and experiments.

The greatest difficulty experienced by most students is how to apportion the available time to the best effect. Initially students should consult the Academic Timetable, Tutorial Schedule and Experiment Schedule to see how units and associated printed material, assignments and experiments are inter-linked and spread out through the study period. The rest of this section outlines the subject matter and links the other course components to the units.

Keep your tutor informed of any difficulties you may have encountered. Please communicate with your tutor first before contacting the Course Coordinator.

9.1 Using the units — the first four

Before we start this course, there is a mathematics supplement which students should work through. The mathematics needed for the course is an ability to interpret graphs, manipulate equations and understand logarithms. Also see the diagnostic test in this supplement.

In chemistry and biology it will make the study easier if students are familiar with chemical symbols and equations and pH, certain simple reactions, and the biological processes of photosynthesis and respiration. In the first four units we aim to teach these subjects to a level necessary for the rest of the course material.

Unit 1 is an introduction to the main themes of the course and an integration of the subsequent points. It deals with the influence of human intervention on natural processes.

Unit 2 is an introduction to basic biology and living systems and their interactions. It assumes no prior knowledge. The information here will be needed for the later units.

Unit 3 on pollution chemistry is an introduction to the elementary chemistry. This helps you to have a good understanding of waste management, as well as control processes for water and air pollution.

Unit 4 on epidemiology and statistical methods describes the use of these subjects in assessing the possible impact of environmental pollution on health. The statistical interpretation of data is reviewed. Some basic numeric skill is assumed.

As you can see, the first four units of the course act as an introduction to the chemical, biological and statistical analysis necessary for the understanding of the pollution of air, land and water.

9.2 The water units

Units 5, 6 and 7 form the water block, which discusses water supply, pollution and effluent treatment. The water experiment is an important feature of these three units, with experiments ranging from biological oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand.

9.3 The wastes units

Units 8, 9 and 10 discuss the problems and methods of municipal and hazardous wastes management. Special emphasis is placed on waste minimization and recycling. A household waste analysis is integrated with these course units to provide you with first-hand knowledge of waste quantities and composition. Radioactive wastes and their management are covered by a special supplement, which will be included in the final examination.

9.4 The noise units

Units 11, 12 and 13 on noise pollution include the monitoring of noise, the health and environmental effects, and methods of control, with reference to relevant legislation. Home experiments are included, e.g. traffic noise measurement and noise dose estimation. A noise experiment will be allotted to these units.

9.5 The air units

Units 14, 15 and 16 on air pollution include the monitoring of pollutants, the health and environmental effects, and methods of control, with reference to relevant legislation.Pollution abatement at source is a central feature, as is integrated pollution control.

We have already mentioned the mathematics and radioactive waste supplements. Notes and Experiment Handbooks are also provided. The study units mention several times the environmental legislation in the UK and the EC. They are not applicable to our case in Hong Kong. When reading materials in the study units, you may need to refer to relevant materials in Hong Kong. The following websites are useful for your learning:

• Environmental Protection Department: https://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/top.html
• Cyber EIA: https://www.epd.gov.hk/eia/
• Sustainable Development: https://www.gov.hk/en/residents/environment/sustainable/
• Electrical and Mechanical Services Department:  https://www.emsd.gov.hk/en/home/index.html