Environmental monitoring, modelling and control
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This course explores strategies for analysing, defining and controlling environmental pollution. Its main themes are drinking water supply, air quality management, noise control and solid waste. The course builds on Environmental control and public health (T210) (now discontinued). You’ll also need strong numeracy skills, a good knowledge of chemistry, and the ability to develop and use computer models. The course considers water treatment processes, demand and quality; atmospheric pollution dispersal, modelling and control; noise prediction schemes and sound insulation; and the development of local waste management strategies. A final environmental impact assessment project brings these topics together.
Fees 2012
See fees and funding options for study from September 2012.
Course facts
An undergraduate course.
| About this course: | |
|---|---|
| Course code | T308 |
| Credits | 60 |
| OU Level | 3 |
| SCQF level | 10 |
| FHEQ level | 6 |
| Course work includes: |
|---|
| 4 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) |
| End-of-module assessment |
| No residential school |
Register for the course
| Start | End | Fee | Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
No current presentation - see Future availability |
| This course is expected to start for the last time in February 2012. | |||
What you will study
This course consolidates the material in the Open University course Environmental control and public health (T210) (now discontinued), taking you on to the design specification stage in selected areas of pollution control.
Computing is used throughout the course to enable you to do routine calculations, computer simulation modelling of pollution dispersal and control, and undertake financial assessments and detailed project work. Of the study time, about two thirds will be spent on the texts and modelling, and one third on an environmental impact project that draws together the different areas of study and requires your continuous effort throughout the course.
By the end of the course you should be able to define and describe:
- the principles and concepts of solid wastes management, noise control, air quality management and water treatment
- the computer modelling of environmental situations
- the economic assessment of projects.
Water the main topic here is water treatment for potable supply. Included with this are sections on minimising waste, emergency water treatment, trade effluent control and modelling river quality after the ingress of pollutants.
Air reviews the nature and characteristics of air pollution and discusses the interpretation of air quality data. Other topics include automobile emissions, dispersal of air pollution, modelling and calculation of chimney heights and control of particulates.
Noise begins by reviewing basic concepts such as units, criteria and indices, legal and social control and planning. The technical aspects of noise control including prediction schemes and sound insulation of buildings, are important topics. There are case studies of public enquiries and of industrial noise.
Waste management begins by reviewing the nature, characteristics and quantities of the main kinds of waste considering the policy and legislation that is driving waste management processes across the EU. Waste management processes are covered in depth concentrating on waste collection, recycling/composting, energy recovery and landfill. The emphasis is on assessing the environmental impacts of the processes and how to minimise any adverse impacts. The block ends with a discussion on the developing local waste management strategies and the use of models to select the process options to be used and their overall environmental impacts.
Entry
This course has been designed for both practising and would-be environmental professionals in land, air, water and noise pollution. You need a thorough working knowledge of basic chemistry and mathematics and some familiarity with computing. We strongly recommend that you take the Open University course Environmental control and public health (T210) (now discontinued) before you take this course, and you will benefit from taking T308 as soon as possible after T210.
You should be able to interpret graphs, manipulate equations, understand logarithms and operate a scientific calculator. You must be able to understand chemical equations and nomenclature, and to solve quantitative problems involving heat and mass calculations. If you have not taken T210, you need to have experience of quantitative approaches to environmental pollution control and the problems affecting land, air, water and noise. In particular, you should be able to:
- define, describe and assess pollution
- describe the diversity of plant and animal life and the role of certain groups of living organisms in pollution control techniques
- list the biological, chemical and physical characteristics of rivers and lakes and how pollutants affect the aquatic environment
- list and describe the processes of water purification and sewage treatment
- list and describe the processes used in managing municipal solid waste and hazardous wastes in order to minimise their detrimental effects
- recognise and use terms related to the basic physics of sound, and list the principles and describe the practice of noise control
- give brief accounts of the effects of air pollutants
- describe and select appropriate techniques to quantify and eliminate air pollutants.
T210 covers all these topics. T308 is a Level 3 course, which makes intellectual demands appropriate to the final year of an honours degree.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
If you have a disability or additional requirement
You will need to spend considerable amounts of time using a personal computer. The study materials are available in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). Components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader and mathematical, scientific, and foreign language materials may be particularly difficult to read in this way. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.
If you are a new student, or new to courses using a computer or the internet, you will need to inform us of your particular needs as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Details of how to do this and our range of support services are described in our publication Meeting Your Needs.
You can also find information about accessible study materials, financial support and the Disabled Students' Allowance, equipment and other services, on our Services for disabled students website. It also includes our contact details for advice and support both before you register and while you are studying.
Study materials
What's included
Course books, other printed materials, DVD, online forums, a website.
You will need
A scientific calculator.
Computing requirements
This course includes online computer activities – you can access these using a web browser that can play Flash and Shockwave. Some of your course software will be provided on disk.
You will need internet access and a computer. If you have purchased a new Windows computer since 2005 it should meet your course computing requirements. Check our Technical Requirements section if your computer is older than this or is otherwise unusual. Please note that you cannot use an Apple Mac or Linux computer unless it is running Windows using Boot Camp or similar dual-boot system.
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
You will have a tutor who will help you with the study material and mark and comment on your written work, and whom you can ask for advice and guidance. We may also be able to offer group tutorials or day-schools that you are encouraged, but not obliged, to attend. Where your tutorials are held will depend on the distribution of students taking the course. Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.
Assessment
The assessment details for this course can be found in the facts box above.
You will be expected to submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) online through the eTMA system unless there are some difficulties which prevent you from doing so. In these circumstances, you must negotiate with your tutor to get their agreement to submit your assignment on paper.
The end-of-module assessment is an environmental impact appraisal project.
Professional recognition
This course may help you to gain recognition from a professional body. Ask our Student Registration & Enquiry Service for Recognition leaflets 3.3 Professional Engineering Institutions, 3.4 Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management and 3.8 Scientific Institutions.
Students also studied
Students who studied this course also studied at some time:
Future availability
The details given here are for the course that starts in February 2012 when it will be available for the last time.
Fees 2012
See fees and funding options for study from September 2012.
Course facts
An undergraduate course.
| About this course: | |
|---|---|
| Course code | T308 |
| Credits | 60 |
| OU Level | 3 |
| SCQF level | 10 |
| FHEQ level | 6 |
| Course work includes: |
|---|
| 4 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) |
| End-of-module assessment |
| No residential school |
Study explained
- Financial support
- - find out if you qualify for support with your fees with our eligibility checker.
- Study explained
- - all you need to know about distance learning with the OU.
Student Reviews
I really enjoyed this course and can strongly recommend it although I think it would have been a more difficult ...
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I took this course without having done the precursor course to this, T210. This entailed having to read/review the T210 ...
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Your questions
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Or contact an adviser in our Student Registration & Enquiry Service Email or call +44(0) 845 300 60 90+44(0) 845 366 60 35
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