Soil ecotoxicology and bioremediation

Durée

24h Th, 12h Pr

Nombre de crédits

Enseignant

Monique Carnol, Marc Hanikenne, Célia Joaquim-Justo

Langue(s) de l'unité d'enseignement

Langue anglaise

Organisation et évaluation

Enseignement au premier quadrimestre, examen en janvier

Horaire

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Unités d'enseignement prérequises et corequises

Les unités prérequises ou corequises sont présentées au sein de chaque programme

Contenus de l'unité d'enseignement

Course description
Ecotoxicology studies the effects of chemicals on organisms in the environment, with the final aim to protect the structure and functioning of ecosystems. We will address specific issues related to soil ecotoxicology, bioremediation and phytoremediation.
Microorganisms are responsible for the transformation of numerous substances and their activity can be exploited for applied issues, such as bioremediation. In this course, students will learn about interactions between microorganisms, biofilm formation, and microbial processes in the degradation of pollutants (bioremediation). An overview of procedures used for soil depollution will be provided and some case studies will be analysed.
Plants colonize very diverse environments and their root system explores and interacts with soils. Plants are therefore exploited for environmental clean up (phytoremediation). In this course, we will focus on metallic pollution. The metal homeostasis mechanisms present in plants will be discussed and the biology of peculiar plant species adapted to metal pollution will be examined. Different strategies, exploiting biotechnology or plant natural diversity, for phytoremediation of polluted soils and their applications in ongoing field assays will be presented.
The assessment of risks related to the use of toxic pollutants for terrestrial ecosystems is mainly based on the evaluation of their impact on soil organisms and seedlings. The ecological reasons for this strategy used at the EU level together with the common tests used will be reviewed and explained to the students.
 
 
Practicals will focus on techniques useful for soil ecotoxicological assessments and the follow up of bioremediation techniques.
 
Particular importance is given to the understanding of theoretical concepts and their application to real situations.
 
Table of contents (summary; under construction)
 
General Introduction
Sources and fate of pollutants in terrestrial environments
Effects of pollutants on soil quality
Overview of standard methods for soil ecotoxicology testing
            Acute & chronic tests
            Microcosms, mesocosms, field tests
Soil bioremediation
            Soil as habitat for microorganisms           
Principles of microbial degradation of pollutants
Soil bioremediation
Case studies of soil bioremediation
Phytoremediation
            Importance of metals in plant growth
            Plant diversity and metal immobilization
            Phytoremediation

Acquis d'apprentissage (objectifs d'apprentissage) de l'unité d'enseignement

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

• define soil ecotoxicology and defend its use in soil protection
• describe sources and fates of chemicals in terrestrial environments
• characterize main soil properties and their importance in the fate of soil contaminants
• explain bioavailability and mobility of pollutants
• cite and explain main methods of soil ecotoxicology: individual bioassays and methods for the assessment of soil biota in situ
• explain the role of microorganisms in the degradation of organic pollutants
• perform quantitative assessment of risks posed by toxic pollutants to terrestrial ecosystems
• describe the main processes used in soil bioremediation

• understand the use and criteria for applying microbial activities in the processes of bioremediation
• apply of course theory and techniques of analyses of case studies for approaching problems in environmental microbiology
• evaluate of the relevance of a technique using microorganisms in environmental management
• understand the use of plants for phytoremediation purposes
• develop a critical view on the use of transgenic plants versus natural populations for phytoremediation

• acquire analytical technical and expertise skills for characterising and evaluating the effect of pollutants on soils
• interpret and discuss the results of soil bioassays and studies with regard to ecological risk assessment
• analyse and interpret element content data from plant tissues
• develop synthesis, interpretation and writing skills

Savoirs et compétences prérequis

Students should be familiar with basic concepts of ecology, soil ecology, chemistry and ecotoxicology.

Activités d'apprentissage prévues et méthodes d'enseignement

Lectures (power point support) are based on the principles of 'active lectures'. Presentations include questions, minute papers, case studies and class discussions. The link between theory and practice for the methods in soil ecotoxicology is established through the practicals.
 
The integration of lectures and various activities aims at a deep understanding of the topic during the quadrimester. Student's personal investment during lectures and activities will lead to a work reduction during the exam session and also leads to better knowledge retention on the longer term.

Mode d'enseignement (présentiel ; enseignement à distance)

Most of theoretical courses are lectures illustrated with power point presentations, videos, slide shows. The topics considered in the theoretical course will be illustrated and expanded in laboratory practicals, case studies prepared by students, data analyses.
 
Attendance of lectures and practicals (including the production of related reports) is mandatory. Should a student not fulfil these criteria, he/she will be considered "inadmissible" to the exam.
 
All useful resources for the course are available online via eCampus (power point illustrations, supporting documents, autoevaluations, information, discussions,...). Note: downloading the documents is more efficient with a high-speed connexion. Computer rooms are available on campus.

Lectures recommandées ou obligatoires et notes de cours

A work document for practicals will be provided to the students and it is strongly advised to read it before the practicals, for a better understanding of the work required and to prepare questions.
 
Lecture notes and reading material will be made available during the year. Power point presentations will be available online (pdf). For complementary information, reference books are available from ULiège library and the instructors:
 
Duarte A.C., Cachada A., Rocha-Santos T. (2017) Soil Pollution From Monitoring to Remediation (1st Edition), Academic Press, 312 p.

Modalités d'évaluation et critères

Assessment consists in:

• an appreciation of students' activities during practicals. At the end of the practicals, each student will be asked to provide a written report (20%).
• an oral exam (with written preparation), will be held during the session and will concern both the theoretical and practical courses (80%).

Stage(s)

Remarques organisationnelles

Contacts

Office : by appointment only
           

• Laboratoire d'écologie animale et d'écotoxicologie, Institut de Chimie, Bât. B6c, Allée du 6 août, 15, 4000 Liège, Belgique

• Laboratoire d'Ecologie Végétale et Microbienne, Bât. B22, Chemin de la Vallée, 4, 4000 Liège, Belgique (3ème étage)

• Génomique fonctionnelle et imagerie moléculaire végétale, Bât. B22, chemin de la Vallée 4, 4000 Liège, Belgique (2ème étage, local 2.12)