Duration
24h Th, 12h Pr
Number of credits
| Master in biology of organisms and ecology (120 ECTS) | 3 crédits |
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the first semester, review in January
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
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 testingGeneral introduction
- Bioassays for regulatory purposes
- Monitoring: microcosms, mesocosms & field tests
- Definition and history of bioremediation
- Soil as habitat for microorganisms
- Principles of microbial degradation of pollutants
- Soil bioremediation
- Case studies of soil bioremediation
- Importance of metals in plant growth
- Plant diversity and metal immobilization
- Phytoremediation
As part of your university education, you can legally dispose of the materials made available to you (pdf Power Points, videos, podcasts, etc.) protected by copyright. These materials are intended only to be used by students as part of their studies at the University of Liège. No other use or distribution is authorized, under penalty of constituting a violation of the law of June 30, 1994 relating to copyright. If the resources were to be freely accessible on the web, the person responsible would be exposed to legal proceedings.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
At the end of this course, students should be able to:
- discuss the concept of soil quality in relation to ecosystem services
- 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
- describe heavy metal accumulation mechanisms in plants
- describe strategies using 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 and ecotoxicological risk assessment
- analyse and interpret element content data from plant tissues
- develop synthesis, interpretation and writing skills
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
Students should be familiar with basic concepts of ecology, soil ecology, chemistry and ecotoxicology.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
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/tutorials.
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 of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Face-to-face course
Additional information:
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, information, discussions,...). Note: downloading the documents is more efficient with a high-speed connexion. Computer rooms are available on campus.
For the phytoremediation chapter, the students will individually prepare a 15-minute presentation on a subject related to metal homeostasis, metal hyperaccumulation or phytoremediation, based on documents provided by the teacher. Two question-and-answer sessions between the students and the teacher will be organized during the scheduled times (weeks of November 15 and 22) to help prepare for the presentation. Students will present their work orally to the class during the next lesson (week of November 29) and will be asked to answer questions raised by the audience. The assessment will focus on the clarity and relevance of the presentation and on the mastery of the subject presented.
Recommended or required readings
All ressources for the course are available on eCampus. Lecture notes and reading material will be made available during the year. Power point presentations will be available online (pdf). 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.
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.
Assessment methods and criteria
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
oral exam
Written work / report
Out-of-session test(s)
Other : Prepare an oral presentation
Additional information:
Assessment consists in:
- an appreciation of students' activities during practicals and tutorials. At the end of the practicals, each student will be asked to provide a written report (20%).
- a 15-minute presentation on a subject related to metal homeostasis, metal hyperaccumulation or phytoremediation (out of session, 25%)
- an oral exam (with written preparation) on both the theoretical and practical courses (except phytoremediation, during session, 55%).
Work placement(s)
Organizational remarks
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:
- Dr Célia Joaquim-Justo : Tél. 04/366.51.40 ; Fax 04/366.51.47 ; E-mail : celia.Joaquim-Justo@uliege.ac.be
- Prof. Monique Carnol : Tel. 04/3663845 (bureau) ; Tel. 04/3663817 (laboratoire), E-mail : m.carnol@uliege.ac.be
- Prof. Marc Hanikenne : Tel. 04/3663844 (bureau) , E-mail : marc.hanikenne@uliege.be