Environmental systems and anthropic impact

Plant-environment interactions: i) general knowledge about anthropological source of pollution (0.5 CFU); ii) main ways related to the uptake and translocation of pollutants into the plant (1 CFU).
Plant response to organic and Inorganic Pollutants: i) uptake, ii) metabolism, iii) toxicity and iv) detoxification processes. Mineral nutrition and nutrient use efficiency as a tool to reduce fertilizer-derived pollution. (2 CFU).
Techniques to study the impact of pollution on plant metabolism and basic knowledge about metabolomic approaches and data analysis (1CFU practical lessons).
Plants as bioindicators of environmental pollution: i) Main characteristics of a bioindicator, ii) Lower plants and higher plants as pollution bioindicators (0.5 CFU).

Microbial ecosystems on Earth (2 h, frontal lesson).
Methods in environmental microbiology (2 h, frontal lesson).
Biogeochemical cycles: microbial activities in agricultural and natural environments (4 h frontal lesson + 2 h flipped learning).
Ecosystem services: microorganisms' contribution to sustainable agronomic practices to preserve organic matter and water resources (4 h, frontal lesson).
Carbon farming: effects on soil microbiomes (2 h, flipped learning).
The use of microbiomes as soil footprints (2 h, frontal lesson).
Impact of human activities on environmental microorganisms: pathogens dispersion, acquisition of antibiotic resistance, deterioration of soils and water quality (contaminants and salinity) (8 h, frontal lesson).
Interaction between microorganisms and plants (2 h, frontal lesson).
Microbial-assisted phytoremediation (2 h, flipped learning).
Alteration of microbial reactions in climate change scenarios and GHG emissions (2 h, frontal lesson).
Scientific literature reading, comprehension and integration with AI software (6 h, team-based learning/living lab).
Dissemination and communication of science (1 h, seminar).
Preparation of a communication plan (2 h, practical).
Public speech (2 h, practical).
The real world: enterprises involved in environmental restoration (1 h, seminar).
Educational outing (4 h).

Definitions of primary and secondary pollutants, macro- and micro-pollutants.
Environmental compartments: water, soil, air. Water compartment: water chemistry, alkalinity and acidity, oxidation reactions, reduction, complexation and chelation (0.5 CFU). The atmosphere: physical characteristics, chemical and photochemical reactions. Soil compartments and chemical aspects (0.5 CFU).
Main classes of pollutants. Organic pollutants in water and soil compartments: hydrocarbons, polymers, pesticides, oils and lubricants. Polychlorophenols and their derivatives (polychlorobiphenyls, furans and dioxins). Surfactants. Heavy metals. (1 CFU).
Organic pollutants of the atmosphere: aliphatic hydrocarbons and simple and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. (0.5 CFU). Transformations and fate of hydrocarbons in the atmosphere: photochemical smog. Oxygen, sulfur and nitrogen derivatives as products of photochemical combustion and oxidation reactions: acid rain . Ozone hole. Reactions of halogenated compounds with ozone (0.5 CFU).
Degradation processes of plant protection products/pollutants in the environment. Persistence, solubility, adsorption, transport, volatilization. Distribution of organic compounds in environmental compartments. Methods for predicting the distribution of pesticides in the environment. Toxicology chemistry (1 CFU).
In-depth study of a subject: scientific literature reading and comprehension Seminars (1 CFU, practical)