This intermediate level module deals with the sustainable chemical analysis of water/soil resources including the environmental impact of laboratory operations. An understanding of freshwater purification including potential by-product formation and the efficiency of wastewater processes will be developed.
The forensic aspect of this module aims to provide students with the knowledge and skills to utilise a variety of analytical techniques routinely used in forensic applications. A comprehensive knowledge of polarised light microscopy (PLM) and its’ applications will be provided. Students are introduced to electron microscopy and the applications of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in trace evidence analysis.
Water and Wastewater: Potable water. Characteristics and chemical principles of water/soil quality using spectrometry, ion chromatography and classical methods. Assessing the wastewater treatment process critical parameters. Oxygen demand, Nutrients. Stages of drinking water purification and by-products formed. Physical and chemical aspects of industrial wastewater treatment.
Forensic Analysis: Theory of image formation, resolving power of a lens, objective and condenser lenses and illumination. Principles of compound microscopes, stereomicroscopes, polarizing light and fluorescence microscopes. The effect of objective lens aberrations and corrections on resolution and magnification. Principles of polarized light microscopy (PLM): isotropic and anisotropic materials, birefringence, interference colours, optical path difference, sign of elongation and use of compensators. Use of Michel Levy Interference Colours Chart to estimate birefringence. Estimating the sign of elongation of fibres using compensators. Introduction to UV microspectrophotometer and FT-IR microscopy. Applications of PLM to forensic and environmental analysis (asbestos). Discrimination of fibres using microscopy and chromatography (Thin Layer chromatography) to separate dyes.
Electron Microscopy – principles of operation, resolution, magnification, depth of field. Compare and contrast light microscopy with electron microscopy. Instrumentation used for scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the use of secondary electron, backscatter and Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysers combined with SEM. Sample preparation for scanning electron microscopy. Use of microscopy in forensic analysis of firearm residue, paint and documents.
Laboratory Work: Laboratory work which complements the lecture material is sourced from the School of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Laboratory Manual. Written reports and video reports created to communicate results.
Environmental Analysis
Water and Wastewater: Potable water. Characteristics and chemical principles of water/soil quality using spectrometry, ion chromatography and classical methods. Assessing the wastewater treatment process critical parameters. Oxygen demand, Nutrients. Stages of drinking water purification and by-products formed. Physical and chemical aspects of industrial wastewater treatment.
Forensic Analysis
Principles of compound microscopes, stereomicroscopes, polarizing light and fluorescence microscopes. Using polarized light microscopy (PLM) for trace evidence; use of Michel Levy Chart to estimate birefringence and estimate the sign of elongation of fibres using compensators. Introduction to UV microspectrophotometer and FT-IR microscopy. Applications of PLM to forensic and environmental analysis (asbestos). ScanningElectron Microscopy – principles of operation and instrumentation used for scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the use of secondary electron, backscatter and Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysers combined with SEM. Use of microscopy in forensic analysis of firearm residue, paint and documents. Identification of illicit drugs and adulterants/diluents using chromatographic methods - TLC, LC, GC-MS.
Delivery by means of lectures (20 hours), tutorials (4 hours), laboratory practicals (15 hours), workshop (3 hours) and self-study (58 hours) to include computational problems and report writing.
| Module Content & Assessment | |
|---|---|
| Assessment Breakdown | % |
| Other Assessment(s) | 100 |