Unit ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT OF LIVESTOCK SYSTEMS
- Course
- Animal science
- Study-unit Code
- GP000822
- Curriculum
- In all curricula
- Teacher
- Lucia Rocchi
- CFU
- 12
- Course Regulation
- Coorte 2022
- Offered
- 2022/23
- Type of study-unit
- Obbligatorio (Required)
- Type of learning activities
- Attività formativa integrata
ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS
| Code | GP000827 |
|---|---|
| CFU | 6 |
| Teacher | Lucia Rocchi |
| Teachers |
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| Hours |
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| Learning activities | Caratterizzante |
| Area | Discipline gestionali e di sostenibilità |
| Academic discipline | AGR/01 |
| Type of study-unit | Obbligatorio (Required) |
| Language of instruction | Italian |
| Contents | The subjects of the program concern the main issues of environmental economics, resources, and sustainable development. The course also integrates issues related to the technical-administrative procedures for assessing the environmental impacts, useful for the professional future of the students. |
| Reference texts | Environmental and Resources Economics, Pearce e Turner. Additional materials (lecture notes and articles) will be provided. |
| Educational objectives | The main objective of the course is to provide students with adequate bases for analyzing the environmental sustainability of a livestock system, as well as for the procedural management related to professional practice. Specifically, the main knowledge acquired will be: - thorough knowledge of the principles of sustainability and precaution; - in-depth knowledge of the principles of life cycle analysis and its possible applications - knowledge of administrative technical procedures related to sustainable management in the livestock sector (EIA, SEA, assessment of significance); - basic knowledge of issues related to the sustainable management of natural resources; - knowledge of the fundamentals of the economic and environmental sustainability of the energy valorisation of biogas from zootechnical waste; - knowledge of the authorization procedures of biogas energy production plants. The main skills that the course poses to develop in students will be: - analyze a human system for the purpose of assessing sustainability; - identify and evaluate the impacts caused by human activity on a natural system; identify, schematize and analyze the phases of the lie-cycle of livestock products - identify, analyze and evaluate the economic and environmental convenience of biogas production. |
| Prerequisites | Basic knowledge of micro- economics is required. |
| Teaching methods | The course is organized as follows: - Frontal lessons about all subjects in the course. - Seminars on specific topics related to the course program and held by experts on the subject. Possible seminars: environmental sustainability, food security and sovereignty; other topics will also be identified in agreement with the students. - Exercises in the classroom: real cases will be analyzed on zootechnical issues of interest for the course, such as: EIA applicability in the zootechnics field; Compilation of an impact matrix (Leopold matrix); External SEA compatibility analysis; Estimation the economic viability of a biogas plant; LCA of a zootechnical products, using the OpenLCA |
| Learning verification modality | The exam is done through an oral examination lasting about 30 minutes, aimed at ascertaining the level of knowledge and understanding achieved by the student on technical and scientific content, as well as communication skills, with a focus on properties of language and connections. The student can participate in partial tests, focused on the contents of the individual modules. For more information about services with special needs, please visit https://www.unipg.it/en/international-students/general-information/facilities-for-special-needs-students |
| Extended program | Economics, environment and development • Economics & environment: from the neoclassical approach to decreasing one (Kunz curve, Daly’s steady state, the concept of decreasing); • Externality and Common Goods: Pollution as Externality; their Solutions (pigouvian fees, licenses, permits); the Coase theorem; the tragedy of common; • Development vs. growth: from the cowboy to the astronaut's economy (Boulding); • Conferences on the affirmation of the Sustainable Development Model; the paradigm of sustainable development in economic terms; • from red to blue economy: how to close the circle (Introduction to circular economy) Resources and Environment • Renewable and non-renewable resources; • the rules of exploitation; Business and environment • Environmental management; • process and product certifications; • green marketing; • the LCA approach; • green public procurement Environmental procedures in the public domain • Environmental Impact Assessment; • Strategic Environmental Assessment, • Environmental Impact Assessment; • Integrated Environmental Authorization and Unique Environmental Authorization. |
UTILIZATION OF LIVESTOCK WASTE
| Code | GP000828 |
|---|---|
| CFU | 6 |
| Teacher | Daniela Pezzolla |
| Teachers |
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| Hours |
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| Learning activities | Caratterizzante |
| Area | Discipline zootecniche e delle produzioni animali |
| Academic discipline | AGR/13 |
| Type of study-unit | Obbligatorio (Required) |
| Language of instruction | Italian |
| Contents | Fate of livestock waste in soil system. Behaviour of heavy metals and phamaceutical products contained in livestock wastes. Risk assessment derived from the agricultural use of livestock waste. Aerobic and anaerobic stabilization processes. |
| Reference texts | M. Businelli. Chimica del suolo. Morlacchi Editore, 2009 P. Sequi, C. Ciavatta, T. Miano. Fondamenti di chimica del suolo di . Pàtron Editore, 2017 Adani, Schievano, Boccasile. Anaerobic Digestion: opportunities for agriculture and environment. Disponibile on line al sito http://www.chimicagraria.it/libri.php CRPA. Liquami zootecnici. Manuale per l'utilizzazione agronomica. Edizioni L'Informatore Agrario. 2001 Educational material in electronic form provided by the professor on the online platform UNISTUDIUM. |
| Educational objectives | The main objective of teaching is to provide students with the knowledge useful for the sustainable management of livestock waste. The main knowledge acquired will be: - physico-chemical characteristics of soil; - main characteristics of the livestock waste; - chemical and biochemical processes related to livestock waste transformation; - advantages and disadvantages related to the utilisation of untreated livestock waste; -advantages and disadvantages related to livestock waste treatments; - to evaluate the quality of livestock derived organic materials; - to evaluate the risk assessment. The main skills will be: - to know the impact of livestock derived organic materials utilisation on the soil/water system; - to know how to manage treatment plants of livestock waste; - to know the legislation related to the livestock waste utilisation; - to analyse soil and livestock waste parameters for the agricultural reuse; - to know how evaluate a livestock waste by reading a certificate of analysis; - to know how to set up a plan for the agronomic use of livestock waste; - to know the differences between livestock derived organic materials and wastes; - to be sensitive to the social and environmental impact of the production, treatment and utilisation of livestock waste; - to know the importance of the livestock waste valorisation. |
| Prerequisites | Basic knowledge of general, inorganic and organic chemistry. |
| Teaching methods | Lectures: 40 h Laboratory practices: 12 h. Seminarial/field activities: 2 h. Slides are used. Tutorial material distributed by the teacher. |
| Other information | Reception hours: Tuesday, 10:30 - 12:30. Venue: Office (E/01) of Dr. Daniela Pezzolla , Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Via Duranti, 93. E-mail: daniela.pezzolla@unipg.it For information on support services for students with disabilities and/or SLD, visit the page http://www.unipg.it/disabilita-e-dsa |
| Learning verification modality | Final oral exam focused on theoretical lessons and practical lessons for approximately 30 minutes. The questions will be about the characteristics of livestock waste and possible environmental risks associated with their agricultural reuse. In addition, the knowledge about the treatments will be verified. In the event that the student intends to anticipate the exam in a previous year to the one scheduled in the study plan, it is recommended to attend the cycle of lessons and to take the exam in the first useful session after the lessons have ended, thus respecting the semester of teaching planning. |
| Extended program | Program: Provide knowledge of livestock waste characteristics. Identify the problems related to waste disposal in the field and the agronomic potential of treated livestock waste. Evaluate the benefits of integrated waste treatment with the recovery of matter (fertilizers) and energy by producing biogas. Evaluate the possibilities for the agricultural use of livestock derived materials resulting from the treatment of livestock waste. Know how evaluate the agronomic and environmental characteristics of the livestock wastes. Theoretical lessons: A) Soil (1 CFU) Chemical composition. Soil texture and the importance to determine the interactions between soil- livestock wastes. The main inorganic (clay) and organic (humus) colloids of the soil such as adsorbents of soluble and inorganic (nitrogen and heavy metals) in the livestock waste. Chemical absorption. Exchange adsorption. B) Mineral constituents of livestock waste and soil interactions (2 CFU) Chemical-physical characteristics of livestock waste: moisture, pH, nitrogen, total organic matter, humic like components, soluble organic matter, heavy metal content, phosphorus, potassium. Fate of livestock waste components in the soil system with particular reference to nitrogen forms. C) Treatment of livestock waste for the production of organic matter and energy and regulatory framework (2 CFU). Evaluation of agronomic and environmental quality of livestock waste. Stability and maturity of livestock derived organic materials. Stabilization processes. Aerobic treatment. Anaerobic treatment. Composting process. Integrated treatments. Chemical and chemical-physical characteristics of livestock waste before and after the stabilization process. Effects of treated livestock waste on soil fertility. Legislation and risk assessment. National and Community legislation on the agricultural use of livestock waste. Nitrate vulnerable area of agricultural origin. Assessment of the risk from the application of livestock waste. Plan for the Agricultural Use of livestock waste. D) Organic constituents of livestock waste and their interactions with soil (1 CFU) Mobility of the components of the livestock waste in the soil profile; Isoterms of adsorption and desorption. Evaluation of the fate in the environment of veterinary drugs. Chemical compounds involved in the chemo-adsorption of active molecules of veterinary drugs. Degradation of veterinary drugs in soil and water. Practical lesson: A) Analytical determinations of soil parameters. B-C) Analytical determinations of the main mineral and organic components of livestock waste. D) Chemical characterization of quality parameter of livestock waste. E) Analytical determination of anaerobic digestion parameters. |