Environmental Science
Course Code: ENS 221
Credit Hour: 3
Course Group: General Courses
Introduction: Environmental science and sustainability of ecosystems and biodiversity. Atmospheric structure. Radiation balance of earth. Chemical species and particulates in the atmosphere. Weather and climate. The climate variables and its components. Human-induced climate variables. Climate change models. Global and local climate change predictability. Environmental pollution and its effect on human, animal and plant health. Population density and sanitation. Availability of safe water. Air pollution. Global warming. Ozone depletion. Indoor air quality. Air, water and soil pollution by contamination with hazardous chemicals. Use of plant growth regulators, fertilizers, fruit ripening agents and pesticides in agriculture. Industrial waste. Hospital waste. Waste management systems. Sewage management. Sound pollution. Radioactive hazard. Food and waterborne diseases. Infectious diseases. Protection against diseases caused by environmental effects. Depletion of biota by environmental effects. Threatened medicinal plant species. Preservation of such species. Regulatory acts and actions to protect environment and their proper and effective implementation.
Reference Books:
- S.S Dara: A Text Book of Environmental Chemistry and Pollution Control, Chand & Company Ltd.
- Spengler, John D. and Sexton, Ken (1983) "Indoor Air Pollution: A Public Health Perspective" Science (New Series) 221(4605).
- Hong, Sungmin et al. (1996) "History of Ancient Copper Smelting Pollution During Roman and Medieval Times Recorded in Greenland Ice" Science (New Series) 272(5259).
- L. Gari (2002), "Arabic Treatises on Environmental Pollution up to the End of the Thirteenth Century", Environment and History 8 (4).
- State of the Environment, Issue: Air Quality (Australian Government website page) Pollution and Society Marisa Buchanan and Carl Horwitz, University of Michiga.