Methods for Environmental Monitoring
Miljömätteknik

FKFN35, 7.5 credits, A (Second Cycle)

Valid for: 2025/26
Faculty: Faculty of Engineering LTH
Decided by: PLED F/Pi
Date of Decision: 2025-04-10
Effective: 2025-05-05

General Information

Depth of study relative to the degree requirements: Second cycle, in-depth level of the course cannot be classified
Elective for: E4, F4, W4-ms
Language of instruction: The course will be given in English

Aim

The aim of the course is for students, upon completion, to have acquired an understanding of advanced measurement techniques, particularly as applied to the air environment, and how these techniques can be used to provide a basis for assessing environmental and health risks caused by human activities. The course also aims to encourage a reflective approach to how various everyday human activities impact our environment and health, as well as to develop the ability to evaluate environmental issues from a scientific perspective in professional life and public debate.

Additionally, the course aims to develop skills in planning and conducting measurements, investigating environmental problems using these measurements and techniques, identifying the causes (sources) of these problems, and determining appropriate measures to reduce environmental and human impact. Furthermore, students will learn to present these plans, measurements, and conclusions to both specialists and societal stakeholders.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding
For a passing grade the student must

• be able to describe and understand different environmental problems in air quality from a natural science perspective
• be able to explain how different environmental measurement techniques work for different purposes
• be able to describe how a source/receptor model works for the quantification of source contributions to air pollutant concentrations
• be able to describe how a municipality or county use different measurement- or modelling strategies to investigate and analyze data about their environmental problems
• be able to describe how to plan and assess an environmental problem investigation using various theoretical, modelling and experimental tools, and how the issue affects the society and the abatements that could be put in place to solve the issue.

Competences and skills
For a passing grade the student must

• be able to formulate questions that aim to resolve environmental and health risks for humans, connected to an environmental problem like the air quality issue
• be able to plan a modelling, or measurement strategy to investigate an environmental problem with accompanying models and measurement techniques alike a consultant, or as a researcher, after you have acquired knowledge on the measurement technology and issue
• be able to install and execute a measurement program that aims to answer the posed question on the environmental problem at hand.
• be able to make an analysis and assessment of environmental data that address the environmental issue
• be able to present the results of the assessment orally and in writing, and suggest and discuss appropriate abatement strategies.

Judgement and approach
For a passing grade the student must

• be able to discuss how different everyday activities affect our environment and health
• be able to integrate knowledge on measurement techniques and environmental issues on air quality
• be able to integrate knowledge from a vast material for the solution of the environmental issue
• be able to interprete and critically evaluate measurement and modelling data from an advanced data collection
• be able to reflect on the magnitude of the environmental problem, and the alternatives to solve the problem within the limits of economical, social and environmental sustainability
• be able to suggest and argue for the solutions to an environmental issue
• be able to value how environmental control and abatement strategies are executed by real actors in society.

Contents

The course covers:

• Various air quality issues and their environmental and health effects
• Physical and chemical processes related to air pollution
• Different physical and chemical measurement and analysis methods for environmental issues
• Measurement and modeling strategies for air quality management at regional or municipal levels
• Source contribution modeling for airborne concentrations using source/receptor models
• Planning of measurement strategies, instrument preparation, experiment execution, data analysis, evaluation, and assessment of the environmental problem's scope and potential solutions
• Environmental radioactivity, exposure and biomarkers, and remote sensing methods

Examination details

Grading scale: TH - (U, 3, 4, 5) - (Fail, Three, Four, Five)
Assessment:

Examination takes place:

• In written form through an exam at the end of the course
• Through a written report and an oral presentation of the laboratory work and project
• Through written assignments

The final grade is determined by weighting the results of the written exam and the project report, where grading follows predefined assessment criteria. The weighting is two-thirds from the written exam and one-third from the project report. The passing threshold (3) is 50%, the threshold for a 4 is 66.7%, and for a 5, it is 87.5%.

The examiner, in consultation with Disability Support Services, may deviate from the regular form of examination in order to provide a permanently disabled student with a form of examination equivalent to that of a student without a disability.

Modules
Code: 0117. Name: Methods for Environmental Monitoring.
Credits: 7.5. Grading scale: TH - (U, 3, 4, 5).

Admission

Assumed prior knowledge: Basic physics. Course credits accumulated, which are corresponding roughly to a bachelor degree.
The number of participants is limited to: No
Kursen överlappar följande kurser: FKF100

Reading list

• Chapters from books and lecture notes compiled by the teachers.

Contact

Course coordinator: Adam Kristensson, adam.kristensson@fysik.lu.se
Course coordinator: Johan Friberg, johan.friberg@fysik.lu.se
Teacher: Jakob Riddar, jakob.riddar@med.lu.se
Teacher: Kristina Stenström, kristina.stenstrom@fysik.lu.se
Teacher: Mikkel Brydegaard, mikkel.brydegaard@fysik.lu.se
Teacher: Mårten Spanne, marten.spanne@malmo.se
Examinator: Adam Kristensson, adam.kristensson@fysik.lu.se
Examinator: Johan Friberg, johan.friberg@fysik.lu.se
Course administrator: Adam Kristensson, adam.kristensson@fysik.lu.se
Course administrator: Johan Friberg, johan.friberg@fysik.lu.se

Further information

The course is a collaboration between the divisions of Combustion Physics, Particle and Nuclear Physics, Departments of Occupational and environmental medicine and Malmö Environmental Department. It is mandatory to attend the first lecture in order to be admitted to the course.