Unprecedented human-induced environmental change has caused pollution in all compartments of the biosphere. Naturally occurring chemicals such as lead and arsenic have affected human health and the environment for millennia, with the industrial revolution leading to an explosion of synthetic chemical pollutants and effects in the last 200 years. Understanding how pollution causes harm, and how it is measured, assessed, and regulated, are key to mitigating pollution impacts on Earth and its inhabitants. The course will be delivered by industry experts, from federal and state government regulators through to pollution consultants and researchers conducting work on the ground, through a combination of lectures and workshops on the science of pollution. Discussions related to policy, regulations, and societal issues will also be held. By the end of the course, students will have a firm grasp of how pollution causes problems in the environment and practical solutions to solve pollution problems. They will be able to assess pollution and to analyse policy and regulatory options to better manage the environment at both the regional and global levels. This course aims to present environmental chemistry from an environmental lens. While some chemistry knowledge is useful, it is not essential for the course.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Demonstrate how pollution occurs in water, soil, and biota;
- Critically evaluate the different ways in which chemicals are assessed as pollutants;
- Interpret how environmental issues shape policy and regulations;
- Distinguish how pollution is regulated at national and international levels;
- Determine effective methods to decrease pollution and its effects on the environment and human health.
Work Integrated Learning
Projects
The course will be delivered by industry experts, from federal and state government regulators through to pollution consultants and researchers conducting work on the ground through a combination of lectures and workshops on the science of pollution. Student projects are real-world issues supported by real world practitioners (as listed above).
Other Information
As a multidisciplinary course, the instructor will provide a foundational understanding of each discipline. No extensive prior knowledge in any of the disciplines is necessary. A strong desire for learning, curiosity, and motivation are highly encouraged.
There is a compulsory field trip to the local Canberra area which does not requires additional fees.
- Field-based teaching and learning activity forms an integral and important part of many courses delivered by the Fenner School of Environment & Society. Fieldwork activities are designed to allow you to put the skills you’ve learned in the classroom into practice in new environments and provide powerful enrichment to student learning. Students should contact the Course Convenor if they have any questions.
Indicative Assessment
- Daily quizzes (30) [LO 1,2,3,4]
- Presentations (n=5; <10mins each; guided by set questions) (10) [LO 1,2]
- Conceptual model report (20) [LO 1,2,5]
- Case study report (40) [LO 1,2,3,4]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
The expected workload will consist of approximately 130 hours throughout the session including:
- Face-to face component consisting of 65 hours of contact delivered intensively over 2 weeks comprising: lectures, practicals and field excursion;
- Approximately 65 hours of self directed study which will include preparation for lectures, presentations and other assessment tasks.
Students are expected to actively participate and contribute towards discussions.
Inherent Requirements
This course includes a field excursion.
For general information on field trips please visit: https://students.science.anu.edu.au/program-admin/college-science-field-trips
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
All materials will be available on LMS prior to the start of the course.
Preliminary Reading
• Agathokleous, E. (2018). Environmental hormesis, a fundamental non-monotonic biological phenomenon with implications in ecotoxicology and environmental safety. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 148, 1042-1053.
• Camillus, J. (2015). Feed-forward systems: Managing a future filled with wicked problems. Rotman Management, 53-59.
• Diamond, M. L., de Wit, C. A., Molander, S., Scheringer, M., Backhaus, T., Lohmann, R., ... & Zetzsch, C. (2015). Exploring the planetary boundary for chemical pollution. Environment international, 78, 8-15.
• Levin, K., Cashore, B., Bernstein, S., & Auld, G. (2012). Overcoming the tragedy of super wicked problems: constraining our future selves to ameliorate global climate change. Policy sciences, 45(2), 123-152.
• Rosner, D., & Markowitz, G. (2013). Persistent pollutants: a brief history of the discovery of the widespread toxicity of chlorinated hydrocarbons. Environmental research, 120, 126-133.
• Schneider, L., Shulmeister, N., Mariani, M., Beck, K.K., Fletcher, M.S., Zawadzki, A., Saunders, K.M, Aquino-López, M.A., Haberle, S.G. Colonialism and the environment: The pollution legacy of the Southern Hemisphere’s largest copper mine in the 20th century. The Anthropocene Review 9, no. 1 (2022): 3-23.
• Steffen, W., Grinevald, J., Crutzen, P., & McNeill, J. (2011). The Anthropocene: conceptual and historical perspectives. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 369(1938), 842-867.
• Stewardson, M.J., Bond, N., Brookes, J., Capon,J. , Dyer, F., Grace, M. Frazier P. The politicisation of science in the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia: discussion of
‘Scientific integrity, public policy and water governance’. Australasian Journal of Water Resources 25, no. 2 (2021): 141-158. • Waddell, W. J. (2010). History of dose response. The Journal of toxicological sciences, 35(1), 1-8.
• Biogeochemistry: An Analysis of Global Change, by Schlesinger, W.H., Academic Press (ISBN 0-12-625155-X)
Assumed Knowledge
This course is open to students who are willing to learn new concepts. Students will receive instruction on fundamental concepts necessary for comprehending pollution and the inception of initial environmental regulations. Note: although some chemistry will be explained in the lectures, no major knowledge in chemistry is required for this course.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 2
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $4680 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $6720 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
Winter Session
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6521 | 28 Aug 2025 | 05 Sep 2025 | 05 Sep 2025 | 22 Sep 2025 | In Person | N/A |