Programme of Study for MSc Contaminant Hydrogeology

The course is designed to build knowledge and develop both technical and practical skills, through the integration of subjects which cover theoretical and applied aspects of contaminant hydrogeology. We start with the basics: hydrology and the water cycle, hydrogeology, environmental geochemistry and microbiology. Here, we focus on water resources, fundamental hydrogeology and the fate and transport of pollutants, including NAPLs, in groundwater in the urban environment, where most contamination resides. You will also learn the principles of groundwater hydrogeochemistry and environmental microbiology, as a basis to assess and interpret natural processes and contaminant behaviour, fate and transformation in the environment.

Once the basics are in place, we introduce concepts in risk assessment and monitored natural attenuation, both important aspects of sustainable environmental management in the UK and elsewhere. These modules consider specific applications to soil and groundwater remediation, drawing upon an extensive range of case studies. From there, speciality subjects like landfill engineering and management apply the basic science to environmental engineering solutions. To complete the toolkit of skills, we have environmental sampling and data analysis, and field investigation methods, both practical modules which provide real-world exposure to the procedures required for the technical evaluation and quantitative analysis of contaminated land and groundwater. The table below gives you an idea of the broad content covered by each module available in this course. Click on the module title to access the detailed module programme, which provides information on specific topics taught and the study time involved.

One third of the MSc is dedicated to an individual dissertation topic, allowing original research and independent study into a subject selected by the student from a wide range of science, technology and industry-driven options. The dissertation allows students to develop their personal interests and significantly enhance their skills and abilities, in particular in problem solving, critical analysis and evaluation and time and resource management.

Module	Delivered	What is Covered
Semester 1
Environmental Microbiology†	Weeks 1-15	Microbial metabolic activity shapes the chemical characteristics of natural environments through biogeochemical nutrient cycles and mediates the transformation of pollutants that are released to the environment through the biodegradation processes. An understanding of these processes and their rates and limitations studied from a microbiological perspective provides underpinning science for predicting the transformation of pollutants and applying the associated risk assessment and environmental restoration methods.
Water Resources and Hydrology	Weeks 1-6	This module provides an introduction to global water resource issues and quantitative skills for generating design rainfalls and predicting runoff. It explains key processes within the hydrological cycle, how to generate specific (UK) rainfall events for engineering design purposes, and modelling approaches to predict catchment runoff response to rainfall inputs. Broader issues relating to climate change, water scarcity, flooding, water quality and hydrological measurement are also covered. Guest lecturers provide information on current developments and an industrial perspective.
Water Flow in Pipes, Open Channels and Aquifers	Weeks 1-6	This module covers the principles of water flow in pipes, open channels and aquifers, and provides students with the quantitative techniques to analyse and predict such flows. The course is designed to bring students from a wide range of scientific or engineering backgrounds to a common level of understanding in preparation for the more advanced and specialised modules to follow in their postgraduate studies. The course will cover basic principles (hydrostatics, energy and momentum), and then move to the principles and techniques used in different areas (pipelines, open channels and aquifers).
Environmental Chemistry	Weeks 7-9	This course is based on the use of fundamental theoretical approaches from the fields of chemical thermodynamics and chemical kinetics to provide a rigorous tool to understand, describe and quantitatively predict the fate of contaminants in the environment. Understanding the extent and rate of the chemical transformation of pollutants in natural environments lies at the heart of risk-based environmental management. Applications of the fundamental theory are given through case studies and examples from recent published literature.
Environmental Sampling and Data Analysis	Weeks 10-12	This module provides students with an understanding of sampling techniques and analysis of collected data for environmental applications. The module covers environmental sampling from planning and design to selection of sampling techniques, using statistics as a tool to improve data quality and accuracy. The use of common statistical methods for data analysis and interpretation as well as an introduction to the use of multivariate statistics is also included. The theoretical concepts are illustrated using examples from surface water, groundwater and soil studies.
Hydrogeology	Weeks 13-15	Hydrogeology is the study of water movement in rocks, and includes the behaviour of associated chemicals whether they are natural occurring or pollutants. This module is an intensive study of the basic concepts of hydrogeology, and includes aspects of geology and hydrology. It leads towards qualitative and quantitative analyses of the behaviour of groundwater at local and regional scales.

Semester 2
Dissertation Planning and Paper Presentation	Weeks 1-15	All MSc students complete an independent dissertation project. This module aims at developing the skills necessary to complete a dissertation, including time and project management, research techniques, and academic writing. Students gain experience in public speaking by making a presentation on their dissertation at an MSc conference at the end of their programme.
Fate and Transport of Pollutants in Groundwater	Weeks 1-3	Urban groundwater is abused by its overlying city, with massive changes in recharge sources and amounts, and a multiplicity of actual and potential pollution sources. These range from leaking sewers, landfills, small workshops and garages, to large industrial plants. The course will extend students´ knowledge of hydrogeology by discussing urban groundwater at the regional and local scales, with case studies of investigation and assessment.
Landfill Engineering and Environmental Management	Weeks 4-6	Within landfills, natural processes generate liquid leachate and gases that can adversely impact surrounding land and groundwater. This module considers landfill waste management practices and technical design in the context of sustainable development. It covers environmental impacts, leachate and gas evolution and composition, gas management, leachate treatment, environmental control system design, liner failure mechanisms, groundwater impacts and landfill aftercare and remediation.
Risk Assessment for Soil and Groundwater	Weeks 7-9	Risk assessment is now the cornerstone of environmental management in the UK, for contaminated land and groundwater, floods and catchment management. For pollution problems, risk assessment combines an understanding of the impact of pollutants on health and the environment together with knowledge of the behaviour of pollutants along the pathway from their source to their target; the point of their effect. The course explains the philosophy, theory and practical application of risk assessment, using many examples and guest speakers.
Field Investigation Methods	Weeks 10-12	Characterisation of contaminant plumes and source zones inevitably involves field investigation. This module critically assesses both standard and novel field techniques used to characterise the subsurface: drilling methods, direct-push tools, geophysics, rock/sediment core logging, hydraulic testing, monitoring well design and water sampling methods. Also covered are site investigation strategies, data interpretation and quality control. A trip to a real field site gives students a chance to use sampling equipment and perform wellhead analyses.
Natural Attenuation of Pollutants	Weeks 13-15	Contaminants can be attenuated naturally in the subsurface through a combination of physical, chemical and biological processes. Monitored natural attenuation (MNA) is a risk-based strategy that relies on these processes to manage contaminated land and groundwater impacts. This module examines natural attenuation processes in detail and provides practical skills in the performance assessment of MNA using standard MNA evaluation protocols and UK technical guidance. Standard and novel MNA assessment and decision-support modelling tools are examined through application to real site data.

† Generally 1 day per week scheduled around block modules