This course will provide essential knowledge of environmental forensics by emphasizing using the latest methods suitable to solve critical environmental pollution questions. These methods include chemical and DNA fingerprinting techniques. Chemical fingerprinting techniques to be discussed are mass spectrometry, trace metal analysis and stable isotope analysis of light elements. The DNA fingerprinting technique covers DNA extraction methods and detection of the toxin-encoding gene. Students will be exposed to various scenarios and problems related to environmental pollution and will be tested to propose appropriate techniques to find the source of the problems. Students will also gain exposure to the field investigation process from a legal perspective. In addition, the students will be taught how to use multivariate statistical methods to recognize data patterns and thus obtain the best information and interpretation from the analyses. At the end of this course, students will know how to organize information and data from various sources to find the source of environmental pollution using critical and logical thinking.
