ENVIRONMENT AND LEGISLATION - 2025/6

Module Overview

This module describes the legislative framework of environmental protection, describing the major concepts in the field. It reviews the establishment and verification of systems for environmental protection, considering both legal and economic aspects. The module concludes with a practical review of environmental protection as applied in the nuclear industry.

Module provider

Mathematics & Physics

Module Leader

PODOLYAK Zsolt (Maths & Phys)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Lecturer


Title


Lecture Hours




Dr N.B. Ghiassee


Environmental Protection – Law and Policy.  The general principles and legislative basis of environmental protection policy in the UK, European Union, and at International level, and an overview of International Nuclear Law.


9




Mr G Beard


ISO14001 Environmental Management System: protecting the environment whilst maintaining your business, environmental impact minimisation, best available techniques, setting improvement targets, legal compliance, auditing and review.


6




Dr JAS Cleaver


Properties of aerosols, flow, diffusion, size distributions, optical properties, coagulation, sampling and aerosol production.


6




Mr P Kruse


Radioactive Substances Permitting,

Radiological Impact Assessments


6




R Walke


Mathematical modelling of radionuclide transport in the environment, including applications of compartmental models. Radionuclide dispersion in groundwaters, terrestrial surface waters, estuaries and marine environments.  Uptake of radionuclides by plants and animals. Assessment of critical group and collective exposures.

 


6

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate both knowledge across the whole breadth of the module and a deeper cognitive/analytical ability alongside deeper knowledge in specified areas.

 

The 10 short questions of the assessment package are able to test knowledge and understanding of a broad range of topics covered in the module. The essay question is aimed at assessing the knowledge of specific chosen topics and depth of understanding expected at this level on environment and legislation.

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

• 
  Class Test (1 hour): 10 short questions of the assessment package are able to test knowledge and understanding of a broad range of topics covered in the module.
  


• 
  Essay (2000 words): Essay questions aimed at assessing the knowledge of specific chosen topics and depth of understanding expected at this level on environment and legislation.
  

• Formative verbal feedback is given in lectures.

Module aims

• To establish a basic grounding in the principles and practice of environmental protection.
• To develop a qualitative approach to environmental protection, establishing the need for systems of control and verification with an analysis of associated cost.
• To understand the current legislation.
• To understand the importance of carrying out risk assessments and implementing control measures to reduce exposure to optical radiation sources.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching methods include:

• Lectures [30 hours]


• Individual learning [120 hours]

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: PHYM057

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2025/6 academic year.