Non-Target Screening for Environmental Analysis
Course content
This course introduces students to advanced techniques for identifying unknown chemicals in the environment using suspect screening (SS) and non-target screening (NTS). Students will learn how to detect these substances and assess their environmental impact. Hands-on practice will involve applying NTS to real environmental samples, such as water, soil, and biological organisms, within the context of individual research projects.
The course will equip students with an understanding of the strengths, limitations, and challenges of NTS. It combines lectures with theoretical and practical exercises, allowing students to apply their learning continuously. Lectures will cover the fundamentals of NTS, including analytical workflows, peak detection, identification, and quantification processes, using open-source software. Examples will primarily focus on liquid chromatography and high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) to analyze water samples (e.g., wastewater, surface water, drinking water), but will also cover other sample types like soil, sediment, and urine, and introduce additional methods such as gas chromatography (GC), supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC), and ion mobility spectrometry (IMS).
For the practical component, students will work in small groups to design and execute a research project, using NTS to answer specific environmental questions. This will involve everything from sample preparation to peak identification and quantification of chemicals of emerging concern. Techniques may include solid-phase extraction (SPE), vacuum evaporation up-concentration (VEC), and analysis using LC, SFC, or GC. Software like MSDial and MZmine will be used for peak detection, and students will also filter data, prioritize compounds (e.g., using R scripts), and employ suspect screening libraries to identify chemicals of concern.
MSc programme in Environmental Science
The course will prepare students to evaluate, reflect on, design, and implement cutting-edge research to answer complex environmental questions.
Knowledge
Students will gain knowledge of:
- Definitions and distinctions between suspect and non-target screening (SS and NTS), including the strengths and weaknesses of different workflows for environmental analysis.
- Core concepts in SS and NTS, such as sample preparation, data acquisition, quality control, data processing, filtering, prioritization, and interpretation.
- Quality control procedures for SS and NTS data.
- The interdisciplinary nature of NTS, integrating areas like toxicology and regulation.
Skills
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Formulate and plan NTS workflows to address specific research questions, including sample preparation, data acquisition, processing, and analysis.
- Process NTS data to prioritize features and identify unknown substances.
- Assess and correct for variations and drift in NTS data (quality control).
- Interpret high-resolution mass spectrometry data to identify chemicals without available analytical standards.
- Use SS and NTS methodologies based on open-source software.
- Clearly communicate research findings to peers, stakeholders, or authorities.
Competencies
Students will develop the ability to:
- Critically evaluate analytical platforms and data processing methods used in NTS research.
- Reflect on the quality and reliability of NTS studies.
- Interpret NTS data to draw accurate and evidence-based conclusions.
The first three weeks will focus on lectures, theoretical exercise and preparation/planning of research question and lab exercise. The remaining weeks will be interactive between lectures and laboratory exercises. At the end, the students compile the learned theoretical and practical work into a research report, which forms part of the examination. Throughout the laboratory exercise, the students will work in groups. Groups are formed by the lecturers based on students’ research interests and to have groups with variation in terms of academic backgrounds and nationalities.
• Course manual (distributed prior to the
course)
• NORMAN guidance on suspect and non-target
screening in environmental monitoring, Hollender J. et al. (2023),
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12302-023-00779-4
The course NPLB14027U Analytical Chemistry or equivalent is
recommended, since all basic theory of separation and mass
spectrometry is assumed to be known. If you did not already pass
this course, then you should contact the course responsible before
signing up (seti@plen.ku.dk).
Academic qualifications equivalent to a BSc degree is
recommended.
- ECTS
- 7,5 ECTS
- Type of assessment
-
Oral exam on basis of previous submission, 20 min
- Type of assessment details
- Project rapport must be submitted in order to participate in the oral exam. Individual oral examination for 20 minutes and will cover questions related to both the group project (laboratory report), handed in during the course, and the course curriculum.
- Examination prerequisites
-
Attendance at 80% of both the theoretical and practical exercises
- Aid
- All aids allowed
- Marking scale
- 7-point grading scale
- Censorship form
- No external censorship
Several internal censors, chosen based on the lab project
- Re-exam
-
Same as the ordinary exam.
If the group project hasn’t been submitted during the course, - or if the exam registration requirements are not met - an individual lab report, tailored for a single person, must be submitted for the re-exam three weeks before the re-exam. The specifics of this report should be agreed upon in advance with the course coordinator.
Criteria for exam assessment
In order to obtain the grade 12, the student should convincingly and accurately demonstrate the knowledge, skills and competences described under Learning Outcome
Single subject courses (day)
- Category
- Hours
- Lectures
- 25
- Preparation
- 130
- Theory exercises
- 10
- Practical exercises
- 40
- Exam
- 1
- English
- 206
Kursusinformation
- Language
- English
- Course number
- NPLK25004U
- ECTS
- 7,5 ECTS
- Programme level
- Full Degree Master
- Duration
-
1 block
- Placement
- Block 4
- Schedulegroup
-
B
- Capacity
- 25
The number of places might be reduced if you register in the late-registration period (BSc and MSc) or as a credit or single subject student. - Studyboard
- Study Board of Natural Resources, Environment and Animal Science
Contracting department
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences
Contracting faculty
- Faculty of Science
Course Coordinator
- Selina Kornelia Tisler (4-8476857a51817d767f3f7c863f757c)
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Kursusinformation for indskrevne studerende