Development of environmental education concepts concerning chemical waste management and treatment: the training experience of undergraduate students

Abstract

It is essential to develop a safety culture with the participation of university teachers and students in actions and studies that can contribute to safer and more sustainable practices in academic laboratories. The present work analyzes the potential of a training program to raise awareness and establish environmental education and green chemistry concepts concerning procedures for the management and treatment of chemical waste generated in experimental classes. This is a qualitative case study providing a critical perspective of environmental education. The training activity, lasting 45 minutes, was conducted with 66 students entering Chemistry courses at a Brazilian public university. Data collection was carried out using an initial questionnaire to identify the students’ prior knowledge, and a final one applied after the training period. The questionnaires contained open questions and closed questions with a Likert-type scale. The results showed that the training activity contributed to the students’ understanding of the concepts, procedures, and attitudes related to the management and treatment of chemical waste, including the interrelations among the environmental, social, and economic impacts of waste management, the importance of correct separation and storage of residues for disposal using different types of treatment, the civil liability of the academic community for the residues generated, and how the 3Rs principles can favor sustainable practices in the academic context.

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Introduction

Green Chemistry (GC), in meeting the goals of Sustainable Chemistry, can be defined as the use of chemical methodologies or techniques that eliminate or reduce the generation of products and by-products harmful to the environment and its inhabitants (Prado, 2003; Pence and Kirchhoff, 2013). The basis of GC is defined by twelve principles that represent the concern for sustainable development worldwide. Currently, there is an increasing use of GC concepts integrated with Environmental Education (EE) (Zandonai et al., 2014; Zuin et al., 2020). An issue of EE directly related to the principles of GC, is the correct use and disposal of chemical substances. This discussion is essential at universities that offer undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Chemistry and related areas (Montañés et al., 2012; Pence and Kirchhoff, 2013). It is vital to develop a culture that involves teachers and students in actions that favour adherence to safer and more sustainable practices in academic laboratories (Sanganyado and Nkomo, 2018; Hill et al., 2019; Zuin et al., 2019). In Brazil, several public universities, aware of their social and environmental responsibilities, have been pioneering in the implementation of practices designed to prevent the improper disposal of solid waste and wastewater (Martins et al., 2017; Ramm et al., 2018).

For a long time, in the experimental disciplines that produce chemical residues, the final destinations for disposal of liquid and solid residues have been directly in sinks and in general refuse, respectively (Amaral et al., 2001; Gerbase et al., 2005). These practices bring great risks, both to the population and to the environment, due to the diversity and hazard level of the wastes (Jardim, 1998; Ramm et al., 2018; Zuin et al., 2019). Concomitant to environmental legislation and international recommendations, there is a growing need to develop EE activities at all levels of education, following research guidelines and legislation in this area (Ramm et al., 2018). At the end of the 1990s and the start of the 2000s, universities began to alter their practices, creating waste management programs (WMPs), so that improper waste disposal habits could be eliminated (Jardim, 1998; Amaral et al., 2001; Gerbase et al., 2005).

The creation of a WMP requires institutional support and collaboration among the entire academic community (students, teachers, technicians, and others), since it is essential to change collective attitudes, in order to achieve the desired objectives (Jardim, 1998; Montañés et al., 2012; Ramm et al., 2018; Zuin et al., 2019). In this context, the present study provides a critical analysis of the potential of a training action to raise awareness and systematize EE and GC concepts related to the processes of management and treatment of chemical residues generated in experimental classes. The work involved the participation of students of the Bachelor of Chemistry, Industrial Chemistry, and Chemical Engineering courses at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). The Bachelor of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry undergraduate courses at UFRGS have been accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry since 2014, reflecting international recognition of their quality.

Waste management

During processes of obtaining or transforming materials, products are generated that do not have any commercial value, benefit, or utility for human beings. These waste products can be classified as non-hazardous, dangerous, passive, or active. Depending on their classification, when improperly disposed of, they can contaminate surface and underground waters, soil, sediment, air, and humans (ABNT, 2004).

Educational and research institutions are frequently responsible for the production of chemical waste. These types of waste need special attention, since their great diversity makes their disposal difficult, given that there is no “standard” treatment that can be applied (Ramm et al., 2018). In order to avoid environmental impacts, universities are looking for solutions to minimize the environmental risks caused by the wastes generated during teaching and research activities (Montañés et al., 2012; Sanganyado and Nkomo, 2018; Hill et al., 2019). In Brazil, attempts in this direction have been made since the 1990s (Ramm et al., 2018), based on the principles that waste management must first consider non-generation, reduction of generation, and reuse of waste, in order to avoid environmental degradation. Various procedures aiming at the development of sustainable research and teaching practices are being implemented (Sudan and Zuin, 2018), such as WMPs (Ramm et al., 2018) and reduction in the generation of waste by the laboratories of educational institutions (Martins et al., 2017).

At Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), the Chemistry Institute (CI) has been carrying out pilot programs for the collection, transportation, and treatment of chemical waste for over twenty years, representing a pioneering initiative among universities in Brazil (Gerbase et al., 2005). In 2001, the Chemical Waste Management and Treatment Centre (CGTRQ) was created, with the purpose of providing essential scientific and technological knowledge concerning chemical waste management and the associated safety aspects (Amaral et al., 2001). The services provided by CGTRQ include technical visits, planning and creating standards to eliminate chemical liabilities, developing collection plans, offering courses to train users, and defining measures for the correct transportation of waste. CGTRQ has technical responsibility for the management of wastes from the time of their generation up to the point of their final disposal, issuing the legal documents required, in accordance with environmental legislation. In addition, CGTRQ arranges the transport of waste that cannot be treated on site to partner companies, which then undertake the necessary processing, incineration, and/or disposal in landfill (Amaral et al., 2001).

Environmental education (EE) and green chemistry (GC)

Serious human impacts in the environment have existed for many decades. Despite this, the incorporation of EE as a method aiming at the creation of a more environmentally aware and responsible society is not uniform (Zuin et al., 2020). There are various principles, strategies, and objectives adopted by those who teach EE, with different conceptual approaches ranging from adaptive-reproductive to transformative (Cortes Junior and Fernandez, 2016).

This work is based on the perspective of critical EE (Cortes Junior and Fernandez, 2016; Sudan and Zuin, 2018; Zuin and Pacca, 2013). The starting point for determining EE as critical is the uneasiness with naturalist and recursive socio environmental concepts (focused on the conservation of resources and preservation of nature). The objective of critical EE is to develop citizens’ transforming and emancipator posture regarding their relationship with the environment, taking into account their social, cultural, economic and personal diversity (Alvaro et al., 2019; Cortes Junior and Fernandez, 2016). To this end, it aims at a critical and comprehensive reflection on the cultural values of consumer society, consumerism, industrialism, the capitalist mode of production and the political and economic aspects of environmental issues. Therefore, it is expected that persons involved in the teaching and learning process of critical EE will know how to position themselves in a reasoned and transformative way in relation to socio-environmental situations. Due to their complexity, these situations demand special attention to ethical, moral and evaluative considerations, as well as to conceptual, methodological and technological aspects linked to Science (Sudan and Zuin, 2018; Zowada et al., 2020).

In view of this, awareness raising overcomes the appropriation of knowledge about waste management and treatment, since critical EE is considered a permanent learning process, based on respect for all forms of life. Moreover, critical EE asserts values and actions contributing to socio-environmental changes requiring individual and collective, regional and global responsibilities (Zuin and Pacca, 2013; Zuin et al., 2020). Accordingly, the principles of critical EE will be realized when students reflect on how scientific knowledge was built and under what political, social, economic and environmental conditions (Cortes Junior and Fernandez, 2016).

The graduates of Bachelor in Chemistry, Industrial Chemistry, and Chemical Engineering courses may have to handle and manage different types of chemical waste during their professional activities. Therefore, it is essential to provide educational actions that can promote fundamental understanding of the basis of waste management and treatment. Critical EE should be directed towards the systematization of EE and GC concepts, from the beginning of undergraduate courses.

One of the concepts of GC, addressed in this work, is the principle of 3Rs (reduction, reuse and recycling) for the management of chemical waste produced in teaching laboratories. The discussion on the social, economic and environmental considerations of waste management, which are the principles of sustainability, are interrelated with the concepts of critical EE. According to Sudan and Zuin (2018), sustainability is understood as the foundation of critical, transformative and emancipator environmental education. Moreover, it is understood, in turn, as a strategy for building sustainable, socially just and ecologically balanced societies. Accordingly, the concepts of environmental education, green chemistry and sustainability are interrelated in this study in order to favor the process of training students in a critical perspective.

Scientific concepts construction

Watkins et al. (2018) showed that the construction of scientific knowledge is favoured when classroom routines are based on a socio-interactionist approach that emphasizes discussion among the students and the teacher, promoting the learning process (whether spontaneous, involving prior knowledge, or according to common sense). In this conception of science teaching and learning, the role of the teacher is to organize the process by which individuals generate meanings about the phenomena that are studied. In order to support the assimilation of concepts, activities are necessary to enable their introduction into a symbolic universe involving new cultural practices, understanding of theoretical bases, and divergent beliefs (Driver et al., 1994).

According to the sociocultural learning theory of Vigotski (2001), spontaneous knowledge has a role in the elaboration of scientific concepts, with the dynamics of development and mutual interaction of these concepts, in the classroom, favouring student learning. In processes of teaching and learning focused on assimilation, students normally use the knowledge acquired during their personal and social experiences to explain everyday phenomena (Watkins et al., 2018). These informal knowledge schemes are often adequate to interpret daily experiences. However, scientific culture differs from common sense ontologically and epistemologically, since it has a different nature and uses specific symbols, theories, models, and representations to analyze and explain natural phenomena (Driver et al., 1994).

For science educators, the challenge is to disseminate among students a critical perspective concerning scientific culture. For this, the students must become involved in personal processes of construction and attribution of meanings (Pence and Kirchhoff, 2013; Sudan and Zuin, 2018; Zowada et al., 2020). Based on this assumption, it is understood that awareness and the systematization of concepts are interwoven, with the development of consciousness being closely linked to systematization and/or the formation of higher concepts (Vigotski, 2001). In order to achieve transformation of the social environment, the understanding of scientific concepts related to the environment is fundamental in education of future professionals in the field of Chemistry, since their academic experience will influence their subsequent behaviour in the workplace.

In the context of this article, discussion and guidance on the types of waste, treatments and risks, environmental legislation, and EE principles and GC can contribute to the professional training by students in the general field of experimental Chemistry. The goal is to modify daily practices, aiming at new values in terms of preservation of the environment, involving students in EE activities focused on social, political, and economic themes, so that they can exercise their citizenship with a critical perspective in seeking to protect the natural environment.

Methodology

The present research, which is qualitative in nature, is a case study descriptive. According to Yin (2017), the descriptive case study seeks to understand the object of study, in its complexity and in a real context. For the author, a “case” may be an individual, a small group, an organization, a community, a process, an unforeseen incident, or a happening, among others. Thus, paying explicit attention to limits is important: a distinction between the phenomenon under study and its context. As a qualitative method, the case study generally offers a way to deepen understanding of an individual unit, besides helping to answer questions over which the researcher has no great control in relation to the phenomenon studied. The differential of this method is that it allows the detailed and thorough study of a well-defined “case” in its natural context (Yin, 2017). With this perspective, this research was carried out in a natural setting, the data being collected with the involvement of a total of 66 students from the Bachelor of Chemistry, Industrial Chemistry, and Chemical Engineering courses, who were enrolled in the General Experimental Chemistry discipline at UFRGS, in the second semester of 2017. The research was carried out using this discipline because it is offered in the first academic semesters for courses with an emphasis on Chemistry. In the initial stages of the courses, the students require specific training about EE and GC concepts related to waste management, so that they act more consciously during experimental classes (Zuin et al., 2019).

The students who participated in this investigation signed the terms of consent that were presented with the research objectives and were told that their identities would be kept anonymous. In order to evaluate the level of awareness of the students concerning waste management and treatment, an initial diagnostic questionnaire was used, consisting of open questions and closed questions with a Likert-type scale. This initial evaluation was applied before the date of the training activity. The initial questionnaire used can be viewed in Session S1 (ESI†).

The training activity lasted 45 minutes. It is not the objective of this study for the training action to be replicated by other researchers, but the material can be made available through contact with the corresponding author. The objective of the training action was the systematization of GC and EE concepts, based on the students' prior knowledge and questioning in order to favour the understanding of the relationship between humans and nature, according to a dialectic perspective, hence contributing to the training of future chemistry professionals. An activity was carried out in the format of an expository dialogue, with the use of slides, as a reference for discussion of the proposed themes. During the discussion, the students presented questions and contributions concerning the following topics: the recycling process for used soybean oil; the use of plants for bioremediation; the types of legal sanctions for environmental crimes; the specific duties of those trained in the area of chemistry. These were not the contents previously structured for the training action, but were discussed throughout the period, according to the students' questions.

It should be noted that the principles of critical EE correspond precisely to the problematization of the socio-environmental reality of individuals, in order to be able to develop new practices aimed at preservation of the environment (Sudan and Zuin, 2018), including new values based on actions focused on topics having social, political, and economic relevance.

The training was offered with the purpose of disseminating the contributions of CGTRQ to the maintenance of sustainable practices in the institution and the provision of guidelines for the correct treatment of the different types of waste generated in the teaching and research laboratories. The students were provided with the following information: (i) professional assignments registered with the Regional Chemistry Council, for the Chemistry and Chemical Engineering courses (regulatory body for supervising the exercise of professions in the chemistry area); (ii) different existing classifications for chemical waste; (iii) description of the evolution of Brazilian environmental legislation and environmental education; (iv) treatments performed by CGTRQ, in order to ensure the appropriate final destinations for the wastes received; (v) foundations of the waste management procedures of the CI disciplines, such as the 3Rs principles: reduce, reuse, and recycle, aimed at instituting waste segregation at the source and developing human resources capable of working in waste management.

After two months, a final diagnostic questionnaire with open and closed questions was applied to evaluate the students’ knowledge about the waste management and treatment processes. The final questionnaire used can be viewed in Session S2 (ESI†).

The students were identified from E01 to E66, for analysis of the responses. The open questions were analysed in a qualitative and interpretative way. The closed questions used a Likert-type scale, so analysis was performed by means of the construction of graphs. The scores were calculated using eqn (1), enabling identification of the statements with which the students showed greater or lesser agreement. The scores were assigned as follows: “−2” for “Strongly disagree (SD)”, “−1” for “Partially disagree (PD)”, “zero” for “I don't have an opinion”, “+1” for “Partially agree (PA)”, and “+2” for “Strongly agree (SA)”. The calculation of the value of agreement was determined by adding up the number of times the option was chosen, multiplied by the score assigned to it, and divided by the total number of answers, according to eqn (1).

Results and discussion

Of the 66 subjects who participated in this research, before the training session was conducted, 63 undergraduate students presented positive responses when asked if the practice of collecting chemical waste in experimental classes would contribute to their professional training. Only 3 students did not consider that the experience of collecting waste in the teaching laboratory would add value to their professional training. Of the 63 who claimed that it made some form of contribution, 7 students did not provide justification. Of those who believed that it contributed to professional training, 17 responses indicated that the training contributed because it considered impacts in the environment, as shown in the following example:

S07: “It highlights the importance of separating and correctly disposing of waste, which is essential for preserving the environment.”

Additionally, 2 students highlighted their concerns regarding human health, with the perception that human beings are in direct contact with the environment and that its quality directly affects human health.

S12: “Waste collection increases the environmental awareness of students, including the ability to diagnose the risks of contact with waste, for humans or the environment.”

Five of the students considered that the activities enabled the adoption of appropriate habits in laboratories using chemical reagents.

S18: “Because then I get used to doing this.”

Twenty students stated that this practice was necessary because companies that are engaged with sustainability issues, whether due to their own culture or the imposition of environmental laws, can count on trained professionals who are aware of the correct environmental practices.

S47: “Because this learning will be necessary for my professional life, since companies are becoming increasingly ecologically engaged.”

After the training period, the questionnaire used for the final diagnosis was applied as the last stage of the research with the group of students. This occurred at the end of the semester, which could explain the fact that 20 students did not attend due to student dropout. With 46 completing this questionnaire, the analysis was carried out in a comparative and proportional way to identify the training contribution forms, compared to 66 for the initial questionnaire. Of the 46 respondents, 45 provided positive feedback that the practice of collecting the residues generated during the experimental classes of the General Chemistry discipline contributed to their training. It should be noted that in the case of the initial questionnaire, 63 of the 66 students stated that undertaking collection of the residues would contribute to their training, although 7 of these students did not justify their answers. In the case of the final questionnaire, all the contributing students justified their responses.

An important observation was that in their answers, the students presented concepts that had been covered during the training activity and had probably been reinforced throughout the semester, during the experimental classes. In general, the answers were more elaborate than those presented for the initial questionnaire, as can be seen using the objectives of the 3Rs principles as an example:

S19: “It is important to collect waste for reuse and to avoid pollution of the environment.”

S44: “I can reuse some waste in another activity.” (emphasis added)

A point that was reinforced during the application of the training activity was the importance of reusing the waste generated in the Experimental General Chemistry laboratories. This practice of reuse has been implemented at CI since the earlier project “Teaching and Clean Chemistry” (Amaral et al., 2001). In addition to reducing the costs associated with waste treatment, this can provide savings by reducing the amounts of fresh reagents required. This type of argumentation was evident in the responses of the students.

S07: “The collection helped me to understand the importance of reusing waste in order to reduce costs.”

The responses of the students who presented arguments concerning classification of the waste generated can also be highlighted.

S12: “Awareness of the quantity and quality of the waste that we generate, its final destination, its possible reuse, and its environmental impact.”

The answers for the final questionnaire evidenced that the students had progressed as a result of the knowledge acquired during the training process, since they showed greater understanding of the topics addressed.

The training processes adopted for EE aim to enhance critical collective action, reflection on the role of institutions, and questions regarding the contexts in which the concepts and principles studied during training activities are applicable (Zuin and Pacca, 2013; Sudan and Zuin, 2018).

For the question concerning the impacts that would be caused by incorrect disposal of chemical residues generated during the activities of the UFRGS teaching laboratories, 62 of the 66 respondents reported that incorrect disposal would cause some type of damage, whether environmental, economic, or social. Three of the respondents did not identify the possible losses. Of the remainder, 45 considered that incorrect disposal affects the environment.

S43: “It can pollute water, the biome, and the fauna, often being harmful to the environment.”

For 29 students, there was damage to human health.

S04: “Someone might handle the waste, unaware of its often toxic character, which could cause serious health problems.”

For 7 students, inappropriate disposal was related to financial losses, either due to operating costs, fines, or material damage.

S01: “I believe so, because I have already read somewhere (I don't remember where) that the amount of money spent to identify and separate the waste is absurdly large.”

It should be noted that only a few students considered the combination of more than one effect, such as in the answer below.

S66: “Because they can cause accidents at different scales, which can harm the environment, people, or the University's reputation.”

According to reports in the literature, it is believed that only a rigorous reflection on the theoretical principles of critical EE can enable evaluation of educational practices and trends, allowing joint discussions involving all agents acting in everyday situations with environmental, social, and economic aspects (Pence and Kirchhoff, 2013; Sudan and Zuin, 2018; Zowada et al., 2020).

In addition, it seems that many students who participated in this study had a fragmented view of human beings and nature. Their responses indicated that they understood the human being as an agent that interferes in and/or appropriates nature, and that during this process, the problems generated are the consequences of human actions. Similar findings have been reported previously (Sanganyado and Nkomo, 2018; Hill et al., 2019; Zuin et al., 2019). It can be inferred that in these representations of nature, the human being is not considered an integral part of the environment. This demonstrated the students’ naturalistic and recursive conception of the environment (Sudan and Zuin, 2018).

For all 46 students, incorrect disposal of waste could result in some kind of loss. In the case of the initial questionnaire, 64 of the 66 students indicated that inappropriate disposal was responsible for possible losses, although 3 of these students provided no justification. In the case of the final questionnaire, justifications were provided by all the students, who indicated that harm could be caused by the incorrect disposal of waste. Among the justifications given by the students, the link between toxic potential and damage caused to the environment was present in the vast majority of the responses.

S05: “When disposed of incorrectly, a certain chemical residue can cause environmental problems, such as in aquatic systems.”

S26: “Chemical waste disposed of in the wrong way often damages the balance of the environment.”

In addition, comparison with the answers given for the initial questionnaire revealed the perception of issues such as financial losses linked to environmental damage, mainly attributed to the lack of reusing waste, which was initially largely ignored.

S35: “Harm to the environment and the faculty is caused by discarding substances that could be reused, with high added value, depending on the substance.”

S37: “Economic damage, by preventing reuse, and environmental damage, by contaminating watercourses and other systems.”

As already discussed, science education and EE do not aim to suppress the existing knowledge of students, but rather to enhance it, by means of the incorporation of symbols and customs (Driver et al., 1994; Watkins et al., 2018). This conceptual systemization also provides an indication of the advancement of awareness about the interconnection between environmental and economic aspects. Meanwhile, as an indicator of full understanding of the principles of critical EE, the students should also have identified the interrelations with social factors.

In the responses, justifications were also identified related to the conditions of discharge into the sewage networks, the toxicity of the waste, and especially the pH of the waste. This could be explained by the fact that these issues were greatly reinforced in the classes. Answers in the questionnaires completed by the students included the following:

S03: “Some are ecotoxic when discharged into the sewer, while others can alter the pH.”

S21: “They can change the environment, with the disposal of metals or changes in pH causing changes in fauna and flora.”

The responses of the students to the question concerning the losses incurred by incorrect disposal were better substantiated, in addition to the use of concepts studied during the training activity. This demonstrated that most students had understood the likely environmental impacts caused by incorrect waste disposal. As identified in previous studies, student engagement was observed in the discussions, they appreciated the importance of changes in procedural habits related to waste management and treatment processes, and they gave a positive evaluation of the training action (Montañés et al., 2012; Sanganyado and Nkomo, 2018; Hill et al., 2019).

For the Likert-scale questions related to the 3Rs principles (Fig. 1), the two statements that showed the greatest changes, compared to the initial questionnaire, were statements 2 and 4. This reflected the fact that initially, the students had little knowledge about the application of the 3Rs principles in the context of experimental laboratory activities.

Fig. 1 Comparison of the scores obtained from the students' responses to the statements about the 3Rs principles, for the initial and final questionnaires. The statements analyzed were as follows: 1. They are important for achieving sustainable practices; 2. The reduction can be achieved using lower volumes of reagents during the experiments; 3. The reduction minimizes the hazard level of the waste; 4. The products generated during an experimental class can be used as reagents (inputs) in other activities; 5. Recycling is the process of transforming solid waste that involves changing its physical, chemical, or biological properties, with a view to transforming it into inputs or new products, subject to the conditions and standards established by regulatory agencies.

After the training activity, during which there was presentation of actions undertaken at CI in accordance with the 3Rs principles, examples being the reduction of the volume of waste generated by changing from 50 mL burettes to 25 mL burettes, or the use of microscale qualitative analyses, the students’ answers showed that they had assimilated the information and were aware of the importance of these principles in the daily routine of laboratory practices. This was also evidenced in the answers to the questions presented above and was supported by the responses of the students to statement 2, for which the score was initially +0.87 and after training increased to +1.80, which was close to the SA value.

During the training period, the reuse of residues was also discussed. Some residues that are generated in certain disciplines can be reused in other disciplines, either directly or after treatment. For this topic, the students’ score for statement 4 changed from +0.82 to +1.71. After similar training activities, Montañés et al. (2012) and Sanganyado and Nkomo (2018) reported reductions of the consumption of reagents and the generation of residues in higher education courses in the area of chemistry.

For statement 3, the students’ showed difficulty in relating the amount of waste generated to its hazard level, as observed for the responses for the initial questionnaire. This result could have been related to a poor understanding of the concept of hazard risk:

A characteristic presented by a residue that, due to its physical, chemical, or infectious/contagious properties, can present risks to public health, causing mortality, incidence of diseases, or increasing disease indexes, and risks to the environment, when the waste is improperly managed (ABNT, 2004, p. 2).

From this definition, it can be understood that the respondents may have had doubts regarding the applicability of the degree of hazard of waste and how it can vary, since the composition of chemical residues may be known, but be complex. For disposal purposes, the classification of the waste does not consider its quantity, since the hazard is directly related to its characteristics (physical and chemical properties) and its interaction with the environment (ABNT, 2004).

The concept of the hazard level of the residues was not worked on during the training action. This concept is worked on during the General Experimental Chemistry discipline.

Fig. 2 compares the scores calculated for each statement of the initial and final questionnaires related to chemical residues generated during the experimental activities at CI. It can be seen that the greatest changes in the degree of agreement were obtained for statements 4, 5, and 6.

Fig. 2 Comparison of the scores obtained from the students' responses to the statements about the management and treatment of the waste generated in the experimental classes and in the research laboratories at UFRGS, for the initial and final questionnaires. The statements analyzed were as follows: 1. They can be collected in any type of bottle; 2. They must be separated for correct disposal; 3. They need standard identification to ensure the correct final destination; 4. The residues produced in the teaching and research laboratories at UFRGS are sent directly to third-party companies that carry out their treatment; 5. The waste produced in the teaching and research laboratories at UFRGS is sent to CGTRQ; 6. At CGTRQ, the waste produced in the teaching and research laboratories of UFRGS is managed; 7. At CGTRQ, the waste produced in the teaching and research laboratories of UFRGS is treated.

Comparison of the scores for the fourth statement revealed changes in the students’ understanding of the destinations for the chemical residues produced at the Chemistry Institute. Despite not being a significant change, the increase of the negative value indicated that a greater number of students disagreed that the residues produced in the laboratories were sent directly to outsourced companies. This result was expected, since the services provided by CGTRQ about the management and treatment processes for waste generated in the experimental classes and in the research laboratories at UFRGS were presented during the training activity.

For the fifth statement, the score increased from +0.99 to +1.64, demonstrating that the students had understood the function performed by CGTRQ. The same was observed for the sixth statement, where the score increased from +0.85 to +1.78. This question was used to identify whether the training action increased the awareness of the students about the relevant role played by CGTRQ during over 17 years (Amaral et al., 2001; Gerbase et al., 2005). It could be seen from the responses that some students had acquired a better understanding of CGTRQ and its functions at UFRGS.

Fig. 3 compares the percentage of the responses of the students concerning the responsibility for the residues generated in the teaching and research laboratories. In the initial questionnaire a total of 33 (72%) of the 46 students thought that the responsibility resided with the academic community. This reflected a significant increase in understanding of the legal responsibility for chemical residues generated in the university's laboratories, since in the initial questionnaire this option was selected by 22 students (33%) out of a total of 66 respondents. It should be noted that the term “academic community” considers all the sectors and individuals that comprise it, whether they are internal employees (public employees), outsourced employees (external to UFRGS), or those who use it (students).

Fig. 3 Comparison of the attributions of the students concerning the legal responsibility for chemical residues generated during the experimental activities at UFRGS.

The results showed that the students had increased awareness of their responsibilities in relation to the waste generated at the university, in terms of both being part of the process and as individuals who interacted with the environment and should exercise the necessary care with it.

Therefore, the training action clarified that the management of the waste generated was a responsibility shared among the entire academic community, with individuals being responsible both for their own actions and for the omission of appropriate measures, as described in the PNRS (Brazil, 2010). Overall, in the final evaluation, the students attributed less responsibility to UFRGS, with 28 (61%) out of 46 respondents considering the university to be responsible, compared to 51 (77%) out of 66 in the initial evaluation.

After the training process, the students demonstrated desirable attitudes and skills related to the social, economic, and environmental aspects of practices in the teaching laboratories concerning the suitable management and treatment of chemical waste (Montañés et al., 2012; Sanganyado and Nkomo, 2018). Understanding of the social aspect was evidenced by the responses to the question concerning civil liability for the waste generated. Some students’ showed understanding of their roles and societal responsibility as future professionals situated in the environment, perceiving that the social, economic, and environmental aspects of waste management are intertwined and interdependent.

Conclusions

The data collected demonstrated that the training activity led to increased awareness and the assimilation of EE and GC concepts by the students. The response scores for the final questionnaire revealed increased knowledge and improved attitudes of the students starting the courses, in terms of the effects of chemical waste in the environment (ABNT, 2004; Jardim, 1998). The findings were in agreement with results reported previously in this area (Sudan and Zuin, 2018; Zuin et al., 2019). It should be emphasized that the objective of the training activity was not to identify the students’ previous knowledge, in order to then replace it with scientific knowledge, but to seek to improve their existing understanding. As pointed out by Vigotski (2001), the formation of consciousness that aims at transformation depends on the concepts that are assimilated in social environments, including those that are more restrictive, such as the university environment. The results achieved in this work were similar to those reported elsewhere for students from higher education courses in the field of Chemistry (Montañés et al., 2012; Sanganyado and Nkomo, 2018; Hill et al., 2019).

It could be considered that the training activity contributed to the students’ assimilation of the concepts of EE, GC and sustainability are interrelated, that are essential for the procedures, and attitudes of the management and treatment of chemical waste. They were able to understand the interrelations among the environmental, social, and economic impacts of waste management, the importance of correct separation and storage of waste for disposal using different types of treatment, the civil liability of the academic community for the waste generated, and how the 3Rs principles can favour sustainable actions in the academic context. The appropriate training of future professionals in the field of chemistry, with an emphasis on environmental education, can contribute to social and cultural actions leading to a better quality of life and protection of the environment (Alvaro et al., 2019; Zuin and Pacca, 2013; Zuin et al., 2020).

As study limitations, we highlight the short time (45 minutes) to deal with essential aspects of CG, concepts of EE, attitudes and procedures expected by future professionals in the field of Chemistry. In addition, questionnaires used in data collection were limited in relation to the hazard level of the residues, due to the fact that this concept was not addressed in the training. For further applications, the possibility of including this point in future training actions can be considered. Additionally, the topic of recycling liquid solvents could be introduced, and a question directly related to this subject could be included in the initial and final questionnaires.

Conflicts of interest

There are no conflicts to declare.

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledged MSc. Greice Vanin Oliveira (CGTRQ).

Notes and references

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Footnote

† Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/d0rp00170h

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