ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY

FALL 2002

 

 

                                                                                    Dr. Patricia Mosto

                                                                                    Office: 226

                                                                                    Phone: X4834

                                                                                    E-mail: mosto@rowan.edu

                                                                                    Office Hours: M/W 3:30-4:30

 

 

 

Objective of the course:

Environmental toxicology is the area of study concerned with harmful effects of chemicals upon ecosystems.  The course in divided in three parts.  Part one deal with the major classes of inorganic and organic pollutants, their entry into the environment and their movement, storage and transformation within the environment. It deals with the fate of pollutants in air, water, soils and sediments, and through food chains, with their chemical transformation and biotransformation.  Part two deals with the effects of pollutants upon living organisms at different organizational levels (molecular, cellular and whole organism).  Toxicity data will be used for the purpose of risk assessment.  Effects of pollutants are studied as an approach that can lead to the development of biomarkers and biomonitoring.  Part three is a holistic approach to ecotoxicology.  It deals with the effects of pollutants at the level of populations, communities, and whole ecosystems.  This section illustrates the truly interdisciplinary character of environmental toxicology. 

The objective of this course is to provide students with an understanding of the problems associated with indiscriminative use of chemicals worldwide, to give hand-on experience in toxicity testing, and to bring ethical awareness in relation to environmental degradation.  Even though all of Rachel CarsonŐs (Silent Spring, 1962) predictions have not come to be true, her book was able to give a clear focus to the problems associated with environmental pollution.  As responsible citizens of this world, we need to look at this problems in an educated manner, so we can press government to address them in a new legislative light taking ecotoxicology very seriously.  We need to understand that our earth canŐt cope unaffected with all the waste chemical products from agriculture and industry.  Major environmental reforms need to take place, and we play a role, as scientists and world citizens, in these reforms.  We have a moral responsibility to our only environment: the earth.

 

 

 

Textbook:

            Walker, C.H. et al. 1996. Principles of Ecotoxicology.  Taylor & Francis. Inc. 321 pp. ISBN 0748402217.

            Shaw, I. and J. Chadwick. 1998. Principles of Environmental Toxicology. Taylor & Francis. Inc. 216 pp. ISBN 0748403557.

Course Syllabus/Outline                                                     

                                                           

Monday                                                           Wenesday                   

                                                           

                                                                        9/4   Introduction/Toxicological Concepts                  

9/9   Major pollutants (Chap. 1)                      9/11  Routes and Transport (Chap. 2/3)                     

9/16 Q/A and Q/C Lab                                    9/18 Fate of pollutants (Chap. 4/5) (6*)                     

9/23 Fate of pollutants (Chap. 4/5) (6*)          9/25 Exam 1               

 

9/30 Toxicity testing (Chap 6) (3*)                 10/2 Biochemical effects (Chap 7)                 

                                                           

10/7   Acute Toxicity Lab (96 hs)                   10/9   Physiological effects (Chap 8)             

 

10/14 Biomarkers (Chap 10)                           10/16 Biological Monitoring (Chap 11) (4*)             

10/21 Chronic Toxicity  Lab (1 week)            10/23 Chronic Toxicity  Lab (1 week)                       

10/28 Chronic Toxicity  Lab (1 week)            10/30 Exam 2

                                                           

11/4 Population dynamics (Chap 12)              11/6 Resistance (Chap 13)

 

11/11 VeteranŐs day (no class)                        11/13 Ecosystem changes (Chap 14)

 

11/18  Population Lab (96 hs)                         11/20   Population Lab (96 hs)

                                                           

11/25 Biomarkers (Chap 15)                           11/27  Thanksgiving (no class)

 

12/2 Radioactivity (7*)/ Microtox Lab            12/4  Wildlife/Landscape Toxicology                                                                                      Microtox Lab

                                                                                                                                               

12/9   Paper presentations                               12/11   Paper presentations    

           

12/16 Exam 3 

 

 

__________________________________________________________________

(*) are chapters in Shaw book

 

Library Research paper topics:

 

            Chemical pollutants:    - Organochloride pesticides

                                                - PAHŐs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons)

                                                - Lead

                                                - Mercury

                                                - Cadmium and Zinc

                                                - PCBŐs  (polychlorinated biphenyls)

                                                - Dioxin (TCDDŐs)

            Acid deposition

            Nuclear Toxicity

            Thermal Toxicity

            Urban runoff

            Pathogenic organisms

            Indicators of water quality

            Major Case Studies  (i.e.  Chernobyl/ Love Canal)

            Modeling:        - Global deposition

                                    - Bioaccumulation

                                    - Population genetics

            Risk Assessment

            Laws and regulations

 

            (or any topic of your choice with approval of the instructor)

 

 

 

Grading:

 

You will be evaluated by your participation in class discussions, laboratory reports, exams and a final library research paper with an oral presentation.  You are expected to attend all classes; absence for more than 2 classes will affect your grade.  It is almost impossible to maintain a sense of continuity about the subject matter if you miss class.  But, as we all know, unexpected emergencies do happen to all of us.  If something should occur to prevent you from attending class, make plans to have somebody record the lecture or takes notes for you.   Also, I would appreciate if you let me know why are you missing class.   If you have difficulties understanding any concepts, either in class or in the textbook, I expect you to ask questions during class and/or come for help during office hours.

 

Class participation:  You are expected to actively participate in class, read the chapter ahead of time, came prepare to ask questions, answer questions, and make critical and relevant comments.  Class participation will constitute 10% of the final grade.

 

Laboratory reports:  You will write formal lab reports.  You will work in groups of 3-5 students.  Each group will be given a water sample that will be tested for acute, chronic population changes and microbiology toxicity during the semester.  There will be one long-term (chronic toxicity) lab project and 3 short term (acute/population/microbiology) lab projects.  It is impossible to make up a missed lab, and it will be given a grade 0 and averaged into your final lab grade.  Lab reports are due a week after the laboratory exercise has been completed.  Every delay in submitting the lab reports will count as lost points of the lab grade (5 points per week).  You are expected to read the lab exercise prior to coming to the lab.  Lab reports will follow the typical toxicity report outline that will be discussed in the first lab.   Lab reports should be completed on a computer, as the computer should be used to generate tables and graphs.  Lab reports are group based, and will constitute 35% of the final grade.

 

Exams:  There will be 3 exams.  Exams are not cumulative.  The major points of each reading assignment will be discussed in class, as well as difficult concepts, and will constitute the core of the exams.  You are expected to be present for all exams.  Make-up exams will not be given unless there is a really serious cause for missing the exam. Exams will constitute 45% of the final grade.

 

Library Research paper: You will write a seven to ten pages library research paper on one of the selected topics.  Papers should have a minimum of five to seven references dated no later than 1990.  If you have concerns about your ability to organize and/or write scientific papers, come to me, or go to the Writing Center for help. You will give a short presentation during the last week of classes.  Papers should be typed on a computer, and are due the week of the presentation.  The paper will constitute 10% of the final grade.