TOX-20306 Environmental Toxicology

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Studiepunten 6.00

Language of instruction:

English

Continuation courses:

General Toxicology course (TOX-20302), thesis Tox, Internship Tox.

Contents:

This course gives an overview of different aspects playing a role in the challenging field of environmental toxicology. Toxicology itself already is very interdisciplinary, but environmental toxicology even adds (environmental) chemistry, earth sciences, biology of a wide range of species and ecology to this. Therefore it is not possible to go deep into details. Mechanisms of toxic action, for example, will not be a dominant aspect of this course.
The course is set-up as an integration between lectures, practicals, computer sessions and video and excursion. The book 'Principles of Ecotoxicology' is used to develop a basis for the rest of the subjects in the course and is really needed for this. The other lectures will focus on a variety of specific issues such as 'metal toxicity', 'bioanalysis of diffuse air pollution', 'measuring indirect effects using model ecosystems', 'food chains' or 'natural toxins'. All lectures will be in English. During all lectures you will be provided with hand-outs with the most important slides with additional information. In the practical part of the course you will study the toxic properties of 1 specific toxicant yourself. Applying a set of modern in vitro assays you will address the mutagenicity, cytotoxicity, estrogenicity, acetylcholine-esterase inhibiting potency and general toxicity of the compound. In addition you will perform a risk assessment of the compound involving toxic evaluation of literature data, combined with your own experimental results. This will be presented both orally as well as in a small report.

Aims:

- gain insight into basic principles of environmental toxicology including the 'human-wildlife connection';
-become aware of the different types of origin, sources and types of environmental pollutants;
- acquire knowledge of the effects of properties of substances and characteristics of ecosystems on the dispersal of these substances in the environment and their uptake by organisms (including humans);
- realise the great differences in possible biological endpoints in environmental toxicology and the pro's and contra's of using these parameters;
- gain an insight into the relatively important role of indirect and/or subtle chronic effects in ecosystems compared to the relatively low importance of acute toxicity;
- become familiar with the many facets playing a role in environmental toxicological research, including the exchange between field- and laboratory research;
- gain some practical experience with toxicological research methods;
- learn how policy-makers deal with the enormous uncertainties and how they use environmental toxicological research results for risk assessment.

Activities:

Lectures, practicals, computer modelling, excursion, risk assessment for a specific compound, presenting results, studying the book, discussing video's. The different activities are closely related to each other.

Examination:

Written examination plus report.

Literature:

Principles of Ecotoxicology. Walker, Hopkin, Sibly and Peakall, 2nd edition (2001), ISBN 0-7484-0940-8.