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Module Title |
Environmental Toxicology
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Module Code |
BE436
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School |
School of Biotechnology
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Online Module Resources
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| Module Co-ordinator | Dr Anne Parle-McDermott | Office Number | X227 |
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Level |
4
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Credit Rating |
5
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Pre-requisite |
None
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Co-requisite |
None
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Module Aims
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- Define the basic principles of environmental health toxicology and ecotoxicology.
- Introduce the student to the systems used for classifying environmental toxicants and EU test guidelines.
- Introduce the biochemical, cellular and molecular methods that are critical in toxicological research and the direction of future research.
- Illustrate the impact of environmental toxins on human health through specific examples
- Introduce the students to ways for examining the epidemiology of environmental toxicology.
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Learning Outcomes
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Students will gain an understanding of the following:
- the difference between environmental health toxicology and ecotoxicology.
- specific types of environmental toxins, the laboratory tests used to assess their toxicity and an overview of the mechanisms mediating their effects on human health.
- recognise the limits of current knowledge for protection of natural resources against chemical insult.
- have an appreciation for continued research to develop molecular and cellular biomarkers of toxicant exposure and effect and how toxicogenomics is facilitating this.
- epidemiological toxicology: students will be able to extract useful information from descriptive, ecological, case-control and cohort studies to assess the environmental impact of toxicants on health. Students will be able to design their own studies into epidemiological toxicology.
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Indicative Time Allowances
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Hours
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Lectures |
40
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Tutorials |
4
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Laboratories |
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Seminars |
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Independent Learning Time |
31
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Total |
75
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Placements |
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Assignments |
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NOTE
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Assume that a 5 credit module load represents approximately 75 hours' work, which includes all teaching, in-course assignments, laboratory work or other specialised training and an estimated private learning time associated with the module.
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Indicative Syllabus
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- Environmental Toxicants: Classification based on exposure (water/soil, air, occupational) and use (metals, agrichemicals, industrial). Types. Sources, Examples and Environmental effects. Common toxic mechanisms, sites of action. Regulation of exposure levels, routes of exposure and examples of industrial toxicants.
- Metabolism of Toxicants: cytochrome P450 isoenzymes and individual response, enzyme induction.
- Principles of environmental toxicology and ecotoxicology: Environmental persistence, bioaccumulation, toxicity; Transport and fate; Environmental risk assessment.
- Laboratory assessment of toxins: Suspension Cell culture, Monolayer cell culture, Indicators of Toxicity, Immunochemical techniques ( immunolocalisation, western blotting, radioimmunoassay, inhibitory antibodies), Genotoxic tests: Ames, COMET assay.
- Genetic toxicology: definitions, EU legislation, specific example.
- Cancer and environmental toxins: the role of environmental factors in cancer risk, classification of carcinogens, specific example.
- Respiratory tract and airborne toxins: chemical properties of inhaled toxins, response to inhaled toxins, atopy and asthma.
- Toxicogenomics: individualised toxic response, identification of novel biomarkers of toxicity.
- Epidemiological environmental toxicology: types of studies and their uses (descriptive/ cross-sectional/ ecological/ correlational/ case-control/ cohort).
- Risk assessment and quantification of the effects of risk factors.
- Case studies into how differing epidemiological techniques have been used for determination of cause and effect and risk factors.
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| Assessment | | Continuous Assessment | 0% | Examination Weight | 100% |
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Indicative Reading List
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Essential:
- Introduction to Biochemical Toxicology, 3rd Edition.(2001) Ernest Hodgson, Robert C. Smart ISBN: 0-471-33334-4
- A Textbook of Modern Toxicology, 3rd Edition. Ernest Hodgon.
- Epidemiology biostatistics and preventive medicine. David L. Katz
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Programme or List of Programmes
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| BSSA | Study Abroad (DCU Business School) |
| BSSAO | Study Abroad (DCU Business School) |
| ECSA | Study Abroad (Engineering & Computing) |
| ECSAO | Study Abroad (Engineering & Computing) |
| ESH | BSc Environmental Science & Health |
| HMSA | Study Abroad (Humanities & Soc Science) |
| HMSAO | Study Abroad (Humanities & Soc Science) |
| SHSA | Study Abroad (Science & Health) |
| SHSAO | Study Abroad (Science & Health) |
| Archives: | |
