Registry
Module Specifications
Archived Version 2010 - 2011
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Description The purpose of this module is to provide students with knowledge of (i) The basic principles of environmental health toxicology and ecotoxicology. (ii)The systems used for classifying environmental toxicants and EU test guidelines. (iii) The biochemical, cellular and molecular methods that are critical in toxicological research and the direction of future research.(iv)the impact of environmental toxins on human health through specific examples. (v)Introduce the students to ways for examining the epidemiology of environmental toxicology. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Learning Outcomes 1. Contrast between environmental health toxicology and ecotoxicology. 2. Describe 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. 3. Explain how current knowledge is limited for the protection of natural resources against chemical insult. 4. Discuss how recent technical advances are facilitating the development of molecular and cellular biomarkers of toxicant exposure. 5. Assess research data from descriptive, ecological, case-control and cohort studies on the environmental impact of toxicants on health. 6. Design a study on epidemiological toxicology. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml |
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Indicative Content and
Learning Activities Environmental ToxicantsClassification 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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Other Resources None | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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