STFKA0001U Toxicology and Ecotoxicology
Volume 2014/2015
Education
MSc in Pharmaceutical
Sciences - elective, MSc in Medicinal Chemistry - elective, MSc in
Environmental Chemistry & Health - compulsory
Content
The course gives a basic
overview on fundamentals in both human-, eco- and occupational
toxicology. Basic toxicological topics encompass toxicodynamic,
toxicokinetic description and metabolism of major groups of
contaminants. Furthermore the course will give a basic
understanding of acute toxic effects on the skin, the respiratory
system, genotoxicity, mutagenicity, cell toxicity, organ toxicity,
cancer development, reproduction, immunotoxicology and the effects
of hormone disrupting compounds. Also teratogenicity, toxicophore
description and modeling of dose-response relationships will be
among the subjects. Classification of chemicals will shortly be
described in the course and further more the use of toxicological
data bases to access exposure and effect data will be discussed.
The course will also discuss in detail how to quantify a dose or an
exposure of a chemical and be able to predict most important
exposure routes or pathways. This will also include models for
calculating effects of exposures to multiple compounds with
same/similar mode of action. As an important element of the course
the background for the fetal origins hypothesis will be addressed,
which postulates that chemical exposure of non-acute toxicological
effects during the prenatal environment “program” of the fetus is
important for later development of diseases in adulthood. In
ecotoxicology, the students will be introduced to the major groups
of xenobiotica known to affect or potentially affect human health
and ecosystem health. Subjects such as acute and chronic effects on
different trophic levels in both the soil and aquatic environment,
biodegradation of substances, bioaccumulation and effects at
ecosystem level will be among the subjects. Occupational toxicology
will focus on how to achieve a sound environment during production
using chemicals. An overview of the most important diseases due to
chemical exposure during occupation will be addressed. The overall
aim of this course is to prepare the students to be able to at a
later stage to perform simple risk assessments scenarios of human,
environmental and occupational heath hazards and to evaluate
potential hazards of a given xenobiotic. Lectures, theoretical -
and practical laboratory exercises will be the main form of
teaching. Lectures are based on textbooks and some scientific
papers. The topics of the theoretical exercises run in parallel
with the topics treated in the lectures.
During the laboratory work groups of 4 students will work together to respond a laboratory assignment that primarily will include the use on in-vitro human- or ecotoxicological assay’s. The laboratory assignment focuses on selected chemicals and draws on the general insight in chemical, biological and physical processes to be learned and thus is fundamentally important for toxicology. Results are reported as a scientific manuscript and as an oral presentation.
During the laboratory work groups of 4 students will work together to respond a laboratory assignment that primarily will include the use on in-vitro human- or ecotoxicological assay’s. The laboratory assignment focuses on selected chemicals and draws on the general insight in chemical, biological and physical processes to be learned and thus is fundamentally important for toxicology. Results are reported as a scientific manuscript and as an oral presentation.
Learning Outcome
The main objectives of
the course is to introduce fundamentals and key methods in human-,
eco- and occupational toxicology, and to provide an overview of
different approaches for determining data that may be applied in
risk evaluation of chemical pollutants to humans and the
environment. The course consists of a number of lectures and a
practical laboratory course of approximately 20 hours. The course
is recommended for students who upon completion of their studies
will be employed in sectors dealing with environmental issues, such
as public inspection, public health, environmental consulting,
medical industry and the bioprocessing industries.
Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:
Knowledge:
Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:
Knowledge:
- Describe toxicological mode of actions for most important groups of chemical substances to humans and environmental species.
- Define the most vulnerable target organ(s) or organism(s) for most important group of xenobiotics.
- Demonstrate knowledge on safety toxicology, and extrapolation from animal to human, and from one trophic level in the environment to another
- Understand the use of physico-chemical parameters of compounds to predict toxicity, bioaccumulation and biomagnification
- Assess both acute and chronical toxicity data and evaluate different types of dose-response relationships including effects of mixtures of compounds with similar mode of action.
- Quantify a dose or an exposure of a chemical and be able to predict the most important exposure routes to humans and environment and exposure due to occupation.
- Suggest how to diminish an exposure of chemical in both human, environmental and occupational toxicology (practical management).
- Transfer math concepts to solve 1st-order linear differential-integral equations, manipulate log relationships, convert between dimensional systems of units
- Utilise relevant software for dose-responds relationships and problem solving(e.g. EPI-Win, Chem-Draw, Excel, R).
- Perform simple in-vitro human toxicological and ecotoxicological laboratory tests and models
- Report laboratory results as research manuscript
- Integrate principles from chemistry, physics, biology, biochemistry and ecology with mass and energy balances to develop and solve simple toxicological questions
- Apply simplified assumptions and estimate model and design parameters in the face of biological variability and uncertainty in measurement and prediction
Literature
- John Timbrell 'Principles of Biochemical Toxicology', 3rd edition, Taylor & Francis Inc., 2000 (PBT) - new edition september 2009!
- Steve P Hopkin, Principles of Ecotoxicology, Fourth Edition, Taylor and Francis Inc. 2012
- Scientific papers and notes will be provided at cost.
Academic qualifications
The course presumes basic
knowledge at university bachelor level of 5 ECTS -credits in human
or animal physiology , in biochemistry , in organic chemistry and
in inorganic chemistry. Thus a total of minimum 20 ECTS credits. In
addition, knowledge of basic environmental chemistry, biology and
microbiology will be an advantage.
Teaching and learning methods
24 blocks of 4
hours.
Workload
- Category
- Hours
- Colloquia
- 6
- Exam
- 2
- Lectures
- 42
- Practical exercises
- 70
- Preparation
- 85
- Total
- 205
Sign up
Self Service at KUnet For
enrolment at the course the student has to fill in an application.
If the student is accepted in the course he/she will
automatically be enrolled in STADS.
Exam (Toxicology and Ecotoxicology)
- Credit
- 7,5 ECTS
- Type of assessment
- Written assignmentWritten examination, 2 timer under invigilation• 2 hours Multiple choice exam (50%)
• Laboratory work assignments reported as a scientific poster and a scientific written manuscript (50%)
• Multiple choice and assignment are evaluated as 1:1 as final grade - Aid
- All aids allowed
All written materials and molecular model building set.
- Marking scale
- 7-point grading scale
- Censorship form
- External censorship
Criteria for exam assesment
12 Excellent performance
A well-structured response formulated clearly and precisely. The student demonstrates a commanding overview and combines extensive interdisciplinary knowledge by incorporating relevant scientific elements in response to the given questions. The student demonstrates with few minor weaknesses:
A coherent response formulated reasonably clearly and precisely. The student demonstrates an overview and combines interdisciplinary knowledge by incorporating relevant scientific elements in response to the given questions. The student demonstrates with some weaknesses:
A somewhat coherent response that is rather unclear and imprecise in formulation. The student demonstrates less overview and is only to a limited extent able to incorporate a certain number of relevant scientific elements in response to the given questions. The student demonstrates with many weaknesses and to a limited extent:
A well-structured response formulated clearly and precisely. The student demonstrates a commanding overview and combines extensive interdisciplinary knowledge by incorporating relevant scientific elements in response to the given questions. The student demonstrates with few minor weaknesses:
- Convincing command of the important concepts and methods used in connection with the toxicological method on a rational basis
- Convincing ability to explain the important chemical, physical-chemical, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties in relation to toxicological assessment of drugs and chemicals to important target organs.
- Extensive knowledge describing of the toxicological mode of action of important drugs and chemicals examples.
A coherent response formulated reasonably clearly and precisely. The student demonstrates an overview and combines interdisciplinary knowledge by incorporating relevant scientific elements in response to the given questions. The student demonstrates with some weaknesses:
- Command of the important concepts and methods used in connection with the toxicological method on a rational basis
- Reasonably convincing ability to explain the important chemical, physical-chemical, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties in relation to toxicological assessment of drugs and chemicals.
- The ability to assess and more or less clearly and precisely describe the toxicological mode of action of important drugs and chemicals examples to important target organs.
A somewhat coherent response that is rather unclear and imprecise in formulation. The student demonstrates less overview and is only to a limited extent able to incorporate a certain number of relevant scientific elements in response to the given questions. The student demonstrates with many weaknesses and to a limited extent:
- Acceptable command of the important concepts and methods used in connection with the toxicological method on a rational basis
- Acceptable ability to explain the important chemical, physical-chemical, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties in relation to toxicological assessment of drugs and chemicals.
- Acceptable ability to assess and describe the toxicological mode of action of important drugs and chemicals examples to important target organs.
Course information
- Language
- English
- Course code
- STFKA0001U
- Credit
- 7,5 ECTS
- Level
- Full Degree MasterFull Degree Master choice
- Duration
- 1 block
- Placement
- Block 1
- Schedule
- B (Mon 8-12 + Tues 13-17 + Fri 8-12)
- Course capacity
- 20
- Study board
- Study Board of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Contracting department
- Department of Pharmacy
Course responsibles
- Bjarne Styrishave (bjarne.styrishave@sund.ku.dk)
Lecturers
Bjarne Styrishave, Nina Cedergreen
Saved on the
06-05-2014