STFKA0001U Toxicology and Ecotoxicology
MSc in Pharmaceutical Sciences - elective
MSc in Medicinal Chemistry - elective
MSc in Environmental Science - compulsory
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.
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
- 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).
Skills
- 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
Competencies
- 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
- 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.
- Category
- Hours
- Colloquia
- 6
- Exam
- 2
- Lectures
- 62
- Practical exercises
- 28
- Preparation
- 108
- Total
- 206
Open for Danish and international guest students. For application details look here: http://sund.ku.dk/uddannelse/andre-uddannelsestilbud/meritstuderende/.
- 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 aids allowed
Refer to the IT exams homepage link where the standard programs and IT tools available for the students’ disposal during IT exams under The Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences are listed.
During the exam students are allowed to bring USB and a molecular model building set.
- Marking scale
- 7-point grading scale
- Censorship form
- External censorship
Criteria for exam assesment
To achieve the grade 12 the student must 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).
Skills
- 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
Competencies
- 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
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
- 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