CEH HOME ABOUT THE CENTER GENERAL INFORMATION LABORATORY CONFERENCES VIRTUAL CLASSROOM CRITICAL THINKING HOME SAFETY CONTACT & VISIT US HELPFUL LINKS	AH 226/366 Environmental Health Fall, 2007 Syllabus Room 209 G. White, MWF 10-11 Instructor: Lawrence K. Silbart, Professor and Department Head, Allied Health Sciences Contact Information: email Lawrence.Silbart@uconn.edu phone: 486-0028 Office: Room 302E Ag Biotech Bldg. Office Hours: Immediately after class or by appointment Course Textbook: Environmental Health, 3^rd Edition, Moeller (2005) Module 1: Introduction/Air Pollution Monday, August 27^th Syllabus Review and Introduction Reading Assignment: Chapter 5 Wednesday, August 29^th INTRODUCTION/AIR POLLUTION Friday, August 31^st AIR POLLUTION – ANTHROPOGENIC AND NATURAL SOURCES Module 2: Air Pollution – Regulation and Health Effects Monday, September 3^rd - LABOR DAY -- NO CLASS Wednesday, September 5^th HEALTH EFFECTS OF POLLUTANTS Friday, September 7^th INDOOR AIR POLLUTION Paper I due – 25 points Module 3: Water Pollution: Monday, September 10^th BASIC SANITATION AND DRINKING WATER QUALITY Reading Assignment: Chapter 7 & 8 Wednesday, September 12^th WATER POLLUTION - CONTROL & REGULATION Friday, September 14^th WATER POLLUTION – FLORIDATION, CHLORINATION AND HALO-ORGANICS Paper II due – 25 points Module 4: Solid Waste: Municipal and Hazardous Monday, September 17^th SOLID WASTE & SOIL CONTAMINATION Reading Assignment: Chapter 9 Wednesday, September 19^th SOLID WASTE & SOIL CONTAMINATION Friday, September 221^st RCRA, CERCLA AND SUPERFUND Paper III due – 25 points Module 5: Basic concepts in Toxicology Monday, September 24^th BASIC CONCEPTS OF TOXICOLOGY Reading Assignment: Chapter 2 Wednesday, September 26^th LD-50s and ACUTE TOXICITY Friday, September 28^th CHRONIC TOXICOLOGY AND CARCINOGEN/TERATOGEN TESTING Module 5: Toxicokinetics Monday, October 1st ABSORPTION, DISTRIBUTION and METABOLISM OF TOXICANTS Wednesday, October 3^rd Exam I – 100 points [covers first 12 lectures] Friday, October 5^th METABOLISM AND EXCRETION OF TOXICANTS Module 6: Target Organ Toxicity, skin lungs, g.i. and liver Monday, October 8^th TARGET ORGAN TOXICITY I: SKIN Wednesday, October 10^th TARGET ORGAN TOXICITY: LIVER Friday, October 12^th TARGET ORGAN TOXICITY: KIDNEY Module 7: Food Safety Monday, October 15^th AFLATOXINS AND COOKED FOOD MUTAGENS Wednesday, October 17^th MICROBIAL CONTAMINATION OF FOOD I Instructor: Dr. Kumar Venkitanarayanan Reading Assignment: Chapter 6 Friday, October 19^th ALLERGY & ANAPHYLAXIS MICROBIAL CONTAMINATION OF FOOD II Instructor: Dr. Kumar Venkitanarayanan Module 8: Immune system Toxicology/Allergy Monday, October 22^nd TARGET ORGAN TOXICITY: IMMUNE SYSTEM Wednesday, October 24^th IMMUNE SUPPRESSION & INFECTION Friday, October 26^th RADIATION HAZARDS Reading Assignment: Chapter 10 pp 450-455 Module 9: Radiation and radioactive waste handling Monday, October 29^th  RADIATION HAZARDS Wednesday, October 31^st Radioactive Waste Disposal and Regulation Friday, November 2^rd Exam II – 100 points [covers lecture 13-24] Module 10: Chemicals and Cancer Risks Monday, November 5^th BIOLOGY OF CANCER Chapter 4 Wednesday, November 7^th CHEMICALS AND CANCER Friday, November 9^th ONCOGENES AND TUMOR SUPPRESSOR GENES Module 11: Pests and Pesticides Monday, November 12^th TOXICITY OF PESTICIDES & HERBICIDES Read: Chapter 6 Wednesday, November 14^th TOXICITY OF PESTICIDES & HERBICIDES Friday, November 16^th: Grad paper topics pre-approval deadline REGULATING PESTICIDE RESIDUES IN FOOD November 19^th – 23^rd THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY -- NO CLASS Module 12: OCCUPATIONAL RISKS AND HAZARDS Monday, November 26^th OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH Reading: Course Notes Wednesday, November 28^th REGULATING THE OCCUPATIONAL ENVIRONMENT Friday, November 30^th ASSESSING HUMAN RISKS – Guest lecture: Dr. Fridell? Chapter 12 Module 13: LIFESTYLE CHOICES AND RISKS Monday, December 3^rd Exam III – 100 points Wednesday, December 5^th ASSESSING HUMAN RISKS Friday, December 7^th Catch-up and review - Grad Term Papers due December 10^th -15^th?? FINAL EXAM (200 points) Course Grading and Ground Rules: AH 226: Each student’s grade will be based upon performance on three writing assignments (25 points each), three hourly exams (100 points each) plus a 200 point final exam. No make-up exams will be given unless a signed Doctor’s note or other well-substantiated excused absences (in advance) has been arranged. This does not include ski trips or visiting your friends in Maine (for example), so don’t bother asking. Questions regarding excused absences should be submitted, in advance, by email so that we both have records. Each student's point total will be divided by 575 and applied to a straight scale (although curving may be applied at the instructor's discretion). Up to 25 additional points may be awarded for outstanding participation in class discussions or performance “above and beyond” the expectations of papers or exams. Writing assignments: The three writing assignments will be based on news articles relevant to the unit just studied (e.g. air, water or soil pollution). The paper must address the accuracy, completeness and possible bias in the news article. In order to address the accuracy of a news story, each student must read and photocopy one scientific research article to support the argument. In some circumstances, web-pages can be used in place of scientific articles, but this should be a last resort. AH366: As above, however the curve will based upon the scores of other graduate students and a higher level of thoroughness and understanding is expected. In addition, a 12-15 page term paper is required. This paper should incorporate the concepts taught in class and be focused on a topic of mutual interest with the instructor. Topics must be approved by the instructor by November 16^th and the final paper submitted by December 7^th. The instructor will pre-read the paper and provide suggestions for improvement if a draft is submitted by November 26^th. The term paper is worth 100 points, making 675 points in total. Cell Phones and Pagers: These devices must be silenced during class. Learning or Physical Disability: If you have a learning or physical disability, please speak with me early in the semester so that we can make the appropriate arrangements for quizzes etc. Review Sessions: These may be scheduled in the late afternoon or early evening 1-3 days in advance of the hourly exams or final. One rule: Don’t ask “ . . . what do we have to know” or “will [topic X] be covered on the test.” If I lecture on the topic, it’s “fair game.” Recommendation: Apportion your study time in accordance with the amount of time a given topic is discussed in class. PowerPoint Lecture CD: A numbered CD is available for students enrolled in the class that contains all PowerPoint lectures. Material on the CD is copyrighted, so you must return the CD. In general, making a single copy of copyrighted material for educational purposes is consistent with the “fair use” requirements of the copyright laws, but this is your decision (i.e. you do not have my explicit permission to do so). Attendance: Although attendance is not taken and does not serve as a basis for grading, a great deal of course instruction occurs through discussion and whiteboard notations. Traditionally, students who do not regularly attend class do poorly on the exams and end up with Cs or lower in the class. Exam Emphasis/Preparation: A series of quizzes will be made available to each of you on the “loaner” CD. Your exam won’t have identical questions, but the level of required understanding should be at about the same level. Trick questions or “unfair” practices: My goal is to give challenging exams that differentiate students based on their knowledge of the course material and rewards “engaged learners.” If you think you were “tricked” into providing a wrong answer, please let me know (by email) after reviewing your lecture notes etc. and I’ll review the information. If we disagree, you can always consult the CANR Office of Student Affairs or the Dean of Students’ but please work with me first (which is what those two offices will insist on anyway).
	© 2007 Center for Environmental Health