75821 - Ecotoxicology

Academic Year 2017/2018

  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Cesena
  • Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Aquaculture and Fish Production Hygiene (cod. 8834)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student acquires knowledge on main contaminats in aquatic environment, on their dynamics and kinetics and on the effects onthe various systems, with particular respect to the immune and the endocrine system. The student is able to recognize the principal poisonings and to apply identification and analytical methods for the confirmation of diagnostic hypothesis. He will also be able to perform an analysis of the toxicological risk deriving from most common environmental pollutants.

Course contents

Introduction to ecotoxicology: definitions, principles, general problems. Principles of toxicokinetics. Environmental distribution of contaminants. Biomarkers and bioindicators: definitions and description of the principal biomarkers. Main species used as biondicators. IBE. Principal classes of contaminants of ecotoxicological interest: pesticides, halogenated compounds, PAH, trace elements, plastics, nanoparticles, drugs, mixtures. Immunotoxicity. Endocrine disruption. Genotoxicity. Population effects. Ecosystem effects. Risk assessment. Impact of aquaculture on the ecosystems. Case studies.

Readings/Bibliography

Mandatory:

Classes notes.

Blasco J., Chapman P.M., Campana O., Hampel M. Marine Ecotoxicology. Current Knowledge and future issues.Academic Press 2016

Suggested but not mandatory:

Sparling D. W. Ecotoxicology essential. Academic Press, 2016

Amiard-Triquet C. Amiard J.C., Mouneyrac C. Aquatic Ecotoxicology. Academic Press, 2015

Teaching methods

Front lessons and practicals, both in the lab and on PC.

Assessment methods

Written exam with multiple choice and/or open question on the program. Oral exam as eventual integraton of the note obtained. The exam is passed if at least 18 correct answers are given at the written exam (any answers not given is considered as a wrong answer). Final note, if oral exam is given, derives from the mean of the two marks. For the exam the student should refer to what tought during front lessons and to the text indicated as mandtory

 

The final mark of the integrated course will be defined by the weighted average of the marks obtained from each module composing the Course.

Teaching tools

Slides of the lessons.

Additional material given by the teacher (for case studies and practicals).

Office hours

See the website of Annalisa Zaccaroni