- Docente: Elena Fabbri
- Credits: 6
- SSD: BIO/09
- Language: English
- Moduli: Elena Fabbri (Modulo 1) Andrea Pasteris (Modulo 2)
- Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures (Modulo 1) Traditional lectures (Modulo 2)
- Campus: Ravenna
- Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Environmental Assessment and Management (cod. 8418)
Learning outcomes
The course will focus on the environmental strategies adoptable to assess the potential impacts of pollution on the marine coasts, also addressing emerging pollutants and new conditions generated by global change, and the interactions between the marine environment and human health. The students will learn about: main contaminants and source of discharge; impacts on animal health status and threats to human health; principles of the environmental quality assessment, using biological methods. Through the analysis of case studies and guidelines, the course will also provide knowledge on integrated monitoring plans applied at the national and international levels. Skills will be developed in the definition of bioassessment strategies and application of statistical methods for result interpretation.
Course contents
Principles of organism-environment interaction. Animal exposure to environmental pollutants.Toxicokinetics: the behaviour of chemicals in the animal body. Route of exposure. Adsoprtion, distribution, metabolism (basic principles) and excretion. Toxicodynamics: how chemicals harm animal cells. Exposure/effect scenarios; acute toxicity, chronic toxicity. Dose response relationships, non-conventional dose-response relationships. Pollutants in the marine environment. Examples of environmental and human toxicity.
Readings/Bibliography
Suggested readings, Scientific papers
Teaching methods
Frontal lessons and discussion of scientific papers
Assessment methods
The final examination wants to evaluate that students met the teaching objectives: organism-environment interaction; environmental contamination; main effects of contaminants on humans and wildlife; action mechanisms at different levels of biological complexity; effects of endocrine disruptors; contaminant effects on main physiological functions. The exam (written) deals with 2 - 3 specific questions on different topics to be answered in a pertinent and synthetic manner.
Teaching tools
Power point slides, suggested readings
Office hours
See the website of Elena Fabbri
See the website of Andrea Pasteris
SDGs
This teaching activity contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.