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University of Maryland, College Park
Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health
MIEH 498A – Introduction to Environmental Health
Syllabus Version 1 July 9, 2009
Instructor:
Office/Phone:
Email:
Semester:
Classroom/Time:
Required
Textbook
&
Other Readings
Course
Description
Course
Objectives
Betty J Dabney, PhD
2306 SPH Building/ 301.405.6583
[email protected]
Fall 2009 Sept 8 – Dec 15
Shady Grove xxx/ Tuesdays 4:00 – 6:45 pm
OFFICE HOURS
Tuesdays 3:00 – 4:00 (Shady
Grove)
Required
 Nancy Irwin Maxwell: Understanding Environmental Health: How We
Live in the World. Sudbury, MA: Joes and Bartlett Publishers, 2009.
ISBN-13:978-0-7637-3318-6; ISBN-10:0-7637-3318-0. Trade paper.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assessment Report.
Climate Change 2007: Synthesis Report. Downloadable at
http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/syr/ar4_syr.pdf .

Readings from journals on Blackboard http://elms.umd.edu, as well as
other assignments
Environmental health is the study of the interactions between humankind and our
environment. This course is based on the idea that our total environment – that is,
everything we interact with in the course of living – plays a role in determining
our state of health. We will learn about theory and practice of environmental
health and sustainability by studying major areas of human activity and issues
facing us today, with the ultimate goal of the recognition, intervention and
prevention of environmental diseases.
At the conclusion of this course, the student will be able to:
1. Understand the role of the environment in the total burden of disease;
2. Interpret major problems in environmental health in the world, the U.S.
and Maryland;
3. Understand major contaminants of the air, water, soil and food, and how
they interact with each other;
4. Discuss the known health effects of major environmental contaminants;
5. Understand some major environmental diseases;
6. Learn about ethical issues behind modern lifestyle choices;
7. Make positive lifestyle changes to minimize waste and conserve
environmental resources.
Course
Organization
Prerequisites:
Course
Requirements
Course Organization:
Classes will consist of discussion and lectures by faculty, students and guest
speakers working in the field of environmental health. Students are expected to
complete the assigned readings prior to the class for which they are assigned and
be prepared to discuss those readings during class—this includes the class text
reading and journal articles. The instructor welcomes meetings with students
outside of class to discuss questions and environmental health, as well as to gain
more insight about the material presented in class. Students may e-mail, call, or
ask during class for an appointment. Please be reminded, however, that the class
will be taught during class time only. Material will not be presented again on a
one-on-one basis at other times. Excused absences will be granted for unusual
circumstances when arranged with the instructor. Excessive lateness or absence
from class is disruptive to the class and your learning. Students who miss class
are responsible for obtaining notes and hand-outs from other students. The
instructor will not meet with you to retrieve copies of hand-outs from past lectures
except in pre-arranged and special circumstances.
Prerequisites: Upperclass undergraduate status with previous undergraduate
courses in chemistry, biology, and/or health.
Examinations: There will be a midterm exam in the first hour of Class 8.
There will also be a final exam at the scheduled time during finals week. The
midterm exam will count 30% of your grade, and the final exam will count
30%, for a total of 60%. The final exam will NOT be cumulative.
Project: Each student will participate in a team to study a current problem in
environmental health involving our community, region, state, or country. This
project should not duplicate work for other courses. By Class 3, your team must
select a topic, which should be approved by the instructor. By Class 4, provide a
one page written summary and rationale for your topic. By Class 7, you must
provide an outline and preliminary bibliography of your paper. A minimum of 20
scholarly references besides the textbook are required. Choose subject areas that
relate to the relationship between environmental hazards, exposures, and health
outcomes or effects. Many of the journals are available in our online library, and
others are available from Inter-Library Loan. Correct spelling, proper grammar
and style, and flowing syntax should be used in your paper. Seek help from
campus resources to strengthen and enhance your written communication skills.
Each team may decide how to divide up the work and sub-topics. Part of the
project should involve going out into the community and interviewing residents
and/or community leaders and lawmakers about the issue. Team members will
prepare a written and oral report on the project. Written report should be
submitted by e-mail by midnight of The project will be worth 25% of your
grade.
Each team will give a summary presentation of the term project during class.
The format for the paper should be appropriate for the topic. A suggested outline
is:
Introduction and Statement of the Problem
History of the Problem
Summary of Findings of Major Studies or Developments
Strengths and Weaknesses of Studies
Current Status and Data Gaps
Conclusions and Recommendations for Research and/or Policy Changes.
The presentation should summarize the nature of the project, the methods and
approaches, the findings and the meaning or significance of the findings, and
recommendations for future action. The team presentation will count 5% of
the course grade for each of the members of the team. The written team
report will be due by midnight on Week 14, December 10.
Class Participation: Maintaining an active presence in class will prepare you to
learn the content and to be successful in your class assignments. This includes
participation in class discussions and exercises, and conscientious performance as
a member of a group for your project. Groups that cannot resolve conflicts will be
marked down.Class participation will count 10% toward the final course
grade.
Course Policies:
In the event that the University is closed for an emergency or extended period of
time, the instructor will communicate to students regarding schedule adjustments,
including rescheduling of examinations and assignments due to inclement weather
and campus emergencies. Official closures and delays are announced on the
campus website (http://www.umd.edu) and snow phone line (301-405-SNOW), as
well as local radio and TV stations.
OPTIONAL CURRENT EVENTS FOR EXTRA CREDIT
Students are encouraged to turn in and discuss current events related to the topic
of class each week. The course site on BlackBoard has a Wiki for this purpose.
Include the reference or link to the story, and write one or two paragraphs in your
own words. Each current event story will count 0.2 points toward the final course
grade.
LATE WORK AND MAKE UP TESTS:
All work is due when assigned. Term papers should be submitted in electronic
format as e-mail attachments. Any work not completed and handed in at the
beginning of class on the due date will receive a reduction of one letter grade.
Work not handed in by 5pm the following day will receive an additional letter
grade reduction. Work will not be accepted beyond this point except in extreme
circumstance approved by your instructor. You must prearrange with the
instructor to miss a class deadline. There are no make-up tests unless they are
prearranged.
SPECIAL NEEDS:
If you follow religious observances, have a documented disability, or have some
other important commitments for which you need special academic
accommodations, please contact the instructor in advance. Accommodations
must be prearranged. If you have a documented disability and wish to discuss
academic accommodations for test taking or other needs, you will need
documentation from Disability Support Service (301-314-7682). If you are ill or
encountering personal difficulties, please let the instructor know as soon as
possible. You can also contact Learning Assistance Services (301-314-7693) and/
or the Counseling Center (301-314-7651) for assistance.
RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES:
The University System of Maryland policy provides that students should not be
penalized because of observances of their religious beliefs; students shall be given
an opportunity, whenever feasible, to make up within a reasonable time any
academic assignment that is missed due to individual participation in religious
observances. It is the student’s responsibility to inform the instructor in
advance of any intended absences for religious observance.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:
The University's code of academic integrity is designed to ensure that the
principle of academic honesty is upheld. Any of the following acts, when
committed by a student, constitutes academic dishonesty:
 CHEATING: intentionally using or attempting to use unauthorized
materials, information, or study aids in an academic exercise.
 FABRICATION: intentional and unauthorized falsification or
invention of any information or citation in an academic exercise.
 FACILITATING ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: intentionally or
knowingly helping or attempting to help another to violate any
provision of this code.
 PLAGIARISM: intentionally or knowingly representing the words or
ideas of another as one's own in any academic exercise.
For more information see:
http://www.studenthonorcouncil.umd.edu/code.html.
The University of Maryland, College Park has a nationally recognized Code
of Academic Integrity, administered by the Student Honor Council. This
Code sets standards for academic integrity at Maryland for all
undergraduate and graduate students. As a student you are responsible for
upholding these standards for this course. It is very important for you to be
aware of the consequences of cheating, fabrication, facilitation, and
plagiarism.
To further exhibit your commitment to academic integrity, remember to sign
the Honor Pledge on all examinations and assignments: "I pledge on my
honor that I have not given or received any unauthorized assistance on this
examination (assignment).”
CONFLICT RESOLUTION: Each person in this class is required to treat
everyone else with respect. In the event conflicts arise in teams working on
projects, students are expected to work toward resolving them positively and
fairly. Teams that do not show evidence of teamwork will be marked down in
their presentations and written term papers.
Useful Resources in Environmental Health
You may use websites with proper documentation in your term project, but be sure to examine the
reliability of the source. Ask yourself: Is there any bias or personal agenda that the author(s) or
webmaster(s) might have with regard to the issue under discussion? Government agencies’ websites
may be especially useful
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Reports http://www.ipcc.ch/
Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: http://www.dhmh.state.md.us
Maryland Department of the Environment: http://www.mde.state.md.us
National Library of Medicine PubMed search engine for the world’s medical literature:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?DB=pubmed (If you search through UM Library’s
Research Port, you will get links to more full-text articles.)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: http://www.epa.gov
World Health Organization: http://www.who.int
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Health, United
States http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/hus.htm. Annual summary of trends in the nation’s health.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Third National Report on Human Exposure to
Environmental Chemicals, 2005. http://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/
Environmental Health Perspectives 109 Supplement 2, 2001: Human Health Consequences of Climate
Change and Variability for the United States. http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2001/suppl-2/toc.html .
Robert H. Friis: Essentials of Environmental Health. Jones & Bartlett Publishers; 1st edition, 2006.
416 pp., Paperback. ISBN 0763747629
Howard Frumkin (Editor): Environmental Health: From Global to Local. Jossey-Bass (Wiley), 2005,
1108 pages, $74.00. Hardcover. ISBN 0787973831
Gary S. Moore (Editor): Living with the Earth: Concepts in Environmental Health Science, Second
Edition. CRC Press, 2002, 624 pp, Hardcover. ISBN 1566705851
Jeanne Mager Stellman (Editor): Encyclopaedia of Occupational Health and Safety, Fourth Edition (4
Volumes). International Labour Office, Geneva, 199, 1000 pp, Hardcover. ISBN-10: 9221092038
ISBN-13: 978-9221092032
World Health Organization: Preventing disease through healthy environments: Towards an estimate of
the environmental burden of disease. Geneva, 2006. ISBN 92 4 159382 2
http://www.who.int/quantifying_ehimpacts/publications/preventingdisease.pdf
Encyclopedia of Public Health. Available on-line from the UMCP library Research Port
Some Useful Journals in Environmental Health
American Journal of Epidemiology
American Journal of Public Health
Annual Review of Pharmacology and
Toxicology
Archives of Diseases of Childhood
Archives of Environmental Health
Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent
Medicine
Archives of Toxicology
Atmospheric Environment
ATSDR Toxicological Profiles
Biology of Metals
Birth Defects Research
British Medical Journal
Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and
Toxicology
Cardiovascular Toxicology
Cell Biology and Toxicology
Chemical Research in Toxicology
CRC Critical Reviews in Toxicology
Critical Reviews in Toxicology
Developments in Toxicology and
Environmental Science
Ecotoxicology (London, England)
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
Environment International
Environmental Health Perspectives
Environmental Research
Environmental Science & Technology
Environmental Sciences
Environmental Toxicology
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry /
SETAC.
Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology
Epidemiology
European Journal of Toxicology.
Food and Chemical Toxicology
Food and Cosmetics Toxicology
Food Protection Trends
Fundamental and Applied Toxicology
Ground Water
Health and Place
Human and Experimental Toxicology
Human Toxicology
IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of
Carcinogenic Risks to Humans
Immunopharmacology and Immunotoxicology
In Vitro & Molecular Toxicology
Inhalation Toxicology
International Journal of Environmental
Analytical Chemistry
International Journal of Epidemiology
International Journal of Hygiene and
Environmental Health
International Journal of Toxicology
Journal of Agricultural and Environmental
Ethics
Journal of the American Medical Association
(JAMA)
Journal - American Water Works Association
Journal of Analytical Toxicology
Journal of Applied Toxicology : JAT
Journal of Biochemical and Molecular
Toxicology
Journal of Biochemical Toxicology
Journal of Environmental Pathology and
Toxicology
Journal of Environmental Science and Health
Journal of the National Cancer Institute
Journal of Occupational and Environmental
Medicine
Journal of Pharmacological and Toxicological
Methods
The Journal of Toxicological Xciences
Journal of Toxicology and Environmental
Health
Lancet
Marine Environmental Research
Medicine and Health
Molecular Toxicology
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (CDC)
Mutation Research
National Toxicology Program Technical Report
Series
Neurobehavioral Toxicology
Neurobehavioral Toxicology and Teratology
Neurotoxicology
Neurotoxicology and Teratology
New England Journal of Medicine
Occupational and Environmental Medicine
Pediatrics
Pharmacology & Toxicology
Progress in Chemical Toxicology
Public Health Reports
Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology :
RTP
Reproductive Toxicology (Elmsford, N.Y.)
Reviews of Environmental Contamination and
Toxicology
Risk Analysis
Teratogenesis, Carcinogenesis, and
Mutagenesis
Toxic Substance Mechanisms
Toxicity Report Series
Toxicological Reviews
Toxicology
Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology
Toxicology and Industrial Health
Toxicology in vitro
Toxicology Letters.
Toxicon : Official Journal of the International
Society on Toxicology
Veterinary and human toxicology
World Health Organization Environmental
Health Criteria
Xenobiotica: The Fate of Foreign Compounds
in Biological Systems
Class Schedule
Class One
Sept. 1
Introduction and Scope of Environmental Health
 Welcome and introductions
 Review syllabus and course requirements and policies
 Class discussion: what is our environment?
 Fate and transport / water cycle / carbon cycle / food chain
 Scope of environmental health in theory and in practice
 Relationship of environmental health to other areas of public health
 Our global society and population: are we living sustainably?
 Breakout Groups: Global, national, local and personal environmental issues
 The role of environment in the burden of disease
 The environmental health paradigm: hazard - exposure - effect - disease
outcome
 Class exercise: calculating our carbon footprints
Assignment:
Maxwell Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 through Fate and Transport
Class Two
Sept. 15
The Basic Tools of Environmental Health: Epidemiology and Toxicology
 The beginnings of environmental health
 Environmental epidemiology tools and study designs
 Criteria of causality
 The Neo-Classical Triad: Environment-Genetics-Intrinsic Factors
 Toxicology 101: Definition, routes and durations of exposures, doseresponse curves, major groups of toxic substances
 Exposure assessment
 Risk assessment
 Difficulties in exposure assessment and uncertainties in risk assessment
 Risk Communication
 Approaches to Risk Management: The Precautionary Principle vs.
Quantitative Risk Assessment
 Environmental health impact assessments
Assignment:
Maxwell Chapter 2
Optional: Post a current events story or peer-reviewed study on environmental
epidemiology, toxicology, risk assessment or health impact assessment in the
course wiki on Blackboard, and be prepared to discuss briefly in class. (0.2 point
credit)
Class Three
Sept. 22
In class: Self-select teams for term projects
Living in an Infectious World
Types of Pathogens
Modes of Transmission
Influenza and You
 Case Study: The H1N1 Pandemics of 1918 and 2009
Zoonotic and Vector-Borne Diseases
 Rabies
 Malaria
 Plague
 Lyme disease
 Rocky Mountain spotted fever
The Global Burden of Infectious Diseases
 Case Study: Malaria
Class Four
Sept. 29
Assignment:
Maxwell Chapter 3
Optional: Current events story or peer-reviewed paper about a zoonosis or vectorborne disease
In class: Finalize topics for term project.
Optional: Current events story or peer-reviewed paper about infectious diseases
The Health and Environmental Cost of Producing Energy and Goods
Fossil Fuels: Coal, Petroleum, Natural Gas
 Review of the carbon cycle
 Health Effects of Air Pollution
 Fossil fuels and climate change
Nuclear Energy
 Biological Effects of Radiation
 Is nuclear energy “safe”?
Wind Power
Solar Power
Geothermal Power
The Ethics of Energy Production
Energy and Sustainability
Assignment:
Maxwell Chapter 4
Optional: Current events story or peer-reviewed paper about energy
TEAMS TURN IN 1-PAGE DISCUSSION AND JUSTIFICATION OF
TERM PROJECT.
Class Five
October 6
Climate Change and Its Implications for Health
Facts and figures on climate change
How reliable are the models?
Effects on infectious diseases
Effects on chronic diseases
Assignment:
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assessment Report. Climate
Change 2007: Synthesis Report. Downloadable at
http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/syr/ar4_syr.pdf
Optional: Current events story or peer-reviewed paper about climate change
Teams continue work on term project
Class Six
October 13
Class Seven
October 20
Water, Water Everywhere: Is It Safe to Drink?
Review of the hydrologic cycle
Imbalance in global distribution and sources of water
Major water contaminants and their health effects
Regulation of water contaminants
Sources of drinking water
The ethics of bottled water
Drinking water treatment
Waste water treatment
Recreational water and beaches
 Case Study: The global burden of infantile diarrhea
 Case Study: The death of Chesapeake Bay
Water and sustainability
Assignment:
Maxwell, Chapter 7 pp 263-288
Optional: Current events story or peer-reviewed paper about water, water
contaminants, or water borne disease.
Waste Not, Want Not
Our wasteful society
The role of materialism in global environmental problems
Municipal solid waste
Hazardous waste
Electronic waste
Methods for reducing waste: source reduction, recycling, co-generation
Regulation of waste disposal
Hazards of poorly designed waste disposal sites and treatment
The dilemma and ethics of waste
Environmental justice
Waste and sustainability
Assignment:
Maxwell Chapter 7 pp 288-298
United Church of Christ Study "Toxic Wastes and Race at Twenty 1987-2007”
Class Eight
October 27
TEAMS TURN IN BIBLIOGRAPHY AND ONE-PAGE OUTLINE FOR
TERM PROJECTS.
Optional: Current events story or peer-reviewed paper about soil, waste water,
municipal waste, hazardous waste or associated diseases
MID-TERM EXAM (One hour)
The Role of Our Living Environment in Health and Disease
The built environment
Indoor air quality
Urban planning: Urban sprawl, New Urbanism, Smart Growth, TransportationCentered Development
Urban vs. Rural
Segregation
Slums
The special problems of refugee camps
Health consequences of economic development
Environmental justice
Hazards of consumer products
 Case study: cell phones and brain tumors
Assignment:
Maxwell Chapter 7 pp 298-305
Class Nine
November 3
Class Ten
November 10
Optional: Current events story or peer-reviewed paper about the built, urban, rural
etc. environment
Food and the Environment
Food groups and food pyramid
Safe handling of food
Changes in food production: from family farms to agribusiness
Fresh vs. processed foods; micronutrient deficiencies
The central role of corn in the Western diet
The obesity epidemic: is it really due to malnutrition?
Pesticides and foods
Imported foods
Organic foods – are they really better?
Food allergies
Foodborne infectious diseases
Chemical contaminants of foods
Class experiment: blind taste test: organic vs non-organic foods, locally grown vs
imported
Assignment:
Maxwell Chapter 6
Optional: Current events story or peer-reviewed paper about food
Environmental Ethics of Food
Viewing and discussion of “Food Inc. The Movie” (in DVD November 3)
Regulation of food safety in the U.S.
Genetically modified foods
Industrial animal farms
The environmental cost of eating
Carnivores, locovores, omnivores, vegetarians, vegans
The world food crisis
Land use, food geography and implications for health and disease
Food and sustainability
Class Eleven
November 17
The Role of the Environment in Chronic Diseases
Reproductive Problems

Case study: Decline in sperm counts worldwide
Birth Defects
Neurodevelopmental Problems
 Case study: The rise in autism spectrum disorders – real or artifact?
Cancer
Social determinants of disease
Risk factors: modifiable and non-modifiable
Demonstration of the Environmental Public Health Tracking System: a way to
visualize environmental and health information
Approaches to minimizing risk of environmental diseases
Class Twelve
November 24
Class Thirteen
December 1
Class Fourteen
December 8
Final Exam
December 15
4:00 pm
Assignment:
Optional: Current events story or peer-reviewed paper about chronic diseases or
social/behavioral components of disease
Ethics in Environmental Health
Environmental exposure standards: are they ethical?
Occupational exposures and their regulation
Child labor – a global problem
Environmental tobacco smoke
Special sensitive populations: children and the elderly
Class exercise: Re-calculating our carbon footprints: have we improved?
Assignment:
Teams should be finishing their papers and presentations.
Optional: Current events story or peer-reviewed paper about environmental health
ethics
TEAM PRESENTATIONS OF TERM PROJECTS
TEAM PRESENTATIONS OF TERM PROJECTS
WRITTEN REPORTS DUE AT MIDNIGHT
Non-cumulative exam (1-2 hours)
Evaluation
Assignment
Grading
Weight Number Grade
96- >100%
93-95%
Quiz 1
90-92%
Midterm
30%
86-89%
Paper
25% 83-85%
80-82%
Team Presentation of Term Project
5%
76-79%
Final Exam
30% 73-75%
70-72%
Class Participation
10%
66-69%
63-65%
Each current event report will count 0.2
60-62%
percentage point on the course grade, for a
total of 11 weeks or 5.5 possible points. Exams <60%
will also have extra-credit questions.
Letter Grade
A+
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF