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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