Ecotoxicology

Code

Course teacher

Associate teachers

Status of the course

Course objectives

Gaining of basic theoretical and practical knowledge of direct and indirect effects of xenobiotics on the environment, at all living organisms, and their relationship to inanimate matter.

Course enrolment requirements and entry competences required for the course

Learning outcomes expected at the level of the course (4 to 10 learning outcomes)

After finishing this course the student is expected to know:
- basic concepts and relationships in the ecosystem,
- types of pollution and ways which are due to the environment
- the mechanisms of action of different types of xenobiotics,
- molecular-cellular aspects of toxicity,
- the role of bioindicators and biomarkers for determining the condition of environmental pollution in land and water ecosystems .

Course content broken down in detail by weekly class schedule (syllabus)

1st week: Introduction to ecotoxicology. Definitions of terms and development of ecotoxicology.
2nd week: Human impact on the environment. The division of pollutants per site pollution .Persistence and detoxication.
3thweek: Physiological classification of pollutants. Factors that determine the movement and distribution of pollutants
4thweek: The pathophysiological effects of poisoning. The mode of action of pollutants. Absorption and distribution of xenobiotics in the body
5th week: Molecular-cellular aspects of toxicity.Transport of toxicants through the cell membrane
6th week: Biotransformation. Biodynamics and excretion of toxic substances.
7th week: Biological degradation of the toxic substances in the environment. Transport mechanisms in the environment.Bioaccumulation, bioconcentration and biomagnification
8th week: Assessment of genotoxicity.UV radiation and marine phytoplankton
9th week: Introduction to analytical methods in ecotoxicology. Qualitative analytical
methods for determination of toxicants
10th week: Quantitative analytical methods for the determination of toxicants
11thweek: The mechanism of toxicity and detection of nitrate, nitrite and ammonia
12th week: Methods for detection of cyanide and cyanide glycoside
13th week: The mechanism of toxicity of heavy metals
14th week: Methods of biomonitoring, analysis of residues (determining MRL).
15th week: Biological determination of toxins from shellfish

Format of instruction:

Student responsibilities