Environmental Toxicology

Catalog description

Environmental toxicology is the study of the nature, properties, effects and detection of toxic substances in the environment and in any environmentally exposed species, including humans. Fundamental toxicological concepts will be covered including dose-response relationships, absorption of toxicants, distribution and storage of toxicants, biotransformation and elimination of toxicants, target organ toxicity, teratogenesis, mutagenesis, carcinogenesis, and risk assessment. The course will include an overview of chemodynamics of contaminants in the environment including fate and transport. The effects of these contaminants will then be explored on a series of scales: the molecular level (biochemical pathways of metabolism and detoxification); the organismal level (target organs, behavioral effects); and the ecosystem level (nutrient cycling and ecosystem services).