Superscript

Environmental Toxicology: Ecosystem and Human Health

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Syllabus -

Fall 2021 - Start Date TBD/ Time 3PM ET (Video will be available afterward)

Instructor: James Lyons-Weiler, PhD

Live class meetings: Thursdays @ 3PM via Zoom

If you miss a class, don’t worry. Lecture videos will be available after each class.

Course description: In a series of live online presentations and discussions, students will learn the fundamentals of environmental toxicology and become well-informed and primed for discussions in the public sphere. There will be recommended readings, additional recommended videos, recommended books. There are no quizzes or exams. Students are encouraged to think of questions during each lecture to be ready to facilitate the live discussion after each lecture.

Lecture Schedule (tentative, subject to change)

1. Background and Course Overview

2. Categories of Toxins

Teratogens, mutagens, carcinogens, reproductive toxins, neurotoxins/excitotoxins, nutriotoxins, immunotoxins

3. Developmental Biology, Genetics & Epigenetics overview

4. Concepts of Toxicity

Acute vs. Chronic, Dose toxicity, LD50, Pharmcokinetics of serum/plasma-soluable pollutants, whole-body toxicity, the biology of detoxification (mammals & plants)

5. Evidence and Causality

Causality (direct, indirect, synergistic), Hill's Criteria, Levels of Evidence in Scientific Studies (association, dosage response, reversibility)

6. Air Pollution

7. Water Pollution

8. Food Pollution

9. Toxins in the Home, School & Workplace

Mold, EMF, PVC, PCBs

10. Carcinogens and Mutagens, Hallmarks of Cancer

11. Teratogens

12. Developmental Neurotoxins

13. Reproductive Toxins & Hormone Mimics

14. Nutriotoxins

15. Metals

16. Flame Retardants

17. Pesticides and Herbicides

18. Microplastics

19. Pharmaceutical Toxins

20. Wrapping Up/Case Examples of Clean-ups