Bi5580 General Ecotoxicology

Faculty of Science
Autumn 2012
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 2 credit(s) (plus extra credits for completion). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
prof. RNDr. Luděk Bláha, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Sergio Jarque Ortiz, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
prof. RNDr. Ivan Holoubek, CSc.
RECETOX – Faculty of Science
Contact Person: prof. RNDr. Luděk Bláha, Ph.D.
Supplier department: RECETOX – Faculty of Science
Timetable
Wed 13:00–14:50 D29/252-RCX1
Prerequisites (in Czech)
NOW( Bi5580c General Ecotoxicology - pr. )
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
At the end of the course, students should be able to:;
- describe and understand basic principles of ecotoxicology
- discuss and explain environmental stressors (chemical compounds, physical and biological stressors)
- clasify and interpret adverse effects (organisms are understood as receptors of the stress) at different levels and different organisms (bacteria, algae, plants, invertebrates, vertebrates including man)
- explain and use methodological approaches in ecotoxicology
- solve practical problems of the ecotoxicology applications
Syllabus
  • 1 - history and present ecotoxicology frame ecotoxicology - the science of effects of (chemical) stressors on ecosystems and their living parts (organisms); knowledge base of ecotoxicologist; ecotoxicology vs. (human) toxicology; relations and connections between ecotoxicology and other biological and environmental sciences; terminology of toxicology and ecology. retrospective and prospective ecotoxicology; types of ecosystems and ecotoxicology (aquatic and terrestrial ecotoxicology); 2 - chemical compounds in ecosystems environmentally relevant properties of chemical compounds (basic and specific descriptors - partition coefficients, sorption constants, lipophility); introduction to principles of study of fate of chemicals in the environment - transport, distribution, transformations; bioconcentrations and bioavailability - specifities of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems; biotic transformations - biodegradation and metabolism of xenobiotics. 3 - biological systems in ecotoxicology exposure-dose-response concept, toxokinetics and toxodynamics; acute and chronic toxicity vs. genotoxicity vs. karcinogenity; biomarkers; hierarchy of biological systems - specifications and effects of (chemical) stresors in different levels. 4 - effects in various levels of the organism subcellular and cellular level - biochemical and molecular modes of toxic action; mutagenicity and genotoxicity; effects on organ level of auto- and heterotrophic organisms; organismal level - health vs. letality, reproduction and developlmental effects; 5 - effects in various levels of trophic chains ecotoxicology of producents - cyanobacteria, algae, plants ecotoxicology of predators - invertebrates, vertebrates, man as a component of ecosystems ecotoxicology of destruents - bacteria, fungy 6 - (chemical) stress in communities and ecosystems properties, structure and functions of ecosystems, spatial and temproral changes, connections and relationships between components of ecosystems, trophy and food chains; effects of chemical stress, respones and recovery in ecosystem level; aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, case studies, indicator of ecosystem health; organic pollution vs. toxicity. 7 - experimental approaches laboratory testing vs. in situ studies vs. biomonitoring; experiments of different complexity - design and principles; standardization, reproducibility, and ecological interpretations; biological factors affecting toxicity (nutrition, sex, annual and life cycles ...) 8 - methods in ecotoxicology (I) - laboratory biotests biotests - hierarchy and batteries of tests - trophic levels; studies of effects and their parametrization - derivation and interpretation of ECx, LCx, LO(A)EL, NO(A)EL values. Methods for aquatic and terrestrial organisms - representatives and examples; multispecies testing - laboratory microcosms. microbial ecotoxicology 9 - metody in ecotoxicology (II) - ecological studies metods of in situ studies - types and selection of organisms and exposures, negative-background localities, mesocosms. biomonitoring - field studies, concept of biological integrity, characteristics and parametrizations of community structure; problems and specifities of bioindicators; 10 - major classes of important contaminants: chemical individuals vs. mixtures and complex samples; industrial and urban pollution; basic characterisitics of major classes - sources, fates and effects: inorganic compounds (metals, gases, nutrients - phosphorus, nitrogen); organic pollutants (organic gases, solvents, pesticides, products and byproducts of industrial activities, combustion products). 11 - Applications of ecotoxicology predictive ecotoxicology (principles and characteristics of structure-activity relationship modelling (QSAR) mathematical models for fate and transport of chemicals in the environment and food chains; risk assessment - basic concepts and realization, hazard vs. risk, fate and effects analyses and synthesis - risk evaluation; human vs. ecological risks national and international standards in ecotoxicology, regulatory frame for ecotoxicology, corresponding practical aspects, derivation and interpretation of safety limits or benchmarks.
Literature
  • BLÁHA, Luděk. Podkladové materiály (PDF) k výuce obecné ekotoxikologie (Handout materials (PDF) for lectures from general ecotoxicology). 2005. URL info
  • CALOW, P. Handbook of Ecotoxicology Vol. I and II. London, U.K.: Blackwell Scientific publications, 1993. info
  • HOFFMAN, D.J. and B.A. RATTNER. Handbook of Ecotoxicology. Boca Raton, FL, USA: CRC Press, 1994. info
Teaching methods
Combination of lectures (weekly during whole semester), practical exercises - ecotoxicology tests (block at the end of semester), e-learning materials (within IS.MUNI.CZ), independent seminar project (1x during the semester), continuous check (using Questionaires in the IS.MUNI.CZ (3x during the semester).
Assessment methods
3 online tests during the lectures (ROPOTs - Revision, Opinion Poll and Testing) in the is.muni.cz - results are considered for the final examination). Final exam - written test, followed by oral examination.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
Teacher's information
http://www.recetox.muni.cz
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2007 - for the purpose of the accreditation, Autumn 2010 - only for the accreditation, Autumn 2002, Autumn 2003, Autumn 2004, Autumn 2005, Autumn 2006, Autumn 2007, Autumn 2008, Autumn 2009, Autumn 2010, Autumn 2011, Autumn 2011 - acreditation, Autumn 2013, Autumn 2014, Autumn 2015, Autumn 2016, autumn 2017, Autumn 2018.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2012, recent)
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