E1240 Experimental and Applied Toxicology and Ecotoxicology

Faculty of Science
Autumn 2023
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 2 credit(s) (plus extra credits for completion). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
doc. Mgr. Klára Hilscherová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
prof. RNDr. Jakub Hofman, Ph.D. (lecturer)
prof. Ing. Blahoslav Maršálek, CSc. (lecturer)
doc. RNDr. Pavel Čupr, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. Klára Hilscherová, Ph.D.
RECETOX – Faculty of Science
Contact Person: doc. Mgr. Klára Hilscherová, Ph.D.
Supplier department: RECETOX – Faculty of Science
Timetable
Thu 14:00–15:50 D29/252-RCX1
Prerequisites (in Czech)
NOW( E1241 Exp Appl Tox Ecotox - 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
The main objective of this class is to get an overview and deeper expert knowledge and competences in the field of toxicological and ecotoxicological assessment of hazardous properties of various types of materials and chemical compounds
Learning outcomes
At the end of this course, students should be able to:
- explain the legislation framework of toxicological and ecotoxicological biotests, the approaches for evaluation of (eco)toxicity of chemical compounds and hazardous materials in CR and EU
- know the guidelines, their structure and system of standardized ecotoxicological biotests
- discuss the applicability of standard and alternative methods for practice
- select the best approaches and model organisms for (eco)toxicological assessment of test materials
- suggest the optimal test or battery of tests according to the requirement of the study
- assemble design of single or multifactorial (eco)toxicity tests
- assess the limitations and advantages of bacterial tests for toxicity and genotoxicity
- characterize the most often used batteries of biotests, tests with the model autotrophic organisms (producents) and consuments
- compare the biotests for assessment of toxicity of solid environmental matrices
- describe the options for evaluation of toxicity for higher animals in terrestrial and aquatic environment
- argue applicability and the need of in vitro and in vivo tests for (eco)toxicity evaluation
- consider potential influence of other factors on the test outcomes
- determine and calculate the crucial parameters characterizing the toxicity from the test results
- combine the information obtained by biotests with data from chemical analysis for effective risk assessment of polluted environmental matrices
- integrate the results from various types of biotests for the purpose of risk assessment
- analyze in detail and critically interpret the biotest outcomes in broader context
Syllabus
  • 1. Introduction to the class, organization of lectures and exercises
  • 2. Necessity and principles of the hazard assessment of compounds and samples – standardized and alternative approaches, ethical issues, 3R, Tox21, modelling, read-across
  • 3. Legislative framework of eco/toxicological biotests (CSN, ISO, OECD, US EPA) – specific legislative requirements according to EU, EFSA, EMA, ECHA, REACH – dossiers. Required, recommended and alternative tests.
  • 4. Eco/toxicological methods vs. AOP concept (adverse outcome pathway) – from molecules to ecosystem levels
  • 5. Types of eco/toxicological biotests – in vitro, tissues (biomarkers), individual, population, multispecies, ecosystem level, biotest batteries. Acute, (sub)chronic, multigenerational, static vs. renewed vs. flow-through exposure
  • 6. Experimental design, strategy for planning and conducting experiments, analyses of data from (eco)toxicological tests, results interpretation and use. Dose-response and time-response relationship, continuous, discrete parameters, importance of exposure concentration measurement
  • 7. GLP (good laboratory practice) in eco/toxicological assessment. Standardization and accreditation of ecotoxicological biotests, test validity and reproducibility, representativeness and factors affecting test results
  • 8. Variability in individual and species sensitivity, species sensitivity distribution (SSD), its interpretation, principals for derivation of environmental quality standards, residue limits in food
  • 9. Eco/toxicological databases, their exploitation (e.g.. USEPA database, REACH)
  • 10. Tests of individual compounds, mixtures, complex samples – eluates, extracts vs. contact tests Wastes, soils, sediments, waste waters – sampling and processing samples for biotests Concept of mixture toxicity, realization and interpretation of tests with complex samples
  • Microbial biotests – tests of ecotoxicity with destruents. Ecotoxicological biotests with producents, tests with algae and macrophytes. Factors influencing the selection of biotest, test design, data analysis and interpretation
  • Ecotoxicological biotests with consuments - invertebrates, tests with bees
  • Ecotoxicological biotests with amphibians and fish - acute, chronic effects, embryonal tests, test of bioaccumulation.
  • Ecotoxicological biotests for evaluation of soil toxicity, bioavailibility, artificial soil, model species – invertebrates, plants
  • Tests of toxicity for birds
  • Toxicological testing on mammals, 3R, validated in vitro tests, alternative approaches
  • 17. In vitro methods, tests for genotoxicity, biodetection tools in ecotoxicological biotests – MIE, study of biochemical and cellular mechanisms of toxicity, development of advanced cellular models (3D, co-culture, microfluidics), HTS, HCA, TOXCAST
  • 18. Biomarkers and histological analyses in biotests and field studies, introduction to OMIC approaches
  • 19. Assessment of endocrine disruptive potential, EDSP program, OECD Framework – linking in vitro screening to simple and more complex in vivo tests, employment of biomarkers and histological analyses in tests
  • 20. Predictive eco/toxicology, QSAR, read-across, inter-species and inter-compound extrapolations, AOPs – weight of evidence (WoE), reverse dosimetry, IVIVE, PBPK, mixture toxicity modelling. Integrative approach for evaluation of biotests and chemical analysis.
Literature
    recommended literature
  • KOPP, Radovan, Klára HILSCHEROVÁ and Eva POŠTULKOVÁ. Základy vodní ekotoxikologie. Vydání první. Brno: Mendelova univerzita v Brně, 2015, 151 stran. ISBN 9788075093349. info
    not specified
  • WU, Ge. Assay development : fundamentals and practices. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley, 2010, xx, 425. ISBN 9780470191156. info
  • FARGAŠOVÁ, Agáta. Ekotoxikologické biotesty. 1. slovenské vyd. Bratislava: Perfekt, 2009, 317 s. ISBN 9788080464226. info
  • Principles and methods of toxicology. Edited by A. Wallace Hayes. 5th ed. New York: Informa Healthcare, 2008, xxiii, 227. ISBN 9780849337789. info
Teaching methods
Education is performed as interactive lectures with Powerpoint presentations and audiovisual discussions of the lecture topics. It includes home assignments where students elaborate answers to assigned set of questions. Attendance to the lectures is strongly recommended for correct understanding of the presented topics. The course is completed by a written exam, with a possibility of an oral exam.
Assessment methods
During school term every student prepares 10 min presentation for his/her colleagues. The gained knowledge is supported by two home assignments with sets or questions during the school term. The presentation and assignment are required for the credit. The final evaluation is based on written exam, where student needs to reach at least 60% of total score, followed by oral examination.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught annually.
Listed among pre-requisites of other courses
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2019, Autumn 2020, autumn 2021, Autumn 2022, Autumn 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2023, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/sci/autumn2023/E1240