AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Basic knowledge on interactions between environmental chemicals and living oganisms: uptake, bioaccumulation, elimintation and biological responses. Choice and utilization of model organisms to evaluate the effects of contaminants. Utilization of ecotoxicity tests. Data interpretation and utilization.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Regular attendance to the lectures will allow students to acquire basic knowledge to understand the interactions between organisms living in different environments and chemicals released by human activities, how these contaminants can be taken up, accumulated or eliminated, depending on the physiology of the organism, leading to adverse effects and thus representing  a potential risk for environmental and human health.

Students will be also introduced to the experimental methods to evaluate the biological effects of chemicals, alone or in mixtures, utilizing model species representative of different environment and/or trophic levels, or human and rodent cell models, in in vitro, in vivo and micro- meso-cosm systems.  

They will acquire the concepts of dose-response relationship, acute and chronic exposure, and the methodological criteria to evaluate the effects of chemicals in controlled experimental systems.

Students will also learn on which basis the main ecotoxicological tests on models of aquatic and terrestrial organisms (form bacteria to fish) and toxicological test in mammalian cell lines have been developed, and how these are carried out according to standardized and validated international protocols in order to utilize the obtained data as a basis for risk assessment for environmental and human health.

TEACHING METHODS

lectures

The course is delivered through lectures.

Regular attendance is strongly recommended.

Students with a certified physical disability or specific learning disorder (SLD) registered with the University can find information about support services on the following webpage:

University of Genoa – Disability and SLD Services

These services are provided by the Student Inclusion Services for Students with Disabilities and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD).

Students may also contact Cristina Carbone (cristina.carbone@unige.it), the DISTAV faculty representative for disability support.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Structure and function of natural ecosystems. Interactions between living organisms and the surrounding environment: abiotic and biotic factors. Anthropogenic activities and release of chemicals in the environment. Contamiannts and their interactions with different components of the ecosystem. Main classes of persistent pollutants (POPs). Emerging contaminants.

Interactions of contaminants with aquatic and terrestrial organisms: retrospective and predictive aspects. Bioavailability of contaminants. Role of physiological processes in the fate of contaminants within the organism: uptake, distribution, metabolism and excretion. Target tissues. Lethal, sub-lethal, acute and chronic effects. Bioassays and ecotoxicological assays: dose-response relationships, monotonic and non monotonic. In vitro and in vivo systems, micro and mesocosms. Application of bioassays and ecotox assays to evaluate the biological impact of contaminants alone, in mixtures, and of extracts form environmental matrices (water, sediments, soils). Mammalian cell cultures  and fish embryonic stages as alternative models for animal studies. Utilization of data for a preliminary investigation of biological risk.

Ecotoxicologial assays: introductory remarks and description of main validated ecotoxicological assays in models of aquatic and terrestrial organisms (bacteria, alge, invertebrates, fish). Applications within within the international and national laws.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

All teaching materials will be given to the students during  the course (scientific papers, ppt presentations, guidelines) and will be available on Aulaweb.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

LAURA CANESI (President)

TERESA BALBI

ELENA GRASSELLI (President Substitute)

LAURA VERGANI (Substitute)

LESSONS

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Oral examination. Two exams in the winter session and 4 in the summer session.

Students attending the lessons during the year, at the end  of the course may choose  a written examination, consisting in a multiple choice test plus an open question

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Assessment of learning goals will evaluate the acquired knowledge on the basal aspects of the subject, the capacity to connect the different topics, and to apply theoretical knowledge to simple practical context. The quality of public speaking, the correct utilization of scientific language and the capacity of critical reasoning will be also evaluated.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Students who have valid certification of physical or learning disabilities on file with the University and who wish to discuss possible accommodations or other circumstances regarding lectures, coursework and exams, should speak both with the instructor and with Professor Sara Ferrando (sara.ferrando@unige.it), the Department’s disability liaison