Course Description
Fundamental elements of risk assessment with a specific focus on chemicals, microorganisms, and assessment criteria set by federal agencies. Risk assessments conducted and used by international groups will be compared and evaluated. Course includes a combination of lectures, case studies, critical discussions of primary literature, and group risk assessment projects.
Athena Title
Fund Chem Microb Risk Assess
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in EHSC 8110E
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall and spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
This course is intended for graduate students at any level with an interest in chemical and/or microbial risk assessment. Upon successful completion of this course, the graduate student should be able to: - Conduct comprehensive reviews of primary literature and databases for specific chemical(s) or microbe(s); - Critically evaluate published papers based on components of chemical or microbial risk assessments and find knowledge gap(s); - Analyze the basic four components of risk assessment; - Design hazard analysis, exposure assessment, and hazard characterization to judge and interpret potential risk and benefits for chemical(s) and microbe(s); - Create and author a valid proposal to conduct risk assessments of chemicals or microbial pathogens; - Interpret effective risk communications; - Develop and implement risk communication to scientific, non-scientific, and governmental communities.
Topical Outline
Outline will vary according to the most recent scientific publications in the area of chemical and microbial risk assessment. The following is a summary of common topics to be covered in each class offering: - Fundamental principles of risk assessments - Hazard analysis - Exposure analysis - Hazard characterization - Risk characterization - Comparisons of the similarities and differences in risk assessments - Case studies in chemical and microbial risk assessments - Basic elements in effective risk communication
Syllabus
Public CV