UGA Bulletin

Course Description

An introduction to the effects of contaminants on aquatic organisms and terrestrial wildlife, types of contaminants impacting ecosystems, fate and transport of contaminants in the environment, and the effects of contaminants at various levels of biological organization ranging from biochemical reactions in the cell to the population level.

Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Graduate students will either perform an ecological risk assessment for a chemical or will write a proposal focused on an ecotoxicological problem, and make a formal oral presentation of their findings to the class.

Athena Title

Ecotoxicology

Equivalent Courses

Not open to students with credit in FISH 8350, EHSC 8350, ECOL 8350, ENTO 8350, VPHY 8350, PHRM 8350

Undergraduate Prerequisite

[(BIOL 1108 and BIOL 1108L) or (BIOL 2108H and BIOL 2108L)] and [(CHEM 1211-1211D and CHEM 1211L) or (CHEM 1311H and CHEM 1311L)]

Graduate Prerequisite

[(BIOL 1108 and BIOL 1108L) or (BIOL 2108H and BIOL 2108L)] and [(CHEM 1211-1211D and CHEM 1211L) or (CHEM 1311H and CHEM 1311L)]

Semester Course Offered

Offered fall

Grading System

A - F (Traditional)

Student learning Outcomes

Students will understand how to identify sources and types of contaminants affecting ecosystems.
Students will understand how to predict the fate of environmental contaminants.
Students will understand how to explain how chemicals are absorbed, digested, metabolized, and excreted.
Students will understand how to assess the toxic effects of contaminants at the biochemical, cellular, organismal, and population levels.
Students will understand how to identify toxicity testing procedures and biomonitoring methods.
Students will understand basic regulatory structures surrounding risk assessments.
Students will develop and present a grant proposal aimed at defining and advancing the concept of "next generation ecotoxicology that is reviewed by other students and the instructor.

Topical Outline

Introduction to ecotoxicology
Different classes of environmental contaminants
Contaminant fate and flow
Bioavailability, bioaccumulation and trophic transfer
Bioaccumulation and trophic transfer
Metabolism and excretion
Lethal effects- toxicity testing
Sublethal effects- biochemical, physiological, behavioral, reproductive
In situ biomonitoring
Effects on populations
Effects on ecological communities and ecosystems
Ecological risk assessment

Institutional Competencies Learning Outcomes

Communication

The ability to effectively develop, express, and exchange ideas in written, oral, interpersonal, or visual form.

Syllabus

publish