ECTS
ECTS Course Catalogue
Course details
Course code: RSSS20393o17Semester: 2017/2018 summer
Name: Environmental risk assessment
Major: Environmental Protection
Study Type: second cycle
Course type: compulsory
Study Semester: 1
ECTS points: 5
Hours (Lectures / Tutorials / Other): 30 / 30 / 0
Lecturer: prof. dr hab. Anna Karczewska, dr inż. Agnieszka Medyńska-Juraszek
Language of instruction: Polish / English
Learning outcomes: Knowledge: Students possess principle knowledge concerning hazardous substances, their sources and behaviour in the environment, as well as the factors that determine related environmental risk. They know the rules applied for interpretation of ecotoxicological studies. They know the principles of ecological risk assessment ERA and human health risk assessment HHRA. They know the main legal regulations concerning environmental risk assessment procedure as well as related models and software. Skills: Students perform simple calculations to predict environmental concentrations of substances based on the field studies and analytical results. They identify and analyze the main pathways of exposure to the substances present in the environment concerning various groups of people. They are able to design the studies and analyses necessary to prepare comprehensive assessment of ecological risk and human health risk. They forecast the possible effects of release of hazardous substances into the environment, and interpret the results in relation to legal regulations. They use proper terminology related to environmental risk assessment both in Polish and English language.
Competences: They are aware of the spatial variability of properties within environmental compartments and take it into account while planning the research and interpretation of its results for related environmental risk assessment. The individuals are aware of adverse environmental effects that may be caused by releasing hazardous substances into the environment and are able to indicate the measures for mitigation of those effects. Students strive to acquire a current knowledge concerning environmental hazards and risk assessment, and are able to provide reliable, professional and interesting information from a variety of sources, including the literature.
Prerequisites: Environmental chemistry, Environmental impact assessment
Course content: Hazardous substances in the environment, their sources and predicted concentrations in various environmental compartments. Principles of ecological risk assessment and human health risk assessment. Procedures of environmental risk assessment – international experience. Ecotoxicological studies and their application for determining environmental risk indices. The pathways of human exposure to hazardous substances. Procedures used in the assessment of human health risk as related to threshold and non-threshold effects. Models and software used in risk assessment procedures. Legal regulations concerning environmental risk assessment.
Recommended literature: 1.Hallenbeck W.H. 1986: Quantitative risk assessment for environmental and occupational health. Lewis Publisher, Chelsea, Mich. 2.Lerce I.; Glaesser W. 2006: Environmental risk assessment : quantitative measures, anthropogenic influences, human impact. Springer, Berlin 3.Robson M.G., Toscano W.A. 2007. Risk Assessment for Environmental Health. John Wiley & Sons. 4.Simon T. 2014. Environmental Risk Assessment. Toxicological Approach. CRC Press. 5.US EPA: Risk Assessment Guidance for Superfund (RAGS), http://www.epa.gov/oswer/riskassessment/ragsa/index.htm
Assessment methods: Assessment methods Knowledge: Written test on the knowledge, assessment of projects, assessment of presentation contents. Skills: Assessment of projects, assessment of formal aspects of presentations Personal and social competences: Assessment of presentations and discussions
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