Chemicals in the environment

• Define and describe fundamental concepts and terms in environmental toxicology, chemistry and risk assessment
• Collect relevant chemical fate and effect data from the internet and handbooks/databases
• Interpret physico-chemical data for chemicals in relation to environmental fate
• Quantify environmental behavior using equilibrium assumptions
• Apply simple quantitative structure activity relationships in the estimation of inherent compound properties
• Interpret results of standardized biodegradability tests
• Conduct laboratory ecotoxicity test with chemicals
• Analyse data and evaluate results of ecotoxicological tests
• Describe test results in a technical laboratory report
• Classify and assess chemicals in accordance with regulatory guidelines for environmental risk assessment
• Summarize and evaluate own and literature data in environmental profiles of organic chemicals

The course deals with environmental exposure and effect assessment of organic chemicals. Exposure and effect assessments are key elements in both Danish and EU classifications and risk assessments of chemicals. The exposure assessment covers the environmental chemical fate i.e. transport, degradation, intermedia transfer and partitioning of chemicals in different parts of the environment. Here processes like biodegradation, hydrolysis, photodegradation, sorption, volatilization, and bioaccumulation are fundamental for understanding the environmental behaviour of chemicals. The processes are related to the physico-chemical and chemical structure properties and to the characteristics of the environmental compartments (water, aquatic sediments, aquatic biota, soil, and air). Calculation exercises and computer-based models for distribution of compounds are used to illustrate the environmental chemical fate. The effect assessment covers ecotoxicological effects of chemicals. This subject is taught through lectures dealing with the theoretical aspects of toxicity testing and regulatory use of toxicity data. Furthermore, collection of chemical property data and a series of theoretical and practical laboratory exercises are carried out in groups of 3 students. The laboratory exercises include standard tests for biodegradation and biological effects on different groups of organisms (e.g. bacteria, algae and crustaceans).

12102/02402

Lectures, laboratory exercises in groups, computer exercises and calculation exercises

Maximum: 63.

Please be aware that this course has a limited number of seats available. If there are too many applicants, a pool will be created for the remainder of the qualified applicants, and they will be selected at random. You will be informed 8 days before the start of the course, whether you have been allocated a spot.