Biology 362: Ecotoxicology
Spring 2004
Tuesday and Thursday 1-2:15, Chambers 1096
INSTRUCTOR: Professor Christopher J. Paradise
Office: 272 Watson Life Sciences Building
Office Hours: Monday 11:30-12:20 and 1:30-3:20; Thursday 2:30-4:20, or by appt.
Phone: 2890 (office) e-mail: chparadise@davidson.edu
TEXTBOOK
Newman MC & Unger MA (2003) Fundamentals of Ecotoxicology, 2nd ed. Lewis Publishers, Inc., 458 pp.
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND ORGANIZATION
Ecotoxicology is the science that examines the fate and effects of toxins and contaminants in and on ecosystems, and this course is intended to be an ecologically-oriented examination of the study of toxins in the environment. Of course, ecotoxicologists do not all study at the ecosystem level, so we’ll examine fates and effects from the organism level to the ecosystem level.
Toxicology typically examines effects of toxins at the molecular, cellular, and organismal levels. However, findings at those levels have not been well integrated into higher biological levels, nor are effects at higher levels always predictable based on findings at lower levels. Ecotoxicology attempts to integrate and study effects at multiple levels of biological organization. We will use the backdrop of current ecological and evolutionary theories to help organize the course and put toxicological findings in perspective.
By the end of the course you should be able to understand and critically examine many facets of this relatively new, exciting, and relevant science, including 1) how organisms deal with toxins in the environment, 2) how chemicals move in the environment, 3) the ecological impacts of various toxins on populations, communities, and ecosystems, and 4) how toxic effects are measured at various hierarchical levels.
The course meets twice a week – it is expected that you will be present at every class. The semester will be divided into three sections:
1. Six weeks on overview of ecotoxicology – instructor will lecture or lead class discussions.
2. Student presentations and discussions on specific toxins/contaminants or classes of chemical.
3. Student presentations and discussions on ecotoxicological issues.
See the outline below for more details. In addition, during the course of the semester we will have 2-3 guest lecturers, who may also give departmental seminars. I expect each student to make an honest faith attempt to attend the departmental seminars. We will use the class period to clarify and discuss concepts and ideas presented in the textbook and readings; you must read the material prior to class. Please see me if you have questions about the readings.
ASSIGNMENTS AND CLASS PARTICIPATION
Lectures and In-Class Discussions: To provide you the background you require to investigate toxins and conceptual issues on your own, we will proceed through the textbook at a fairly rapid pace. Some of the material in the chapters will be covered by you or your peers later in the semester as part of your presentations. I will cover the remaining material in this early part of the course. This requires you to select topics fairly early on so I can tailor the first third of the class to reduce redundancy and allow you to explore topics of interest to you. In addition, there will be several reading assignments outside the textbook, which we will discuss in class and may be relevant to guest lecturers or seminar speakers. Those sources are either listed below or will be handed out in class.
Review: At the end of the first section of the course, there will be one review. It will cover all the material presented in the first six weeks of the course. The format will be a combination of short answer and short essay. This review will be worth 150 points. No make-up will be given, for any reason. The key will be posted on the course web page. If you feel that an error was made in the grading of your exam, you may request in writing that your test be regraded by handing in your exam with your argument described on a sheet stapled to the front of your exam. The review will cover material from the lecture and readings. Scores will be available one week (or less) after the review.
Oral Presentation and Annotated Bibliography Assignments: Each student will present two 30-35 minute lectures during the course of the semester. There are many topics that fall within the subdiscipline of ecotoxicology. This is your opportunity to explore a topic that interests you and that is not covered in class (at least, not in depth). I will provide a list of some broad topics from which you may choose. The exact format will be discussed in class and you will be given a handout with more direction. Each of these assignments will be worth 200 points (100 for the presentation and 100 for the annotated bibliography).
· You must arrange to meet with me twice before each presentation – once to approve and discuss your topic and progress, and once to go over the outline of your presentation and annotated bibliography.
· Your talk must include a computer-aided presentation (e.g., PowerPoint). See the separate handout on preparing a presentation for guidelines, suggestions, and specific instructions.
· All annotated bibliographies must include at least ten sources, no more than four of which can be Internet sources. See the separate handout on preparing annotated bibliographies for more specific instructions.
1. The first assignment will be on a specific toxin or contaminant.
a. For the chosen chemical, or class of chemical, you should discuss and present its chemistry (i.e., chemical features that contribute to its activity), mode(s) of action, fate in the environment, biotransformation or detoxification, bioavailability, effects at different ecological levels (from organismal to ecosystem), and risk assessment.
b. You may choose a single chemical or a class of chemicals. There are drawbacks and advantages to each. A class of chemicals with individual toxins that have dissimilar activities and modes of action in biota (e.g., POPs) might be difficult to cover in the allotted time. Alternatively, if you pick a single chemical you might run into a literature acquisition problem, although this is not too likely unless you choose a newly emerging contaminant for which ecotoxicological testing has not been done.
c. Here is a non-inclusive list of classes of toxins and contaminants from which to choose (see also pp. 28-50 of text):
i. Heavy metals (including, but not limited to, lead, arsenic, chromium, cadmium, and mercury)
ii. Persistent organic pollutants – POPs (e.g., PCBs, DDT, CFCs)
iii. Pesticides (different classes of pesticides include organophosphates, carbamates, pyrethroids, “natural” insecticides)
iv. Radioactive compounds
v. Organometallic compounds (e.g., tributyltin, dimethylmercury)
vi. Endocrine disruptors
vii. Inorganic gases (e.g., hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide)
2. The second assignment will be on a conceptual or methodological issue or topic in ecotoxicology.
a. For the chosen issue or topic, you should discuss any controversy surrounding the topic, the current state of thinking regarding the issue, ecological concepts integrated with the topic or issue, recent improvements in science or technology that advance our knowledge of the topic, or other pertinent concepts or issues we discussed that relate to your topic. The coverage of these aspects will vary depending on your chosen topic.
b. Topics include but are not limited to:
i. Acute vs. chronic toxicity tests
ii. Use of single species LC50 tests to predict ecological effects
iii. Environmental fate models and movement of pollutants in ecosystems
iv. Toxins in freshwater or marine systems
v. Use of molecular biology to predict ecosystem level effects
vi. Soil or sediment ecotoxicology – difficulties in assessment or monitoring
vii. Evolution of resistance to toxins
viii. Effects of toxins on interspecific interactions
ix. Effects of toxins and contaminants on genes and gene pools
x. Synergistic effects of chemical mixtures
xi. Risk assessment
Guest Lecturers: I have arranged for two ecotoxicologists to interact with our class during the semester. The college will also have a toxicologist from UC Berkeley come to discuss his research and experiences with industry. This is an opportunity to meet experts in their field and to discuss with them their research and philosophy. There will be supplemental readings associated with each of these guests.
Class Participation and Attendance: Active participation and engaged learning cannot occur when you are not in class. I expect you to be present at each class. Please make me aware of any class meeting that you will not be able to attend, due to unavoidable, but legitimate, conflict. Because this is a discussion-oriented course, this category will be worth ~15% of your final grade. Unexcused absences and lack of participation in class will result in a lower Participation point total.
EVALUATION
Final grades will be based on the following distribution of points out of 650 possible. If at any time you feel unsure about your standing in the course, please come and see me!
Review: 150
Oral Presentations (2@100 pts each): 200
Annotated Bibliographies (2@100 pts each): 200
Participation: 100
Total: 650
Grades will be assigned using the follows distribution;
A: 93.0-100% A-: 90.0-92.9%
B+: 87-89.9% B: 83.0-86.9% B-: 80.0-82.9%
C+: 77-79.9% C: 73.0-76.9% C-: 70.0-72.9%
D+: 65-69.9% D: 60.0-64.9% F: < 60%
| TENTATIVE COURSE CALENDAR |
||
| Date |
TOPIC |
READINGS / NOTES |
| 1/13 |
The scope of ecotoxicology | |
| 1/15 |
What makes a toxin toxic? | |
| 1/20 |
Toxins in organisms |
Chapter 3 – ALL (skip models on pp. ); Deadline to choose toxin |
| 1/22 |
Bioaccumulation | Chs. 4 & 5 |
| 1/27 |
Toxicant effects below the individual level |
Chs. 6 & 7; Deadline to choose issue |
| 1/29 |
Sublethal effects |
|
| 2/3 |
Acute and chronic assessment; bioindicator assays |
|
| 2/5 |
How to present and prepare a seminar & annotated bibliography |
|
| 2/10 |
Populations |
|
| 2/12 |
Communities and ecosystems |
|
| 2/17 |
Landscape ecotoxicology |
|
| 2/19 |
Risk assessment in ecotoxicology | |
| 2/24 |
Oral Presentations on Toxins | Two seniors |
| 2/26 |
Professor Shea Tuberty, Appalachian State University (Check out http://www.biology.appstate.edu/tubertysr.htm to learn more) | McLachlan 2001; Oberdorster and Cheek 2000 |
| 3/2&4 |
SPRING BREAK |
|
| 3/9 |
Oral Presentations on Toxins | Two seniors |
| 3/11 |
Oral Presentations on Toxins |
Seniors or juniors |
| 3/16 |
Oral Presentations on Toxins |
Two juniors |
| 3/18 |
Oral Presentations on Toxins |
Two juniors |
| 3/23 |
Professor Inna Sokolova, Univ. of North Carolina, Charlotte (Check out http://www.bioweb.uncc.edu/Faculty/Sokolova/ to learn more) |
|
| 3/25 |
Oral Presentations on Toxins |
Juniors or sophomores |
| 3/30 |
Oral Presentations on Toxins |
Two sophomores |
| 4/1 |
Oral Presentations on Conceptual Issues |
Two seniors |
| 4/6 |
Oral Presentations on Conceptual Issues |
Two seniors |
| 4/8 |
Oral Presentations on Conceptual Issues |
Seniors or juniors |
| 4/13 |
Easter Break |
|
| 4/15 |
Oral Presentations on Conceptual Issues | Two juniors |
| 4/20 |
Oral Presentations on Conceptual Issues |
Two juniors |
| 4/22 |
Oral Presentations on Conceptual Issues |
Juniors or sophomores |
| 4/27 |
Oral Presentations on Conceptual Issues |
Two sophomores |
| 4/29 |
Oral Presentations on Conceptual Issues |
|
| 5/4 |
Wrap up |
|
Reading List (on reserve, available on the web, or will be passed out in class).
McLachlan JA (2001) Environmental signaling: What embryos and evolution teach us about endocrine disrupting chemicals. Endocrine Reviews 22:319-341.
Oberdorster E & Cheek AO (2000) Gender benders at the beach: Endocrine disruption in marine and estuarine organisms. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 20:23-36.
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PO Box 7118, Davidson College, Davidson, NC 28035-7118; Page maintained by
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