Environmental Science and Hazardous Materials: Fall 2005 Course Outline - Prof. Louis M. R | Exams Environmental Science

Big Picture Concepts and Attitudes from EHST 1301

Fall 2005

General

List resources environmental laws are designed to protect.

List the materials and wastes and the environmental media that are the subject of the environmental laws.

List characteristics of the different environmental media. Compare and contrast.

Hazardous Materials

Classify a chemical as organic, inorganic, or metal given the chemical structure.

Estimate the environmental hazards of a chemical based on its chemical and physical properties.

Toxicology

List factors that a ffect the absorp tion rate of a chemica l for ea ch rou te of exp osure.

Describe how dose is affected by route of exposure, duration of exposure, and chemical concentr ation.

List possible toxic effects of absorbed chemicals at the cellular, organ, and organism level.

Recognize the symptoms of acute toxicity in humans.

Recognize the symptoms of chronic toxicity humans.

Depict typical dose-response graphically.

Use toxicity endpoints of LC/LD50 and LOAEL/NOAEL to classify the relative toxicity of chemicals.

Classify/group known causes of human cancers.

Describe the initiation of cancer and defend or refute the one-hit theory  of carcinogenesis.

Ecology/Environmental Science

Defend or refute the significance of human activities in environmental contamination and degradation.

Compare the human environment to the environment of a fish, bird, plant, etc.

Present reasons why ecosystems should or should not be protected.

Describe the impact of the laws of thermodynamics on ecosystem energy transfer and organism

interdependence.

List the levels of organization in the biospher e.

Describe how the climax community concept relates to expected sp ecies d ivers ity wi thin a given eco syst em.

Demonstrate where human activities influence biogeochemical cycles like the carbon cycle, the nitrogen

cycle, and the phosphorus cycle.

Identify the role of human activities in the global problems of acid deposition, ozone depletion, global

warming, alteration of habitat, and degradation of watershed functions. Cite examples of U.S. responses to

these problems.

Ecotoxicology

Differentiate between a human toxicity study and an ecotoxicity s tudy.

Construct a simple acute toxicity test.

Categorize the types of ecotoxicity tests by their ability to predict ecological effects; how can the tests be

modified to improve their applicability to decision making.

Show how biomonitoring can be used in decision making.

Environmental Media and Pollution

Describe the current make up of the Earth  s at mospher e and how it is thou ght to h ave cha nged sinc e when

it was formed.

List the sources of water on the Earth.

List the major air pollutants, compare their characteristics and sources.

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Big Picture Concepts and Attitudes from EHST 1301 Fall 2005

General List resources environmental laws are designed to protect. List the materials and wastes and the environmental media that are the subject of the environmental laws. List characteristics of the different environmental media. Compare and contrast.

Hazardous Materials Classify a chemical as organic, inorganic, or metal given the chemical structure. Estimate the environmental hazards of a chemical based on its chemical and physical properties.

Toxicology List factors that affect the absorption rate of a chemical for each route of exposure. Describe how dose is affected by route of exposure, duration of exposure, and chemical concentration. List possible toxic effects of absorbed chemicals at the cellular, organ, and organism level. Recognize the symptoms of acute toxicity in humans. Recognize the symptoms of chronic toxicity humans. Depict typical dose-response graphica lly. Use toxicity endpoints of LC/LD 50 and LOAEL/NOAEL to classify the relative toxicity of chemicals. Classify/group known causes of human cancers. Describe the initiation of cancer and defend or refute the one-hit theory of carcinogenesis.

Ecology/Environmental Science Defend or refute the significance of human activities in environmental contamination and degradation. Compare the human environment to the environment of a fish, bird, plant, etc. Present reasons why ecosystems should or should not be protected. Describe the impact of the laws of thermodynamics on ecosystem energy transfer and organism interdependence. List the levels of organization in the biospher e. Describe how the climax community concept relates to expected species diversity within a given ecosystem. Demonstrate where human activities influence biogeochemical cycles like the carbon cycle, the nitrogen cycle, and the phosphorus cycle. Identify the role of human activities in the global problems of acid deposition, ozone depletion, global warming, alteration of habitat, and degradation of watershed functions. Cite examples of U.S. responses to these problems.

Ecotoxicology Differentiate between a human toxicity study and an ecotoxicity study. Construct a simple acute toxicity test. Categorize the types of ecotoxicity tests by their ability to predict ecological effects; how can the tests be modified to improve their applicability to decision making. Show how biomonitoring can be used in decision making.

Environmental Media and Pollution Describe the current make up of the Earth s atmosphere and how it is thought to have changed since when it was formed. List the sources of water on the Earth. List the major air pollutants, compare their characteristics and sources.

List the major water pollutants, compare their characteristics and sources. List the major solid wastes, compare their characteristics and sources. Compare naturally-occurring pollutants to man-made pollutants; comment on which are not easily assimilated or neutralized.

Air and Water Pollution Control Describe the role of air pollution monitoring technologies in air pollution control. Compare the needs of air pollution control equipment for gases and vapors to those of particulates. Diagram the adsorption mechanism of activated carbon and give examples of substances that are effectively removed using activated carbon. Compare adsorption, absorption, condensation, and combustion technologies used for air pollution control; match control technologies to classes of pollutants removed. List technologies used for the removal of particulates. Compare the sources of air pollution to those of water pollutants. Give reasons surface waters are sometimes subject to dredge and fill. Walk through a typical sewage treatment plant describing the major processes you see and the pollutants they remove. Compare the concepts of physical, chemical, and biological forms of water and wastewater treatment; match control technologies to classes of pollutants removed.

Solid Wastes Develop a picture of past management practices that led to the current waste management framework. Define the world of solid waste as regulated by the U.S. EPA and note its subsets. Compare the open dump landfills of the past to the sanitary landfills of today. Describe the operation of a sanitary landfill, its positives and negatives. Compare the management and environmental impact of landfills and incinerators. Describe the operation of a waste incinerator, its positives and negatives. List governmental solutions meant to make hazardous waste generation, transport, and disposal in the United States safer. Describe the EPA waste management hierarchy for solid wastes and hazardous wastes. Compare solid wastes, hazardous wastes, infectious wastes, and nuclear wastes.

Radioactivity and Radioactive Wastes Compare low level nuclear wastes and high level nuclear wastes. Differentiate between radioactivity and radioactive contamination. Differentiate between various ionizing radiation sources. Calculate the length of time needed for complete decay of radioactivity given half life. Describe the effects and consequences of radiation exposure of living cells. Defend or refute the feasibility of long-term storage of high level nuclear waste.

Industrial Hygiene and Hazards of the Workplace Differentiate between workplace hazards and environmental hazards. Differentiate between safety (injury) hazards and health (illness) hazards. Explain the logic of the hierarchy of controls over workplace safety and health hazards.

Pollution Prevention and Sustainability Develop a list of the pros and cons of command and control environmental regulation. List incentives and obstacles facing business and society in the efforts to fit the sustainability paradigm. Give examples of source/pollution reduction and waste minimization.

Environmental Science and Hazardous Materials: Fall 2005 Course Outline - Prof. Louis M. R, Exams of Environmental Science

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