Environmental Health Science (EHSC) 4610/6610

Water Pollution and Human Health

 

Fall Semester 2004

Instructor:
Dr. Marsha C. Black
148 Environmental Health Science Bldg. (Office)
128 & 305 Environmental Health Science Bldg. (labs)
(706) 542-0998 (office)
(706) 542-6076 (lab)
mblack@uga.edu

Office Hours:
Flexible, by appointment B Please email me at mblack@uga.edu

Meeting Time/Location:
9:30-10:45 AM; Tuesdays & Thursdays
101 Environmental Health Science Bldg.

Text:
Introduction to Water Pollution Biology , by Richard J. Schmitz, Gulf Publishing Co., Houston, TX (1996)

Course Description:
Human health and environmental issues related to water pollution, focusing primarily on water contamination resulting from municipal, industrial, and agricultural practices. Risks of toxicity and disease to human and aquatic populations from actual incidences of water pollution will be explored with a case study approach.

Course Objectives:

1. To characterize the sources, routes of exposure and effects of anthropogenic and natural sources of water pollution to aquatic biota and humans.
2. To present human health and environmental issues related to water use, water pollution and water management.
3. To analyze the overall ecological and human health impacts of water pollution through case studies of water pollution in industrialized and developing countries. Major emphasis will be on determining the source(s) and extent of damage to human health and the environment, remediation efforts, and the current status.

Exams:
Three noncomprehensive exams will be given:

Exam 1 (Sept. 30)
Exam 2 (Nov. 4)
Exam 3 (Dec. 16; 8:00-11:00 AM)

Each exam will cover material from the lectures, readings and case study presentations. Exams will contain multiple choice, short answer and essay questions.

Group Projects: Case Study (200 points)

1. Choose a topic for your case study -- either a pollution event (e.g., a major spill site) or chronically contaminated area (e.g., a location that has accumulated high concentrations of a contaminant over time). Using all members of your small group, research the situation completely from a variety of scientific sources, emphasizing the scenario causing the contamination, the eventual distribution and fate of the contaminant(s), the effects on resident biota and adjacent human populations, and the current status of the situation.
2. As a group prepare an oral presentation on the selected case study. (Use of PowerPoint is mandatory). Each group member must participate in the oral presentation. The presentation should last ~50 minutes and must include the following:
   1. Overview of the specific situation causing the pollution event.
   2. Actual impacts to the environment and health of adjacent populations, including human and animal populations.
   3. Remediation efforts used. Were they effective? Why or why not?
   4. Current status of the location involved, including information on the current health of human populations and the environment.
3. Following each group presentation of a case study there will be a 15-20 minute discussion period. Student participation in these discussions is mandatory.
4. As a group prepare an 8-10 page paper (typed and double-spaced) on your chosen case study. At least 6 journal sources should be referenced in the paper and cited in a Literature Cited section, using standard scientific journal format. No Internet sites may be used as sources!! This paper is due 1 week following your oral presentation.
5. To help promote equal participation among group members, each member will rate each member of their group, giving them a grade of 0-100%, which should be emailed to the instructor ( mblack@uga.edu ) after the written paper has been turned in. These ratings should reflect your assessment of each team member's effort and quality of work on the oral and written parts of the case study. All individual ratings will be kept confidential. Peer “grades” for each student will then be averaged and used to adjust the overall points accumulated for the case study for an individual's % effort, as judged by his/her peers.

Grading:
Points may be accumulated as follows:

1. Exams (3 @ 100 points each) - 300
2. Case study (Team effort):
   • Oral presentation - 100
   • Written report - 100
   • Team sum - 200
   Peer review of group members: Average % involvement
   Case study points = (Team sum) (Average % involvement) - 200
3. Class/case study attendance and participation - 50
4. TOTAL - 550

Final letter grades will be based on a percentage of 550 points:
A = 90 - 100%; B = 80 - 89%; C = 70 - 79%; D = 60 - 69%; F < 60%

Academic Honesty:
Students are expected to be familiar with and adhere completely to the UGA Academic Honesty Policy specified in A Culture of Honesty. This document is available at http://www.uga.edu/ovpi/academic_honesty/academic_honesty.htm Students are advised to pay particular attention to the policy on plagiarism, as this course has a significant writing component.

 

Tentative Schedule

Dates	Topic	Readings
19 Aug.	Introduction; organization of the course
24 Aug.	Overview of water pollution; hydrologic cycle	Chapters 1, 2
26 Aug.	Aquatic ecosystems	Chapter 3 (pp. 44-57)
31 Aug.	Overview of aquatic toxicology	Chapter 11
2 Sept.	Sedimentation I	(handout)
7 Sept.	Sedimentation II
9 Sept.	DO and natural purification; eutrophication	Chapters 5,6 (pp. 91-93;107-115)
14 Sept.	Effects of nutrients (N and P)	Chapter 8
16 Sept.	Case Study 1: Nutrient pollution
21 Sept	Acidification I	Chapter 10
23 Sept.	Acidification II
28 Sept.	Case Study 2: Acidification
30 Sept.	EXAM 1
5 Oct.	Inorganic materials; Heavy metals I	Chapter 12
7 Oct.	Heavy metals II
12 Oct.	Heavy metals III
14 Oct.	Case Study 3: Heavy metal pollution
19 Oct.	Properties of organic pollutants	(handout)
21 Oct.	Pesticides I Chapter 13
26 Oct.	Pesticides II
28 Oct.	NO CLASS -- Fall Break
2 Nov.	Case Study 4: Pesticides
4 Nov.	EXAM 2
9 Nov.	Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)	Chapter 14
11 Nov.	PCBs II
16 Nov.	Water-borne pathogens I -- Dr. Erin Lipp Chapter 16
18 Nov.	Water-borne pathogens II -- Dr. Erin Lipp
23 Nov.	Case Study 5: Pathogens
25 Nov.	NO CLASS B Thanksgiving
30 Nov.	Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)	Chapter 15
2 Dec.	PAHs II
7 Dec.	NO CLASS B Friday schedule
9 Dec.	Case Study 6: PCBs or PAHs
16 Dec.	EXAM 3 (8:00-11:00 AM)

**Please note that attendance is mandatory on all case study presentation days**
**Late arrivals will be counted as absences**