Introduction to Superfund Sites and Health Effects of Hazardous Waste
(Co-Listing BGS and SAS)
Introduction: This course will become a key-component of a new Interdisciplinary Superfund Research
Training Program involving graduate students in SAS (earth and environmental sciences and biology),
graduate students in BGS (Certificate Program in Environmental Health Sciences) that is funded by
P42-ES023720.
Course Objectives: Superfund hazardous waste sites are prevalent in our nation and the exposures to
toxicants from these sites raises, immediate public health concerns. The aims of this course are to
educate students about these sites and provide a scientific basis for hazard identification, hazard
characterization, risk communication and risk management. The course will describe the effect of these
hazardous chemicals on the ecosystem and vice-versa and remediation and mitigation approaches.
These environmental science issues will lead into the environmental health aspects of exposures
including: biomonitoring (external and internal dose, biomarkers and the exposome), toxicological
properties of contaminants and mode-of-action. The course will be complemented with visits to two
Superfund sites in the region: Ambler (Asbestos) and Palmerton (Heavy Metals).
Course Directors: Dr. Jane Willenbring –Assistant Professor Earth and Environmental Sciences
Dr. Richard Pepino- Lecturer, Earth and Environmental Sciences and
Pharmacology
Dr. Trevor Penning-Professor of Pharmacology, Biochemistry & Biophysics and
OB/GYN
Lectures: 4:00 – 5:00 pm Monday (Lecture Only)
4:00 – 5:30 pm Wednesday (Lecture and student Assignment)
FALL 2014
Date
Lecture Student
Topic
No
Assignment
W Sep 3
Introduction to Course
M
1
Love Canal and Superfund (CERCLA)
Sep 8
Legislation
W
2
Lecture 1
National Priority List and Location of SRP
Sep 10
Sites
M
3
Risk Assessment: Hazard Identification
Sep 15
W
4
Lecture 2-3
Risk Assessment: Hazard Characterization
Sep 17
M
5
Risk Assessment: Risk Communication
Sep 22
W
6
Lecture 4-5
Risk Assessment: Risk Management
Sep 24
M
Field
The BoRit (Asbestos)Superfund Site-Field
Sep 29
Trip
Visit
W
7
Lecture 6
Contamination of Ground and Surface
Oct 1
Water
M
8
Remediation Strategies
Oct 6
W
9
Lecture 7-8
Effects of Hazardous Waste on the
Oct 8
Ecosystem
Lecturer
Pepino
Pepino
Penning
Penning
Emmett
Pepino*
Pepino
Jerolmack
Willenbring
Casper
M
Oct 13
W
Oct 15
M
Oct 20
W
Oct 22
M
Oct 27
10
W
Oct 29
M
Nov 3
W
Nov 5
M
Nov 10
W
Nov 12
M
Nov 17
15
W
Nov 19
M
Nov 24
20
M
Dec 1
W
Dec 3
W
Dec 10
22
11
Lecture 9-10
12
13
Lecture 11-12
14
Lecture 13-14
16
17
Field
Trip
18
Lecture 15-16
Lecture 17
19
Lecture 18-19
21
23
24
Lecture 20-21
Effects of the Ecosystem on Hazardous
Waste
Environmental Justice and Hazardous
Waste Sites
The National Toxicology Program
Casper
Dealing with Mixtures
Penning
Bio-monitoring-External Dose
Bio-monitoring-Internal Dose
Philadelphia Air
Monitoring
Services
Blair
Exposome Concepts
Blair
Health Effects of Major SF-ContaminantsHeavy Metals-I
The Palmerton (Heavy Metal) Superfund
Site-Field Visit
Health Effects of Major SF-ContaminantsHeavy Metals-II
Health Effects of Major SF-ContaminantsPersistent Organic Chemicals (PCBs and
Halogenated-PAH)
Health Effects of Major SF-ContaminantsPAH
Health Effects of Major SF-ContaminantsAsbestos
No Class
Thanksgiving
Computational Data Bases TOXNET
Liu
TOX 21st Century
Hogenesch
Student Presentation and Report on
Selected Superfund Site
Course
Directors
Beers**
Penning
Pepino
Osterhoudt
Penning
Penning
Vachani
Penning
Mr. Richard Pepino has over 25 years of experience in regulatory science and was a former member of
EPA region III.
Ms. Samantha Beers, Director US EPA Region III Office of Enforcement, Compliance and
Environmental Justice.
Course Grading:
30% Lecture Assignments
30% Written Hazard Report on Superfund Site
30% Oral Presentation on Selected Superfund Sites
10% Class participation
Eligible Students: Any PhD student in SAS, BGS, MES or MPH student with permission of the course
director. Pre-requisites would include 400 level course in Biology/Chemistry and Biochemistry.