G48.1011: Global Issues in Environmental Health
Tentative Course Syllabus
Thurs., 4:55-7:35 PM, Room: Waverly 366
Course Description
This course is designed to provide students with an introduction to the key environmental
issues confronting international health. The course will cover factors associated with
environmental health problems in both the developed and developing world. Students gain an
understanding of the interaction of individuals and communities with the environment, the
potential impact on health of environmental agents, and specific cases studies applying concepts
of environmental health.
The course consists of a series of weekly lectures, each followed by student-led group
discussions of relevant examples from ongoing world events and/or recent developments in
global environmental health. The lectures first introduce core principles derived from multiple
environmental health disciplines, including toxicology, epidemiology, and risk assessment. The
course then covers specific issues in environmental diseases that influence health in the
developed and developing worlds (e.g., environmental and health impacts of agribusiness,
energy production, as well as infectious and vector-borne diseases such as influenza and
malaria). The overall course goal is to illuminate the challenges involved in balancing
environmental health considerations in a rapidly growing and developing world.
Textbook: Understanding Environmental Health by N. I Maxwell. Jones and Bartlett, 2009.
(Supplemented by lectures & other readings, such as from World Health Organization Reports).
Objectives
Students will gain knowledge of:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Methods used in epidemiology and toxicology to assess environmental exposures and
hazards.
Policies that have been developed to manage health risks associated with exposures to
environmental hazards.
Chemical, physical, and microbial agents that originate in the environment and can
impact human health to different extents and in differing ways in various parts of the
globe.
Specific applications of environmental health concepts to global issues such as climate
change, water and air quality, infectious diseases, and food safety.
Assessment of Student Performance
Students’ performance will be evaluated by weekly homework exercises (1/4), class
presentation (1/4), one midterm (1/4), and one final examination (1/4).
COURSE SCHEDULE
LECTURE
TOPICS AND READING ASSIGNMENTS
NUMBER
Lecture 1
Course overview and Intro. Review of lecture framework and objectives.
September 10, 2009 Introduction to environmental problems and issues.
Readings: Chapter 1
Lecture 2
Principals of Environmental Toxicology
September 17, 2009 Readings: Chapter 2 and supplemental readings
Lecture 3
Principals of Environmental Epidemiology
September 24, 2009 Readings: Chapter 2 and supplemental reading
Lecture 4
International Environmental Policy and Regulation
October 1, 2009
Readings: Chapter 2 and supplemental reading
Lecture 5
Zoonotic, Infectious, and Vector-Borne Diseases
October 8, 2009
Readings: Chapter 3 and supplemental reading
STUDENT GROUP 1 DISCUSSION ISSUE: Flu Pandemics
Lecture 6
October 15, 2009
Effects vs. Benefits of Pesticides and Other Organic Chemicals
Readings: Pages 220-227, Supplemental readings
STUDENT GROUP 2 DISCUSSION ISSUE: DDT and Malaria
Lecture 7
October 22, 2009
Energy Production Options and Health Issues
Readings: Chapter 4 and supplemental reading
STUDENT GROUP 3 DISCUSSION ISSUE: Coal Burning Health Issues
October 29, 2009
Lecture 8
November 5, 2009
Midterm Examination
Producing Manufactured Goods
Readings: Chapter 5
STUDENT GROUP 4 DISCUSSION ISSUE: Nanotechnology and Health
Lecture 9
Issues in Food Safety and Genetically Modified Foods
November 12, 2009 Readings: Chapter 6 and Supplemental reading
STUDENT GROUP 5 DISCUSSION ISSUE: GMF’s vs. Pesticides
Lecture 10
Water Quality Issues in the Developed and Developing World
November 19, 2009 Readings:Chapter 7 and supplemental reading
STUDENT GROUP 6 DISCUSSION ISSUE: Impacts of Agribusiness CAFO’s
Lecture 11
November 5, 2009
Outdoor Air Pollution
Readings: Pages 105-117, Supplemental reading
STUDENT GROUP 7 DISCUSSION ISSUE: Traffic Air Pollution
Lecture 12
December 3, 2009
Indoor Air Quality
Readings: Supplemental reading
STUDENT GROUP 8 DISCUSSION ISSUE: Effects of Indoor vs. Outdoor Air Pollution
Lecture 13
December 10, 2009
December 17, 2009
Health Issues in Global Climate Change
Readings: Pages 120-126 and supplemental reading
Final Examination