University of Maryland, College Park
Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health
MIEH 600 - Foundations of Environmental Health
Summer Session I 2009
Version 4: June 15, 2009
Instructor: Betty J Dabney, PhD
Office/Phone: SPH 2310 / 301-405-6583
OFFICE HOURS
Mon & Wed 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. and by
appointment
Email: bdabney@umd.edu
Semester: Summer I 2009 June 1 - July 11
Classroom/Time: SPH 0303 / Mon Wed 6:00 – 9:45 p.m.
Required
Textbook
&
Other Readings
Required
 Robert H. Friis: Essentials of Environmental Health. Sudbury, MA:
Jones and Bartlett, 2007. Paper. ISBN 0-7637-4762-9

Readings from journals on Blackboard http://elms.umd.edu, as well as
other assignments
Recommended


Course
Description
Course
Objectives
Rachel Carson: Silent Spring. Mariner Books; 40th Anniversary edition,
2002. Paperback, 400 pp, ISBN: 0618249060
Al Gore: An Inconvenient Truth: The Planetary Emergency of Global
Warming and What We Can Do About It (Paperback). Rodale Books,
2006, 328 pp, ISBN 1594865671. Alternate: DVD.
Environmental health is the study of the interactions between humankind and our
environment. This course is based on the idea that our total environment – that is,
everything we interact with in the course of living – plays a role in determining
our state of health. We will discuss the major principles, methods and issues of
environmental health. The first half of the course will cover various environmental media, common contaminants in them, and current environmental issues.
The second half will deal with some major environmental diseases. We will
analyze real-world examples of past and current significance, and effective
approaches to abatement and prevention. Student teams will prepare and present
a white paper on a pre-approved environmental health topic of their choice. This
paper will include definition of the environmental hazard(s), evaluation of
exposures, related health outcome(s), social and policy implications, and
recommendations for future research and/or policy on the topic. Team members
will have observations and interviews with community members and government
officials as part of the project.
At the conclusion of this course, the student will be able to:
1. Discuss the role of environmental health as part of overall public health.
2. Interpret major problems in environmental health in the world, the U.S.
and Maryland.
3. Access and reference major sources of information in environmental
health.
4. Identify contaminants in different environmental media and explain how
they may interact with each other.
5. Discuss the known health effects of major environmental contaminants.
6. Analyze environmental health policies and practices from the standpoint
of sustainability.
7. Articulate how environmental pollutants are regulated and prevented in
the U.S. and abroad.
Learning
Objectives
Course
Organization
Prerequisites:
Course
Requirements
This course relates to the following Learning Objective of the Environmental
Health Sciences M.P.H. curriculum:
1. Students shall be able to demonstrate in-depth knowledge of major
environmental risk factors and their associated adverse human health outcomes
(i.e. illnesses, conditions and diseases).
Course Organization:
Classes will consist of discussion and lectures by faculty and guest speakers
working in the field of environmental health. Students are expected to complete
the assigned readings prior to the class for which they are assigned and be
prepared to discuss those readings during class—this includes the class text
reading and journal articles. The instructor welcomes meetings with students
outside of class to discuss questions and environmental health, as well as to gain
more insight about the material presented in class. Students may e-mail, call, or
ask during class for an appointment. Please be reminded, however, that the class
will be taught during class time only. Material will not be presented again on a
one-on-one basis at other times. Excused absences will be granted for unusual
circumstances when arranged with the instructor. Excessive lateness or absence
from class is disruptive to the class and your learning. Students who miss class
are responsible for obtaining notes and hand-outs from other students. The
instructor will not meet with you to retrieve copies of hand-outs from past lectures
except in pre-arranged and special circumstances.
Prerequisites: Graduate status. Undergraduate courses in chemistry, biology,
and/or health are desirable.
Examinations: There will be a midterm exam in the first hour of Class 9.
There will also be a final exam at the scheduled time during finals week. The
midterm exam will count 25% of your grade, and the final exam will count
25%, for a total of 50%. The final exam will not be cumulative, but may
draw on principles learned in the first half of the course.
Critiques of Peer-Reviewed Studies: In alphabetical rotation, each student will
find an original study (not review article) in a peer-reviewed journal, and develop
a critique for oral and written presentation. The study should be on a topic related
to that class session. The critiques shall consist of the following sections,
described in your own words:



The general subject area of the study;
Any pertinent historical information about the topic
What the researchers were trying to show: the research hypothesis







Type of study design (case-control, cross-sectional, cohort – the paper should
state this)
Description of study group vs. comparison group
How exposure was determined (ambient or personal monitoring,
biomonitoring, ecological study – no individual exposure data, stratification of
relative exposures – high, med, low, etc.)
Results
Authors’ conclusions
Strengths and weaknesses of the study (authors will often include this in their
discussion)
Any suggestions for further studies
Written critiques will be approximately 2 pages in length. In addition, each
student will describe the study to the class in no more than 5 minutes. Students
will be graded on both written and oral presentations. The critiques will count
10% of the course grade.
Project: Each student will participate in a team to study a current problem in
environmental health involving our community, region, state, or country. This
project should not duplicate work for other courses. By Class 3, your team must
select a topic, which should be approved by the instructor. By Class 7, provide a
one page written summary and rationale for your topic. By Class 9, you must
provide an outline and preliminary bibliography of your paper. A minimum of 20
scholarly references besides the textbook are required. Choose subject areas that
relate to the relationship between environmental hazards, exposures, and health
outcomes or effects. Many of the journals are available in our online library, and
others are available from Inter-Library Loan. Correct spelling, proper grammar
and style, and flowing syntax should be used in your paper. Seek help from
campus resources to strengthen and enhance your written communication skills.
Each team may decide how to divide up the work and sub-topics. Part of the
project should involve going out into the community and interviewing residents
and/or community leaders and lawmakers about the issue. Team members will
prepare a written and oral report on the project. The project will be worth 25%
of your grade.
Each team will give a summary presentation of the term project during class.
The format for the paper should be appropriate for the topic. A suggested outline
is:
Introduction and Statement of the Problem
History of the Problem
Summary of Findings of Major Studies or Developments
Strengths and Weaknesses of Studies
Current Status and Data Gaps
Conclusions and Recommendations for Research and/or Policy Changes.
The presentation should summarize the nature of the project, the methods and
approaches, the findings and the meaning or significance of the findings, and
recommendations for future action. The team presentation will count 5% of
the course grade for each of the members of the team. The written team
report will be due by midnight on July 6, the day of the presentations.
Class Participation: Maintaining an active presence in class will prepare you to
learn the content and to be successful in your class assignments. This includes
participation in class discussions and exercises, and conscientious performance as
a member of a group for your project.
Class participation will count 10% toward the final course grade.
Course Policies:
In the event that the University is closed for an emergency or extended period of
time, the instructor will communicate to students regarding schedule adjustments,
including rescheduling of examinations and assignments due to inclement weather
and campus emergencies. Official closures and delays are announced on the
campus website (http://www.umd.edu) and snow phone line (301-405-SNOW), as
well as local radio and TV stations.
LATE WORK AND MAKE UP TESTS:
All work is due when assigned. Current events will be submitted on the Class
Wiki in Blackboard for the appropriate week. Term papers should be submitted in
electronic format as e-mail attachments. Any work not completed and handed in
at the beginning of class on the due date will receive a reduction of one letter
grade. Work not handed in by 5pm the following day will receive an additional
letter grade reduction. Work will not be accepted beyond this point except in
extreme circumstance approved by your instructor. You must prearrange with
the instructor to miss a class deadline. There are no make-up tests unless they are
prearranged.
SPECIAL NEEDS:
If you follow religious observances, have a documented disability, or have some
other important commitments for which you need special academic
accommodations, please contact the instructor in advance. Accommodations
must be prearranged. If you have a documented disability and wish to discuss
academic accommodations for test taking or other needs, you will need
documentation from Disability Support Service (301-314-7682). If you are ill or
encountering personal difficulties, please let the instructor know as soon as
possible. You can also contact Learning Assistance Services (301-314-7693) and/
or the Counseling Center (301-314-7651) for assistance.
RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES:
The University System of Maryland policy provides that students should not be
penalized because of observances of their religious beliefs; students shall be given
an opportunity, whenever feasible, to make up within a reasonable time any
academic assignment that is missed due to individual participation in religious
observances. It is the student’s responsibility to inform the instructor in
advance of any intended absences for religious observance.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:
The University's code of academic integrity is designed to ensure that the
principle of academic honesty is upheld. Any of the following acts, when
committed by a student, constitutes academic dishonesty:
 CHEATING: intentionally using or attempting to use unauthorized
materials, information, or study aids in an academic exercise.
 FABRICATION: intentional and unauthorized falsification or invention of
any information or citation in an academic exercise.
 FACILITATING ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: intentionally or
knowingly helping or attempting to help another to violate any provision
of this code.
 PLAGIARISM: intentionally or knowingly representing the words or ideas
of another as one's own in any academic exercise.
For more information see: http://www.studenthonorcouncil.umd.edu/code.html.
The University of Maryland, College Park has a nationally recognized Code of
Academic Integrity, administered by the Student Honor Council. This Code sets
standards for academic integrity at Maryland for all undergraduate and graduate
students. As a student you are responsible for upholding these standards for this
course. It is very important for you to be aware of the consequences of cheating,
fabrication, facilitation, and plagiarism.
To further exhibit your commitment to academic integrity, remember to sign the
Honor Pledge on all examinations and assignments: "I pledge on my honor that I
have not given or received any unauthorized assistance on this examination
(assignment).”
Bibliography (May also be used in paper)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: http://www.epa.gov
World Health Organization: http://www.who.int
Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: http://www.dhmh.state.md.us
Maryland Department of the Environment: http://www.mde.state.md.us
National Library of Medicine PubMed search engine for the world’s medical literature:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?DB=pubmed (If you search through UM Library’s
Research Port, you will get links to more full-text articles.)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Health, United
States, 2006 With Chartbook on Trends in the Health of Americans With Special Feature on Pain.
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus06.pdf
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Third National Report on Human Exposure to
Environmental Chemicals, 2005. http://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/
Environmental Health Perspectives 109 Supplement 2, 2001: Human Health Consequences of Climate
Change and Variability for the United States. http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2001/suppl-2/toc.html .
Robert H. Friis: Essentials of Environmental Health. Jones & Bartlett Publishers; 1st edition, 2006.
416 pp., Paperback. ISBN 0763747629
Howard Frumkin (Editor): Environmental Health: From Global to Local. Jossey-Bass (Wiley), 2005,
1108 pages, $74.00. Hardcover. ISBN 0787973831
Gary S. Moore (Editor): Living with the Earth: Concepts in Environmental Health Science, Second
Edition. CRC Press, 2002, 624 pp, Hardcover. ISBN 1566705851
Jeanne Mager Stellman (Editor): Encyclopaedia of Occupational Health and Safety, Fourth Edition (4
Volumes). International Labour Office, Geneva, 199, 1000 pp, Hardcover. ISBN-10: 9221092038
ISBN-13: 978-9221092032
World Health Organization: Preventing disease through healthy environments: Towards an estimate of
the environmental burden of disease. Geneva, 2006. ISBN 92 4 159382 2
http://www.who.int/quantifying_ehimpacts/publications/preventingdisease.pdf
American Lung Association: Secondhand Smoke Fact
Sheet http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=35422
American Thoracic Society. Workshop on Lung Disease and the Environment - Where Do We Go from
Here? Am J Respir Crit Care Med Vol 168. pp 250–254, 2003.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
Toxicological Profile for Asbestos, 2001.
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp61.pdf
Ashford NA. Implementing the Precautionary Principle: incorporating science, technology,
fairness, and accountability in environmental, health, and safety decisions.
Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2004;17(1):59-67.
Atlas MK. Safe and sorry: risk, environmental equity, and hazardous waste management
facilities. Risk Anal. 2001 Oct;21(5):939-54..
Bell ML, Davis DL. Reassessment of the lethal London fog of 1952: novel indicators of acute and
chronic consequences of acute exposure to air pollution. Environ Health Perspect. 2001 Jun;109 Suppl
3:389-94. http://www.ehponline.org/members/2001/suppl-3/pdf/bell.pdf
Bernard SM, Samet JM, Grambsch A, Ebi KL, Romieu I. The potential impacts of climate variability
and change on air pollution-related health effects in the United States. Environ Health Perspect. 2001
May;109 Suppl 2:199-209.
http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2001/suppl-2/199-209bernard/bernard.pdf
Blane D. Social determinants of health--socioeconomic status, social class, and ethnicity. Am J Public
Health. 1995 Jul;85(7):903-5.
Borchers AT, Chang C, Keen CL, Gershwin ME. Airborne environmental injuries and human health.
Clin Rev Allergy Immunol. 2006 Aug;31(1):1-101.
Bourdeau P. The man-nature relationship and environmental ethics. J Environ Radioact. 2004;72(12):9-15.
Bower JJ, Shi X. Environmental health research in the post-genome era: new fields, new
challenges, and new opportunities. J Toxicol Environ Health B Crit Rev. 2005 Mar-Apr;8(2):71-94.
Brent RL, Weitzman M. The current state of knowledge about the effects, risks, and science of
children's environmental exposures. Pediatrics. 2004 Apr;113(4 Suppl):1158-66.
Breysse PN, Buckley TJ, Williams D, Beck CM, Jo SJ, Merriman B, Kanchanaraksa S, Swartz LJ,
Callahan KA, Butz AM, Rand CS, Diette GB, Krishnan JA, Moseley AM, Curtin-Brosnan J, Durkin
NB, Eggleston PA. Indoor exposures to air pollutants and allergens in the homes of asthmatic
children in inner-city Baltimore. Environ Res. 2005 Jun;98(2):167-76.
Bridges J. Human health and environmental risk assessment: the need for a more harmonised
and integrated approach. Chemosphere. 2003 Sep;52(9):1347-51.
Briggs D. Environmental pollution and the global burden of disease. Br Med Bull. 2003; 68:1-24.
Brody JG, Tickner J, Rudel RA. Community-initiated breast cancer and environment studies and the
precautionary principle. Environ Health Perspect. 2005 Aug;113(8):920-5.
Brownson RC, Haire-Joshu D, Luke DA. Shaping the context of health: a review of environmental and
policy approaches in the prevention of chronic diseases. Annu Brody JG, Tickner J, Rudel RA.
Community-initiated breast cancer and environment studies and the precautionary principle. Environ
Health Perspect. 2005 Aug;113(8):920-5. Rev Public Health. 2006;27:341-70.
Brulle RJ, Pellow DN. Environmental justice: human health and environmental inequalities. Annu Rev
Public Health. 2006;27:103-24.
Boffetta P. Human cancer from environmental pollutants: the epidemiological evidence. Mutat Res.
2006 Sep 28;608(2):157-62.
Clarkson TW, Magos L. The toxicology of mercury and its chemical compounds. Crit Rev Toxicol.
2006 Sep;36(8):609-62.
Cooper RL, Kavlock RJ. Endocrine disruptors and reproductive development: a weight-of-evidence
overview. J Endocrinol. 1997 Feb;152(2):159-66.
Cummins SK, Jackson RJ. The built environment and children's health. Pediatr Clin North Am. 2001
Oct;48(5):1241-52, x.
Daughton CG. Environmental stewardship and drugs as pollutants. Lancet. 2002 Oct
5;360(9339):1035-6.
de Rosa CT, El-Masri HA, Pohl H, Cibulas W, Mumtaz MM. Implications of chemical mixtures in
public health practice. J Toxicol Environ Health B Crit Rev. 2004 Sep-Oct;7(5):339-50.
Dhala A, Pinsker K, Prezant DJ. Respiratory health consequences of environmental tobacco smoke.
Clin Occup Environ Med. 2006;5(1):139-56, x.
Dolk H, Vrijheid M. The impact of environmental pollution on congenital anomalies. Br Med Bull.
2003;68:25-45.
Ezzati M, Utzinger J, Cairncross S, Cohen AJ, Singer BH. Environmental risks in the developing
world: exposure indicators for evaluating interventions, programmes, and policies. J Epidemiol
Community Health. 2005 Jan;59(1):15-22.
Forget G, Lebel J. An ecosystem approach to human health. Int J Occup Environ Health. 2001 AprJun;7(2 Suppl):S3-38.
Frumkin H. Health, equity, and the built environment. Environ Health Perspect. 2005
May;113(5):A290-1.
Galea S, Vlahov D. Urban health: evidence, challenges, and directions. Annu Rev Public Health.
2005;26:341-65.
Gee GC, Payne-Sturges DC. Environmental health disparities: a framework integrating psychosocial
and environmental concepts. Environ Health Perspect. 2004 Dec;112(17):1645-53.
Goldstein BD. Advances in risk assessment and communication. Annu Rev Public Health.
2005;26:141-63.
Goldstein BD, Carruth RS. Implications of the Precautionary Principle: is it a threat to science?
Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2004;17(1):153-61.
Grandjean P. Implications of the precautionary principle for primary prevention and
research. Annu Rev Public Health. 2004;25:199-223.
Ham SA, Levin S, Zlot AI, Andrews RR, Miles R. Ranking of cities according to public health criteria:
pitfalls and opportunities. Am J Public Health. 2004 Apr;94(4):546-9.
Jones J. Mother nature's disasters and their health effects: a literature review. Nurs Forum. 2006 AprJun;41(2):78-87
Keiser J, Singer BH, Utzinger J. Reducing the burden of malaria in different eco-epidemiological
settings with environmental management: a systematic review. Lancet Infect Dis. 2005 Nov;5(11):695708.
Kelada SN, Eaton DL, Wang SS, Rothman NR, Khoury MJ. The role of genetic polymorphisms in
environmental health. Environ Health Perspect. 2003 Jun;111(8):1055-64.
Kistemann T, Dangendorf F, Schweikart J. New perspectives on the use of Geographical Information
Systems (GIS) in environmental health sciences. Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2002 Apr;205(3):169-81
Krieger J, Higgins DL. Housing and health: time again for public health action. Am J Public Health.
2002 May;92(5):758-68.
Kulshrestha M, Mittal AK. Diseases associated with poor water and sanitation: hazards, prevention,
and solutions. Rev Environ Health. 2003 Jan-Mar;18(1):33-50.
LaKind JS, Amina Wilkins A, Berlin CM Jr. Environmental chemicals in human milk: a review of
levels, infant exposures and health, and guidance for future research. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2004 Jul
15;198(2):184-208.
Landrigan PJ. Children's environmental health. Lessons from the past and prospects for the
future. Pediatr Clin North Am. 2001 Oct;48(5):1319-30.
Lawler CP, Croen LA, Grether JK, Van de Lawler CP, Croen LA, Grether JK, Van de Water J.
Identifying environmental contributions to autism: provocative clues and false leads. Ment Retard Dev
Disabil Res Rev. 2004;10(4):292-302.Water J. Identifying environmental contributions to autism:
provocative clues and false leads. Ment Retard Dev Disabil Res Rev. 2004;10(4):292-302.
Lima AA, Guerrant RL. Strategies to reduce the devastating costs of early childhood diarrhea and its
potential long-term impact: imperatives that we can no longer afford to ignore.
Clin Infect Dis. 2004 Jun 1;38(11):1552-4.
London L, Kisting S. Ethical concerns in international occupational health and safety.
Occup Med. 2002 Oct-Dec;17(4):587-600.
Mac Kenzie WR, Hoxie NJ, Proctor ME et al: A Massive Outbreak in Milwaukee of Cryptosporidium
Infection Transmitted through the Public Water Supply. New England Journal of Medicine 1994 July
21; 331(3): 161-167.
Magos L, Clarkson TW. Overview of the clinical toxicity of mercury. Ann Clin Biochem. 2006
Jul;43(Pt 4):257-68.
Martuzzi M, Bertollini R. The Precautionary Principle, science and human health protection.
Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2004;17(1):43-6.
Mastin JP. Environmental cardiovascular disease. Cardiovasc Toxicol. 2005;5(2):91-4.
Morello-Frosch R, Shenassa ED. The environmental "riskscape" and social inequality: implications for
explaining maternal and child health disparities. Environ Health Perspect. 2006 Aug;114(8):1150-3.
Morgan WJ, Crain EF, Gruchalla RS, O'Connor GT, Kattan M, Evans R 3rd, Stout
J, Malindzak G, Smartt E, Plaut M, Walter M, Vaughn B, Mitchell H; Inner-City
Asthma Study Group. Results of a home-based environmental intervention among urban children with
asthma. N Engl J Med. 2004 Sep 9;351(11):1068-80. (Available through UM Research Port)
Moya J, Bearer CF, Etzel RA. Children's behavior and physiology and how it affects exposure to
environmental contaminants. Pediatrics. 2004 Apr;113(4 Suppl):996-1006.
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/113/4/S1/996
Ng JC, Wang J, Shraim A. A global health problem caused by arsenic from natural sources.
Chemosphere. 2003 Sep;52(9):1353-9.
Noji EK. Public health in the aftermath of disasters. BMJ. 2005 Jun 11;330(7504):1379-81.
Omenn GS. The crucial role of the public health sciences in the postgenomic era. Genet Med. 2002
Nov-Dec;4(6 Suppl):21S-26S.
Ozakinci G, Hallman WK, Kipen HM. Persistence of symptoms in veterans of the First Gulf War: 5year follow-up. Environ Health Perspect. 2006 Oct;114(10):1553-7.
http://www.ehponline.org/members/2006/9251/9251.pdf
Patz JA, Kovats RS. Hotspots in climate change and human health. BMJ. 2002 Nov 9;325(7372):10948.
Paustenbach D, Galbraith D. Biomonitoring and biomarkers: exposure assessment will never be the
same. Environ Health Perspect. 2006 Aug;114(8):1143-9.
http://www.ehponline.org/members/2006/8755/8755.pdf
Rushton L. Health hazards and waste management. Br Med Bull. 2003;68:183-97.
Sharp RR. Ethical issues in environmental health research. Environ Health Perspect. 2003
Nov;111(14):1786-8.
Silbergeld EK. Preventing lead poisoning in children. Annu Rev Public Health. 1997;18:187-210.
Suk WA, Olden K, Yang RS. Chemical mixtures research: significance and future perspectives.
Environ Health Perspect. 2002 Dec;110 Suppl 6:891-2.
Sundell J. On the history of indoor air quality and health. Indoor Air. 2004;14 Suppl 7:51-8.
Thier R, Bruning T, Roos PH, Rihs HP, Golka K, Ko Y, Bolt HM. Markers of genetic susceptibility in
human environmental hygiene and toxicology: the role of selected CYP, NAT and GST genes.
Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2003 Jun;206(3):149-71.
U.S. Surgeon General: The health consequences of involuntary exposure to tobacco smoke : a report of
the Surgeon General. – [Atlanta, Ga.] : U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, Coordinating Center for Health Promotion, National Center for Chronic
Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, [2006]. Chapter 1 Introduction, Summary, and Conclusions. Chapter 1: Introduction, Summary and Conclusions.
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/secondhandsmoke/report/chapter1.pdf .
Walker-Bone K, Cooper C. Hard work never hurt anyone--or did it? A review of occupational
associations with soft tissue musculoskeletal disorders of the neck and upper limb. Ann Rheum Dis.
2005 Aug;64(8):1112-7.
Weber RF, Pierik FH, Dohle GR, Burdorf A. Environmental influences on male reproduction.
BJU Int. 2002 Jan;89(2):143-8.
Woodruff TJ, Axelrad DA, Kyle AD, Nweke O, Miller GG, Hurley BJ. Trends in environmentally
related childhood illnesses. Pediatrics. 2004 Apr;113(4 Suppl):1133-40.
Zhang J, Smith KR. Indoor air pollution: a global health concern. Br Med Bull. 2003;68:209-25.
You may use websites with proper documentation in your term project, but be sure to examine
the reliability of the source. Ask yourself: Is there any bias or personal agenda that the author(s) or
webmaster(s) might have with regard to the issue under discussion? U.S. government agencies’
websites may be especially useful
Some Useful Journals in Environmental Health
American Journal of Epidemiology
American Journal of Public Health
Annual Review of Pharmacology and
Toxicology
Archives of Diseases of Childhood
Archives of Environmental Health
Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent
Medicine
Archives of Toxicology
Atmospheric Environment
ATSDR Toxicological Profiles
Biology of Metals
Birth Defects Research
British Medical Journal
Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and
Toxicology
Cardiovascular Toxicology
Cell Biology and Toxicology
Chemical Research in Toxicology
CRC Critical Reviews in Toxicology
Critical Reviews in Toxicology
Developments in Toxicology and
Environmental Science
Ecotoxicology (London, England)
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
Environment International
Environmental Health Perspectives
Environmental Research
Environmental Science & Technology
Environmental Sciences
Environmental Toxicology
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry /
SETAC.
Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology
Epidemiology
European Journal of Toxicology.
Food and Chemical Toxicology
Food and Cosmetics Toxicology
Food Protection Trends
Fundamental and Applied Toxicology
Ground Water
Human and Experimental Toxicology
Human Toxicology
IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of
Carcinogenic Risks to Humans
Immunopharmacology and Immunotoxicology
In Vitro & Molecular Toxicology
Inhalation Toxicology
International Journal of Environmental
Analytical Chemistry
International Journal of Epidemiology
International Journal of Hygiene and
Environmental Health
International Journal of Toxicology
Journal of the American Medical Association
(JAMA)
Journal - American Water Works Association
Journal of Analytical Toxicology
Journal of Applied Toxicology : JAT
Journal of Biochemical and Molecular
Toxicology
Journal of Biochemical Toxicology
Journal of Environmental Pathology and
Toxicology
Journal of Environmental Science and Health
Journal of the National Cancer Institute
Journal of Occupational and Environmental
Medicine
Journal of Pharmacological and Toxicological
Methods
The Journal of Toxicological Xciences
Journal of Toxicology and Environmental
Health
Lancet
Marine Environmental Research
Medicine and Health
Molecular Toxicology
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (CDC)
Mutation Research
National Toxicology Program Technical Report
Series
Neurobehavioral Toxicology
Neurobehavioral Toxicology and Teratology
Neurotoxicology
Neurotoxicology and Teratology
New England Journal of Medicine
Occupational and Environmental Medicine
Pediatrics
Pharmacology & Toxicology
Progress in Chemical Toxicology
Public Health Reports
Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology :
RTP
Reproductive Toxicology (Elmsford, N.Y.)
Reviews of Environmental Contamination and
Toxicology
Risk Analysis
Teratogenesis, Carcinogenesis, and
Mutagenesis
Toxic Substance Mechanisms
Toxicity Report Series
Toxicological Reviews
Toxicology
Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology
Toxicology and Industrial Health
Toxicology in vitro
Toxicology Letters.
Toxicon : Official Journal of the International
Society on Toxicology
Veterinary and human toxicology
World Health Organization Environmental
Health Criteria
Xenobiotica: The Fate of Foreign Compounds
in Biological Systems
Class Schedule
Class One
June 1
Major Problems in Our Environment
Introduction and Scope of Environmental Health
Environmental Media: Their Behavior, Contaminants and Diseases
Climate Change and Update to “An Inconvenient Truth” and “Silent Spring”
Sustainability












Welcome and introductions
Review syllabus and course requirements and policies
How to use the UMCP Library and PubMed
Definition of our environment / water cycle / food chain
Breakout Groups: Global, national, local and personal environmental issues
Scope of environmental health in theory and in practice
Relationship of environmental health to other areas of public health
The role of environment in the burden of disease
The environmental health paradigm: hazard - exposure - effect - disease
outcome
Climate Change
Update to “An Inconvenient Truth” and “Silent Spring”
Discussion: Are we as a global society living sustainably?
Readings:
Friis Chapter 1
IPCC 4th Assessment Report, Chapter 8: Human Health.
(Confalonieri, U., B. Menne, R. Akhtar, K.L. Ebi, M. Hauengue, R.S. Kovats, B.
Revich and A. Woodward, 2007: Human health. Climate Change 2007: Impacts,
Adaptation and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth
Assessment Report of theIntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, M.L. Parry,
O.F. Canziani, J.P. Palutikof, P.J. van der Linden and C.E. Hanson, Eds.,
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 391-431.)
http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/wg2/ar4-wg2-chapter8.pdf
Class Two
June 3
Introduction to Environmental Epidemiology and Toxicology
 Environmental epidemiology: the beginnings of environmental health
 Environmental epidemiology tools and study designs
 Criteria of causality
 Toxicology 101: Definition, types of exposures, dose-response curves
 Introduction to human exposure assessment
 The problem of mixed exposures
o Case Study: The Gulf War Syndrome: Real or Imagined?
 Introduction to human risk assessment
 Environmental health impact assessments
 In class: Selecting teams and discussion of possible ideas for term projects
No student critiques for this class.
Readings:
Friis Chapters 2 & 3
Class Three
June 8
Optional: Post a current events story or peer-reviewed study on environmental
epidemiology, toxicology, risk assessment or health impact assessment in the
course wiki on Blackboard IN YOUR OWN WORDS, and be prepared to discuss
briefly in class. (0.02 point credit)
Toxicology 101 Continued: Major Classes of Toxic Substances and Their
Effects
Metals
 Case Study: Children’s Lead Poisoning in Baltimore City
 Case Study: Arsenic in West Bengal and Bangladesh
Organic Chemicals
 Case Study: Air Toxics in the U.S. and Maryland
 Case Study: The Tragedy of Bhopal
Pesticides
 Case Study: Agent Orange and Operation Ranch Hand Viet Nam Veterans
Student Presentations: Find and critique a peer-reviewed study relating to a topic
in this class: Barbara Zappe
In class: Finalize topics for term project.
Reading:
Friis Chapters 5, 6, 7, 8 (skim all)
Class Four
June 10
Optional: Current events story or peer-reviewed paper about metals, organic
chemicals, or pesticides
Water and Waterborne Diseases
Review of the hydrologic cycle
Global distribution and sources of water; issues for sustainability
Major water contaminants and their health effects
Regulation of water contaminants
Sources of drinking water
Drinking water treatment
Waste water treatment
Recreational water and beaches
 Case Study: Infantile Diarrhea in Developing Countries
 Case Study: Cryptospiridosis in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
 Case Study: Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
 Case Study: Cholera and Climate Change
 Case Study: The Death of Chesapeake Bay
Student Presentations: Find and critique a peer-reviewed study relating to a topic
in this class: Katherine Michel
Readings:
Friis Chapter 9
Assignment
Optional: Current events story or peer-reviewed paper about water, water
contaminants, or water borne disease.
Class Five
June 15
Soil, Waste Water, Municipal Waste, Hazardous Waste and Associated
Diseases
Our wasteful society
Methods for reducing waste: source reduction, recycling, co-generation
Solid Waste and Landfills: hazardous and municipal
Regulation of waste disposal
Hazards of poorly designed waste disposal sites and treatment
 Case Study: The Love Canal
 Case Study: Chicken farms on the Eastern Shore
Waste Water Treatment
Storm Water
Student Presentations: Find and critique a peer-reviewed study relating to a topic
in this class: Lili Huang, Armen Ghazarian
Reading:
Friis Chapter 12
Assignment
Optional: Current events story or peer-reviewed paper about soil, waste water,
municipal waste, hazardous waste or associated diseases
Class Six
June 17
Radiation, Temperature, Sound and Hyper/hypobaric Pressure
Types of Radiation
Health Effects of Radiation
 Case Study: Tanning
 Case Study: Cell phones and brain tumors
 Case Study: Chernobyl vs. Three Mile Island
 Case Study: Deafness in rock musicians
Student Presentations: Find and critique a peer-reviewed study relating to a topic
in this class: Reena Mathew, Anissa Marzuki
Assignment:
Friis Chapter 8
Continue work on term project
Optional: Post and briefly discuss a current events story or peer-reviewed study on
one of today’s topics.
Class Seven
June 22
Air Contaminants and Related Diseases
Air Contaminants
Acute Respiratory Diseases and Air Pollution: Myocardial Infarctions (Heart
Attacks), Strokes
Chronic Respiratory Diseases and Air Contaminants: Chronic Bronchitis, Asthma,
COPD, Respiratory Cancers
 Case Study: The Great London Fog of 1952
 Case Study: Environmental Tobacco Smoke
 Case Study: Asthma in Baltimore City
Student Presentations: Find and critique a peer-reviewed study relating to a topic
in this class: Brad Kerridge, Adjoa Degbo
TEAMS TURN IN 1-PAGE DISCUSSION AND JUSTIFICATION OF
TERM PROJECT.
Readings:
Friis Chapter 10
For Reference: The health consequences of involuntary exposure to tobacco
smoke: a report of the Surgeon General. – [Atlanta, Ga.] : U.S. Dept. of Health and
Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Coordinating Center
for Health Promotion, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health
Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, [2006].
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/secondhandsmoke/report.
For reference: Borchers AT, Chang C, Keen CL, Gershwin ME. Airborne
environmental injuries and human health. Clin Rev Allergy Immunol. 2006
Aug;31(1):1-101. (for reference)
Assignment
Teams work on bibliographies and outlines for term project.
Class Eight
June 24
MID-TERM EXAM (One hour)
Guest Lectures
FOODBORNE ILLNESS: Prof. Sam Joseph
FOOD SAFETY AND REGULATION
ZOONOSES AND VECTOR-BORNE DISEASES (Study Handout)
 Chemical and biological contaminants in food; safe handling of food
 Regulation of contaminants in food
No assigned student critiques this week because of mid-term exam.

Class discussion: Sustainability with respect to food insecurity and the world
food crisis; land use and land use planning, food geography and implications
for health and disease (effects of deforestation, climate change, soil depletion,
unequal distribution of arable land globally). Think about these ahead of time
and do some reading on your own to prepare for discussion in class. This will
be a student-led discussion under the supervision of Dr. Joseph.
Assignment
Friis Chapter 11
Class Nine
June 29
No current events this week because of mid-term exam.
No student critiques this week because of mid-term – but see assignment for class
discussion above.
Other Determinants of Disease: Age, Race/Ethnicity, Gender, and Social,
Demographic, Economic, Built Environments
Special and Hypersusceptible Populations: Children, The Elderly
Environmental Justice
 Case Study: United Church of Christ Study "Toxic Wastes and Race at
Twenty 1987-2007,"
Student Presentations: Find and critique a peer-reviewed study relating to a topic
in this class: Laura Cathcart
OUTLINE AND PRELIMINARY BIBLIOGRAPHY DUE FOR PROJECT
Assignment
Optional: Current events story or peer-reviewed paper about one of the topics to be
covered today.
Class Ten
July 1
Environmental Diseases: Reproductive Problems, Birth Defects,
Neurodevelopmental Problems, Cancer


Case study: Endocrine disruptors and pharmaceuticals in drinking water
Case study: The rise in autism spectrum disorders – real or artifact?
Student Presentations: Find and critique a peer-reviewed study relating to a topic
in this class: Margaret Amankwa-Sakyim, AyokorAkingbade
Assignment
Optional: Current events story or peer-reviewed paper about environmental
reproductive problems and/or birth defects.
Class Eleven
July 6
The Workplace as a Special Environment
Approaches to Characterizing, Minimizing and Preventing Risk of
Environmental Diseases
Regulating Environmental and Occupational Exposures
Environmental Health Ethics
 Case study: Child Labor and Off-shore Sweatshops
 Case Study: Migrant Workers
No assigned student critiques this week because of term project presentations.
TEAM PRESENTATIONS OF TERM PROJECTS
Reports of term projects due at midnight.
Readings:
Friis Chapters 13, 4
Assignment
Optional: Critique a current events story or peer-reviewed paper about
occupational health, an environmental intervention and/or policy that was effective
or not, or environmental health ethics.
Class Twelve
July 8
Evaluation
Assignment
FINAL EXAM (Non-cumulative) 2 hours
Grading
Weight Number Grade
96- >100%
Midterm
25% 93-95%
90-92%
Paper
25%
86-89%
Team Presentation of Term Project
5% 83-85%
80-82%
Final Exam
25%
76-79%
Critiques of published studies
10% 73-75%
70-72%
Class Participation
10%
66-69%
63-65%
Each current event report will count 0.02
60-62%
percentage point on the course grade, for a
<60%
total of 10 weeks or 2 possible points. Exams
may also have extra-credit questions.
Letter Grade
A+
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF