DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES
University of Toronto
ESS 2304H1S Contaminants in the Environment
COURSE OUTLINE 2015-2016
Prof. Miriam Diamond,
Earth Sciences Building, 22 Russell St., Rm 3141
416 978-1586;
Office Hours: after class or by appointment
miriam.diamond@utoronto.ca
Class Meetings: Wednesday 10am to 1 pm (3 hours per week); ES 2100
Information will be posted on Blackboard.
Course Theme:
In 2009 Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie published the best seller “Slow Death By Rubber Duck, How the Toxic
Chemistry of Everyday Life Affects our Health” which is the contaminant version of “Super Size Me”. The
books chronicle the authors’ experiment of measuring their exposure to several well-known chemical
contaminants by analysing their blood and/or urine levels before and after they did “everyday things” to increase
their levels. This was followed by ToxIn ToxOut” in 2013 in which they self-experimented with ways to reduce
their levels of well-known contaminants. Their experiments, results and interpretations raise numerous personal,
scientific and policy questions. This course explores some of these questions by investigating chemical
contaminants from their sources through to human and ecological exposure and health effects and policy
controls.
The learning objectives of the course are:
1. To provide you with a qualitative understanding of the sources, behaviour and movement of chemical
contaminants in the environment based on the properties of contaminants and environmental media.
2. To familiarize yourself with simple mathematical modelling methods for estimating contaminant
distribution, fate and exposure.
3. To improve your critical thinking and analytical abilities by assessing the potential risks posed by
contaminants.
4. To explore the challenges of developing effective policies and practices to minimize risks from
environmental contaminants.
By the end of the course, you should be able to predict or at least know how to predict the distribution of a
chemical contaminant and how do “de-mystify” continued concerns over contaminants in the mass media.
COURSE PREPARATION:
This course is being run in conjunction with ESS 463S. You will need minimum knowledge of basic chemistry,
math, basic environmental science and basic physics.
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Mackay, Donald. 2001. Multimedia Environmental Models: The Fugacity Approach, 2nd Ed. Boca Raton: Lewis
Publishers. Can be purchased at the University of Toronto bookstore or obtained on reserve at
Engineering Library. TD 196. 073 M33 1991 or 2001.
Smith, R. Lourie, B., Dopp, S. 2009. Slow Death by Rubber Duck. Knopf Canada: Toronto.
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COURSE EVALUATION:
Assignments
Level I Model
Level II Model
Level III Model
Seminar
Project
Project Report
Due Feb 10
Due March 2
Due March 23
Scheduled throughout the term
15%
15%
15%
25%
April 11
30%
Group Research Project:
Biomonitoring data from Canada (Canadian Health Measures Survey), U.S. (NHANES) and the German
government, as well as numerous smaller studies, indicates widespread exposure of the population to a range of
contaminants. As you look at the biomonitoring data, the main question that emerges is: Are the concentrations
in all of us of concern? Who is at greatest risk from this contaminant? Are we confident of the main exposure
route(s)? Are we confident of the toxicity of the contaminant? If a contaminant is of concern, what is the most
effective means of minimizing that concern? (e.g., what measures can be taken by an individual to reduce
exposure, what legislative controls might be effective).
Your task is to first, select one contaminant to examine in detail. Discuss the questions raised above and other
questions that you might raise when thinking about the data, as a result of reading “Slow Death by Rubber
Duck”, and reading papers that report biomonitoring results.
Specifically, what is required is:
a) Discuss chemical production and uses.
b) Briefly summarize the physical-chemical properties of the chemical. For this, you can consult the literature or
U.S. EPA’s EPI Suite http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/exposure/pubs/episuite.htm. The programs contained in
EPISuite can be used to estimate physical-chemical properties for organic chemicals. You can also consult the
US EPA’s PBT profiler http://www.pbtprofiler.net/default.asp.
c) Describe the fate and transport of the chemical in the environment. You might use a model that you’ve run to
illustrate the compound’s fate.
d) Summarize the pathways whereby we are exposure to the chemical.
e) Critically evaluate potential toxicological concerns We are not concerned with acute exposure and effects, but
rather low level, chronic exposure. DO NOT LOOK AT ACUTE TOXICITY DATA!
f) Conclude by answering the questions posed in your report. Should we reduce our exposure to the contaminant
and if so, how do recommend that this be achieved?
COURSE POLICIES
Problem Sets and annotated bibliography are due in class and must be initialled by the instructor.
Assignments will be evaluated with a letter grade according to:
- correctness of answer and approach to problems,
- the quality and depth of research,
- your ability to assemble and synthesize information into a coherent thesis, and
- your ability to communicate ideas.
Consult the undergraduate calendar as to what constitutes the various grades.
For assistance with writing, consult http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/
Late Penalty for assignments: A lowering of the grade by one increment per day, unless accompanied by a note
from a physician, police or registrar, e.g., from B+ to B for 1 day late, B+ to B- for 2 days late including
weekends (each day of the weekend is counted). The note must include the dates of absence. Late assignments
will not be accepted one week past the due date even if accompanied by a certificate unless you have obtained
prior agreement from the instructor.
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Academic Integrity:
Very few have of us have truly original ideas but rather we almost always build on the ideas and information
provided by others. We need to re-emphasize that plagiarism — representing someone else’s words as your own
or submitting work that you have previously submitted for marks in another class or program — is a serious
offence. Assignments, reading summaries and exams are reviewed for evidence of these infractions. Penalties for
these offences can be severe and can be recorded on your transcript.
● Trust your own ability to think and write and make use of the resources available at U of T that can help you
do so (e.g. professors, TAs, writing centres). See the U of T writing website, especially the “How Not To
Plagiarize” document at http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/home and the website of the Office of Student
Academic Integrity.
● Every written assignment must include an Academic Integrity Checklist, signed by you (see the course
website). Read the checklist carefully before you sign it.
The following is a list of examples (not complete) of what constitutes an academic offence:
● Using someone else’s ideas or words without appropriate acknowledgement.
● Copying material word-for-word from a source (including lecture and study group notes) and not placing the
words within quotation marks and not citing the author/source.
● Submitting your own work in more than one course without the permission of the instructor.
● Making up sources or facts, including references to sources that you did not use.
● Obtaining or providing unauthorized assistance on any assignment including:
○ Working in groups on assignments that are supposed to be individual work
○ Having someone rewrite or add material to your work while “editing”.
○ Lending your work to a classmate who submits it as his/her own without your permission.
Misrepresentation:
● Falsifying or altering any documentation required by the University, including doctor’s notes
● Falsifying institutional documents or grades
Accommodation:
The University of Toronto is committed to accessibility. If you require accommodations for a disability, or have
any accessibility concerns about the course, the classroom or course materials, please contact Accessibility
Services as soon as possible: accessibility.services@utoronto.ca or http://studentlife.utoronto.ca/accessibility
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LECTURE SCHEDULE:
Date
Jan 13
Topic
Introduction, Guest Lecture by Rick
Smith, ED of Broadbent Institute
Some basic concepts
Physical-chemical properties & their
estimation
Reading
Duck, Intro & Ch 1
Activity/Due
None
Mackay Ch 1 & 2
Mackay Ch 3 & 4
Mackay Ch 5
Feb 10
Feb 17
Feb 24
Mar 2
Mar 9
Phase Equilibrium & Level I model
explanation
Exposure
READING WEEK
Loss mechanisms & Level II
Intermedia transport
Level III
Discuss research project
EPI Suite
Further discuss research
project
Project outline due
Level I model
Level I model due
Mar 16
Mar 23
Mar 30
April 6
Metals
Risk assessment
Policies & regulations
Presentations
Jan 20
Jan 27
Feb 3
Duck, Ch 2
Mackay Ch 6
Mackay Ch 7
Mackay Ch 8, Intro,
8.11, 8.13, 8.14
TBA
TBA
Duck, Ch 9
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Level II modelling
Level II model due
Level III model
Level III model
Level III model due