PH 304 Syllabus
Spring 2012
Version 3/22/2016
PH 304: Environment and Public Health
San Diego State University
Graduate School of Public Health
Spring 2013
(Schedule Number: Suppressed; Units: 3)
INSTRUCTOR:
Zohir Chowdhury, Ph.D. (zohir.chowdhury@sdsu.edu)
Phone: 619-594-8085
Office: Room 106 Hardy Memorial Tower
OFFICE HOURS:
Tuesday/Thursday
11:00-11:30 AM
Tuesday/Thursday
1:00- 1:45 PM
or schedule appointment by email or send email with topic PH304
LOCATION:
DATE AND TIME:
Peterson Gym (PG) Room 242
TTh 2:00-3:15 PM
Description:
Catalog Description:
Environmental hazards of living and working in both industrialized and lesser developed
societies. Chemical, biological, and physical agents in food, air, water, and soil.
General Description:
This course is designed to provide students with an introduction to and overview of the key areas
of environmental health. Using the perspectives of the population and community, the course
will cover factors associated with the development of environmental health problems. Students
will gain an understanding of the interaction of individuals and communities with the
environment, the potential impact on health of environmental agents, and specific applications of
concepts of environmental health. The course will consist of a series of lectures and will cover
principles derived from core environmental health disciplines. The course will also cover
specific agents of environmental diseases (e.g., microbial agents, ionizing and nonionizing
radiation) as well as applications and domains of environmental health will be addressed (e.g.,
water quality, air quality, and waste disposal).
Prerequisites:
Credit or concurrent registration in Public Health 301. Open to health science majors and minors.
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Learning Objectives
Students who complete this course will be able to:
1. Identify chemical (toxic metals and organic pesticides and solvents for example),
physical (ionizing and non ionizing radiation), and microbial agents (bacteria and viruses
for example) that originate in the environment and explain how these agents can impact
human health.
2. Discuss the transport and fate of the chemical, physical, and microbial agents in the
environment.
3. Differentiate between environmental health issues in developing countries against those
in developed countries (emphasize on poor air and water quality).
4. Interpret how key environmental policies that have been developed are able to manage
health risks associated with exposures to environmental hazards
5. Describe waste water treatment, hazardous waste and municipal waste disposal that are
used to minimize impact of environmental hazards
6. Research a topic in Environmental Health and present your findings in front of your
peers.
Course Text

Essentials of Environmental Health
ROBERT H. Friis
Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2012.
ISBN-13: 978-0-7637-7890-3
ISBN-10: 0-7637-7890-7

Powerpoint slides on Blackboard
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PH 304 Syllabus
Spring 2012
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Blackboard:
Nearly all instructional materials except for the textbook for this course will be available
on Blackboard (http://blackboard.sdsu.edu). Students who need help with the use of Blackboard
should contact the Student Computing Center or go to the Love Library for assistance.
Lecture notes will be available after midnight the night before class starts. Please print
them out and bring them to class for taking additional notes as the class version will probably be
further revised.
Blackboard will also be used for posting student performance and grades. It is your
responsibility to check the posted grades for accuracy and communicate discrepancies, if any, to
the instructor.
Grading
Assessment
Points
Presentation
3 Exams
100 X 3 =
In-class Quizzes
8 X 10 =
Drop two
Attendance
27 X 1 =
(Total 30, drop 3)
Total Possible Points = 507
100
300
80
Structure
Powerpoint
MCQ
MCQ
27
Daily
The following is the grade cut-off points that will be used in this class.
92.5 to 100 A
89.5 to 92.4 A86.5 to 89.4 B+
82.5 to 86.4 B
79.5 to 82.4 B76.5 to 79.4 C+
72.5 to 76.4 C
69.5 to 72.4 C60.0 to 69.4 D
Below 59.4 F
Students who do not complete any of the assignments and do not show up for exams/quizzes will
receive an F.
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PH 304 Syllabus
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Attendance:
Attendance is mandatory in this class. Attendance will be taken during class and it is your
responsibility to ensure that you sign up every day. If you’re unable to attend class because of
personal reasons (vacation, headache, family emergency, illness), do not worry since I will drop
3 absences. Once you’ve used up these absences, your attendance point will drop by one point
for each day you are absent. Please plan your 3 days of excused absences accordingly.
Exams and Quizzes:
There will be in-class quizzes and three in-class exams.
In-class Quizzes and Exams: The exams and the quizzes will test you based on MCQ
type questions. Even though not needed to correctly answer questions, having a basic calculator
will help for some questions. Questions for exams and quizzes will cover materials covered in
class as presented in the slides (~90%) as well as materials from the book reading (~10%).
You’re expected to keep up with the reading as, at least, 10% of the questions may come from
the reading only.
Scantron Form 289 (red color) is to be used for all exams and quizzes.
No make up exam or quizzes will be given unless a valid medical excuse is provided
supported by a Board Certified physician in the U.S. If you miss some in-class quizzes do not
worry since two in-class quizzes will be dropped.
Please ***DO NOT*** contact me for any make-up exams unless you can provide me
with a valid medical excuse as listed above. See “Withdrawal/Incomplete” section for more
information on what needs to be done when you foresee missing a significant number of classes,
exams, quizzes.
Reading Assignments:
Readings will be assigned each week from your text book and can be found listed in the
tentative schedule of this syllabus. For topics that the book is weak, students will be assigned
supplemental readings which will be posted on the blackboard under “Course Documents”.
Students are expected to complete the reading assignment BEFORE coming to class. Class
materials will expand on the important concepts from the assigned reading and the lecture will
cross-reference the book.
Group Presentation:
Each presentation will consist of a student group selected topic on Environmental Health
issues. The presentation should have high quality visual materials (video, photos, graphs,
diagrams) and latest data.
Gradebook:
The gradebook will be kept updated and available for students to check their performance
throughout the semester. There are certain elements in this class that need manual input and
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PH 304 Syllabus
Version 3/22/2016
some elements are automated. If you notice an error in your assessment, please contact the
instructor during class time.
Spring 2012
Disability Accommodation:
Students who need accommodation of their disabilities should contact me privately to
discuss specific accommodations for which they have received authorization. If you have a
disability, but have not contacted Student Disability Services at 619-594-6473 (Calpulli Center,
Suite 3101), please do so before making an appointment to see me.
Withdrawal and Incomplete Grade Policy:


The student is entirely responsible for their own actions concerning withdrawing from
the course. A student’s failure to attend class, and complete the assignments and
exams that are given, will likely result in a final grade of “F.” For proper withdrawal
procedure, refer to the catalog. Contact Health and Special Services (IC2001, 9422154) for the procedures required to withdraw for medical reasons.
Students wishing to receive an incomplete grade must obtain permission from the
instructor and complete at least 75% of the work before the end of the semester. On a
case by case basis, the instructor will grant extension ranging from a few weeks to a
few months to as much as 6 months. The student must submit a timeline with
deadlines of completion of remaining tasks with dates. The student must complete all
work before the end of the following semester. Failure to do so will result in the
student receiving the grade they would have earned at the completion of the course.
Plagiarism/Academic Dishonesty:
See COD catalog, Course-Related Academic Integrity, Board Policy 5050 and Board
Procedure 5715. Academic dishonesty is prohibited. Disciplinary action (a zero grade in your
quizzes, exams, final followed by reporting to the school) will be pursued in all instances in
which it is determined that academic dishonesty has occurred.
Emergency Preparedness
Visit the following website for upto date information about SDSU’s emergency
preparedness: http://bfa.sdsu.edu/emergency/
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Spring 2012
Wk# Date
1
01/17
Th
2
01/22
T
01/24
Th
3
01/29
T
01/31
Th
4
5
6
02/05
T
02/07
Th
PH 304 Syllabus
Topic
Introduction to course and participants
Grading Policies
Population Increase
Megacities
Carrying Capacity
Population dynamics
Environmental Risk Transition
Demographic Transition
Epidemiologic Transition
I = PAT
Affluence Vs. Poverty
Overview of regulatory agencies
Major Environmental Regulations
Reading
Ch 1
Ch 4
Ch9
Guest Lecture Jenny Quintana
Zoonotic and Vector-Borne Diseases
Ch 5
Catch-up
Review for Exam
02/14
Th
02/19
T
*******
Exam-1
Version 3/22/2016
In-class quizzes
Ch 1
Water Quality
Water Cycle & Water in SD
Water borne diseases
Water Treatment
Water Quality (Continued)
02/12
T
02/21
Th
Exams
Qz#1: Syl, Ch 1
Qz#2: Ch 4 & 9
Qz#3: Ch 9 & 5
*******
Combustion
Outdoor Air Quality
Criteria Air Pollutants
NAAQS
Particulate Matter
Lead, CO, NOx, SOx, Pb
Acid Rain
Indoor Air Quality
Indoor Air Pollutants
Ex-1
Syl, Ch1, Ch4,
Ch5, Ch9
Ch 10
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Spring 2012
7
02/26
T
02/28
Th
8
9
10
03/05
T
03/07
Th
03/12
T
03/14
Th
03/19
T
03/21
Th
11
03/26
T
03/28
Th
12
04/09
T
04/11
Th
04/16
T
04/18
Th
04/23
T
04/25
Th
04/30
T
05/02
Th
13
14
15
PH 304 Syllabus
Toxic Metals and Elements
CERCLA
Bioaccumulation & Biomagnification
Essential metals with potential for
toxicity
Major Toxic Metals
Pesticides & Other Organic Chemicals
Pesticide classification
Organic foods
Ch 6
Version 3/22/2016
Qz#4: Ch 10
Ch 7
Qz#5: Ch 6
Review and Catch up
Ch 7
Qz#6: Ch 7
*******
Exam-2
*******
EX -2
Ionizing and Non-ionizing Radiation
Ch6, Ch7, Ch10
Ch 8
UV
Alpha, beta, and gamma ionizing
radiation
Nuclear energy
Liquid & Solid Waste
Recycling
Composting
Landfilling
Incineration
SPRING BREAK: 4/01 to 4/05
Catch-up
Review for Exam
******* Exam-3 *******
Class Presentations (5)
Ch 12
QZ#7: Ch 8
Qz#8: Ch 12
Ex-3
Ch8 and Ch12
Class Presentations (5)
Review for Quiz
Class Presentations (2)
Qz#9
Class Presentations (5)
Class Presentations (3)
Review for Quiz
Closing
Qz#10
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Directly from the course instructor:
My exams and quizzes are usually based on both the topics covered in class (class slides) and the materials from
the book which you ought to read. I usually include plenty of visual materials (photos, graphs, tables, diagrams) in
my slides and I encourage all students to first look at the visual materials both in the slides and in the book. Then
read the slides and the book to make sure you understand the visual content. When reviewing for the exams or
quizzes, always ensure that you know the following:
1) Definitions of ALL important terms. Nomenclatures and classifications are also very important. At the
introductory class level, such as PH304, terminologies are the most important things to learn.
2) All graphs, tables, and diagrams should be reviewed with care for understanding. What are these telling
you? Can you interpret them properly? Do not be surprised if you’re asked to interpret graphs/tables in an
exam.
3) Dates and numbers are not important to remember with precision; but you should use this data to better
understand the content in relation to other things you’ve already learned.
4) There may be some tricky questions (in the exams and quizzes). Do not rush and pick the wrong choice
even though it may look similar to the correct answer choice.
You should study a minimum of 6 hours each week for this class. If during the semester, you find me hard to
follow or your performance (grade) does not reflect the amount of work you do for this class, please contact me by
email or see me after class. We can discuss this privately in my office or by email and try to improve your
performance before it’s too late.
Two Chinese Proverbs:
“Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere.”
“Learning is like rowing upstream: not to advance is to drop back.”
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PH 304 Syllabus
LECTURE PRESENTATION GUIDELINES
Spring 2012
Version 3/22/2016
You will have approximately 10 minutes to conduct your lecture with 2 additional minutes for Q&A and class evaluation from your peer.
Typically you should have between 12-14 slides in total including your title and reference slides. If you have over 16 slides, you're
probably going too fast for the class to grasp your content. Keep the slides free from lot of words and DO NOT read directly from them.
You should have enough background materials to ensure that everybody can follow your lecture. You can make it interactive or
discussion oriented. You are free to distribute handouts or share any recent news in your topic. If you so wish, you can show one or two
relevant video clip(s) lasting 1-2 minutes if it complements your lecture. It will be your responsibility to ensure that audio-visual
materials work properly. Typically internet-based content with no need for software downloading are very reliable. Balance between
visual materials (graphs, tables, diagrams, photos) and text will greatly help students who use multiple learning techniques. It's perfectly
ok to copy figures/tables/diagrams from key papers (with source/citation obviously) into your slides. It’s entirely up to you how you want
to involve the audience.
URGENT: Your presentation (.pptx file), including any additional pdf journal papers/reports that you’ve consulted, MUST be emailed to
the instructor with the subject “PH304 Presentation: Spring 2013”
To help you maximize points, you should do a final check of your presentation slides to ensure that all elements of the grading rubric are
present in your lecture. Points for each item are in the right hand side. Since each presentation is different from the other, you are the best
judge in deciding how to structure your presentation to make it flow smoothly. You do not have to follow this order.
BONUS POINTS: Your group can receive upto 2 bonus points towards your presentation grade if you submit 1 MCQ question and 1
True/False question before your presentation. The MCQ question MUST have 5 choices in order to receive full bonus points. A four
choice MCQ will receive half the grade.
Your Group Members Name:
Member 1:
Member 2:
Member 3:
Member 4:
Member 5:
Member 6:
Proposed Topic:
Presentation Date (circle one): See Syllabus for actual dates
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
I do not care which day I present
Presentation Order (circle one):
I want to go first!
I want to be in the middle
I want to go last!
Do not care
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PH 304 Syllabus
Spring 2012
Version 3/22/2016
Presentation Evaluation
Presenter(s) Name: ________________
Part I. Content and Scientific Merit (60 Points)
Introduction and Title (10 Points):



Body (40 Points):






______________________
Addresses audience at an appropriate level, generally understandable at the introductory level and progressively moves to more
complex issues
Describes methodology of work appropriately (if applicable)
Interprets the results appropriately and appears to understand the material well
Presentation is in logical order
Presenter is able to tie papers/reports together into a coherent topic and deliver it as an in-class lecture instead of individual
topics.
Appropriate referencing of text and visuals, uses APA style appropriately
Conclusion (5 Points):


____________________
Title and Name(s) are present
Defines background and importance of topic
States objective(s) and is able to identify relevant questions
_______________________
Summarizes major points of presentation
Summarizes potential weaknesses, if any, in findings
Take Home Message (5 Points):
_______________________
 Provides you with a one line “take-home” message [must be in a separate slide]
Total for Part I: _______________/ 60 Points
Part II. Speaking Style/Delivery (20 Points)






Individual Speaking Style
Speaks clearly at an understandable pace
Maintains eye contact with audience
Uses notes/flash cards sparingly and only as a guide, if needed
Uses body language appropriately
Is able to answer questions professionally and knowledgeably
Is able to engage or capture the attention of the audience
Individual 1:____/20
Individual 2:____/20
Individual 3:____/20
Individual 4:____/20
Individual 5:____/20
Total for Part II: _______________/ 20 Points
Part III. Audio/Visual (10 Points):




Graphs and Tables clear and understandable
Text is readable and clear
Audio/visual components support the main points of the talk [must have a video from a web source]
Appropriate referencing of data, uses APA style appropriately
Total for Part III: _______________/ 10 Points
Part IV: Creativity (10 Points)

Creativity rating (Circle One): Low…..Medium…..High
Total for Part IV: _______________/ 10 Points
Overall Score: _________________/100 Points
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