Ecotoxicology and Ecological Risk

Recommended Prerequisites

Fluency in english.

Teaching Methods

Strong involvement of students in the teaching-learning process with laboratory work, participatory discussions during the lectures and also group work on risk assessment case studies, with several oral presentations by each group and discussion of approaches by the remaining groups and teachers.

Learning Outcomes

This discipline aims at acquiring and deepening, by the students, of major concepts and methodologies in Ecotoxicology and Ecological Risk Assessment, in a multidisciplinary approach, integrating different biological entities susceptible to suffer effects due to quantitatively and qualitatively different chemical stressors.

Furthermore, it is also expected that students are able to apply acquired knowledge in novel situations, namely in real site-specific risk assessments, and to discuss with non-specialists uncertainties associated to the evaluated risks.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

1. General concepts in Ecotoxicology: Ecotoxicology and multidisciplinarity; Dose-effect relationship; Sources and categories of contaminants;

2. Ecotoxicological tests: Tests for different habitats and at different levels of biological organization; Extrapolation of laboratory results to the field: sources of uncertainty;

3. Ecological Risk Assessment;

3.1. Risk assessment scheme for contaminated sites: Conceptual diagram: problem identification; identification of ecological receptors at risk and transport processes; Exposure characterization: use of “screening values” and assessment of toxic pressure; Effects evaluation; Risk characterization (TRIAD); Remediation measures for contaminated areas;

3.2. Scheme of prospective risk assessment of phytosanitary products-FPs: Legal and operational aspects in the authorization of FPs; Risk assessment for aquatic organisms, soil, pollinators and auxiliary arthropods; Ethics and legislation in animal testing.

Head Lecturer(s)

Rui Godinho Lobo Girão Ribeiro

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Resolution Problems: 50.0%
Laboratory work or Field work: 50.0%

Bibliography

C.H., Walker; HOPKIN, S.P.; SIBLY, R.M. (2006). Principles of Ecotoxicology. 3ª ed. E.U.A.: Taylor & Francis, Boca Raton.

Artigos cintificos que variam cada ano. / Several papers in indexed journals, which change every year.