BB820: Risk assesment of chemicals
Study Board for Natural Sciences
Teaching language: English
EKA: N110010112, N110010102
Assessment: Second examiner: None
Grading: Pass/Fail
Offered in: Odense
Offered in: Autumn
Level: Master's level course approved as PhD course
STADS ID (UVA): N110010101
ECTS value: 5
Date of Approval: 11-03-2025
Duration: 1 semester
Version: Approved - active
Internal Course Code
Comment
It would be advantageous to supplement this course with the course KE836 "Environmental chemical risk management and risk assessment" and/or BB807: Molecular Toxicology" in order to obtain a 10-15 ECTS course package.
Entry requirements
Academic preconditions
Students taking the course are expected to:
Have obtained a bachelor's degree in natural- or technical science and basic knowledge about ecotoxicological/toxicological definitions like dose-response and lethal concentrations. It is expected that the student is familiar with the potential harmful effects of chemicals on animals and humans.
Have obtained a bachelor's degree in natural- or technical science and basic knowledge about ecotoxicological/toxicological definitions like dose-response and lethal concentrations. It is expected that the student is familiar with the potential harmful effects of chemicals on animals and humans.
Participant limit
Course introduction
For persons with a natural science or technical background who could be employed in private and public environmental administration, risk assessment of chemicals will be a possible responsibility area. The course will supply the basic theory and terminology necessary for risk assessment of chemicals. The course will give practical experience in performing risk assessment of chemicals.
Expected learning outcome
The learning objectives of the course is that the student demonstrates the ability to:
- Describe toxicological and ecotoxicological concepts used in hazard and risk assessment of chemicals
- Use the standard procedures used in hazard and risk assessment of chemicals
- Demonstrate knowledge of the demands for data necessary for carrying out a risk assessment
- Know the test systems used to demonstrate toxicity
- Use the methods used in extrapolation from test systems to human and environmental adverse effects
- Characterize the uncertainties associated with risk assessment of chemicals
- Find and use relevant information about the toxicological and ecotoxicological adverse effects of chemicals
- Perform risk assessment of specific, selected chemicals based on that knowledge.
Content
The students will be introduced in lectures to the following topics:
- Principles for hazard and risk assessment of chemicals; basic concepts in toxicology and ecotoxicology; data requirements in human and environmental risk assessment; test systems; uncertainties in risk assessment; principles for regulating the use of chemicals; risk perception; principles for the authorization of pesticides; ecotoxicological effects in the aquatic and terrestrial environment and in sediments; calculation of PNEC values; models; uncertainty factors; QSAR; estimation of PEC values; to find relevant data for risk assessment; EU chemicals policy
- Participants carry out in group work an environmental risk assessment of a pesticide based on real data; this risk assessment is presented to the other course participants in the form of lectures
- Participants carry out the risk assessments for an industrial chemical that have been processed in the EU system; the risk assessments is presented to the other course participants in the form of a lecture
- Participants search for literature on the toxicological properties of a specific - for them hitherto unknown - chemicals
- Participants perform chemicals without experimental data and QSAR estimation of daphne LC-50 values using the OECD QSAR Toolbox. A reports on this is submitted or a presentation for the other participants is made.
Literature
Risk assessment of chemicals, an introduction. 2nd edition. CJ Van Leuween & T.G Vermeire. 2007
See itslearning for syllabus lists and additional literature references.
Examination regulations
Prerequisites for participating in the exam a)
Timing
Autumn
Tests
Active participation
EKA
N110010112
Assessment
Second examiner: None
Grading
Pass/Fail
Identification
Full name and SDU username
Language
Normally, the same as teaching language
Examination aids
All common aids allowed
ECTS value
0
Additional information
Active participation in two group projects. In one project, you will conduct an environmental risk assessment of a pesticide. In the other project, you will conduct a risk assessment of an industrial chemical. Both group projects must be presented in separate presentations, with each student actively involved in the preparation and delivery of the presentation.
The prerequisite examination is a prerequisite for participation in exam element a).
The prerequisite examination is a prerequisite for participation in exam element a).
Exam element a)
Timing
December
Prerequisites
| Type | Prerequisite name | Prerequisite course |
|---|---|---|
| Examination part | Prerequisites for participating in the exam a) | N110010101, BB820: Risk assesment of chemicals |
Tests
Tests
EKA
N110010102
Assessment
Second examiner: None
Grading
Pass/Fail
Identification
Full name and SDU username
Language
Normally, the same as teaching language
Examination aids
All common aids are allowed e.g. books, notes and computer programmes which do not use internet etc.
Internet is not allowed during the exam. However, you may visit the course site in itslearning to open system "DE-Digital Exam". If you wish to use course materials from itslearning, you must download the materials to your computer no later than the day before the exam. During the exam you cannot be sure that all course materials is accessible in itslearning.
ECTS value
5
Additional information
There will be two 2-hour tests to assess the acquired skills. One test involves conducting a risk assessment of a pesticide for two hours, and the other involves conducting a risk assessment of an industrial chemical for two hours.
Indicative number of lessons
Teaching Method
Planned lessons:
Total number of planned lessons: 42 hours
Hereof:
Common lessons in classroom/auditorium: 36 hours
Common lessons in laboratory: 6 hours
Lectures have been choosen to give the basic theory and terminology of hazard and risk assessment of chemicals. Tutorials constitute the major part of the teaching because they supply practical experience in risk assessment of chemicals by use of databases, which are also used in professional risk assessment.
Other planned teaching activities:
It is expected that 75 h are used to finalize the tasks which have been initiated in the fixed tutorials.
It is expected that 75 h are used to finalize the tasks which have been initiated in the fixed tutorials.
Teacher responsible
Additional teachers
Timetable
Administrative Unit
Team at Registration
Offered in
Recommended course of study
Transition rules
Transitional arrangements describe how a course replaces another course when changes are made to the course of study.
If a transitional arrangement has been made for a course, it will be stated in the list.
See transitional arrangements for all courses at the Faculty of Science.