Instructor

Grading

Course Description

Goals

Paper and Exam

Textbooks

Learning Modules

Instructor:
Robert A. Perkins, P.E., C.I.H..
Office: 307 Skarland Hall
Office phone 907-474-7694
Home phone 907- 479-3906
Email ffrap@uaf.edu

Grading
Assignments (14 @ 25) 350 points total
Paper 150 points
Final exam 100 points
Total 500

Course Description
Environmental risk assessment is the processes of estimating the probability and severity of adverse human health effects due to chemicals in the environment. The general principles of estimating risk: hazard identification, dose-response assessment, exposure assessment, and risk characterization, are applicable to chemicals from any source, including drugs and workplace chemicals. These same general principles can be applied to hazards other than chemicals such as radiation, and to receptors in the environment other than humans. This course emphasizes chemicals in the environment because environmental risk assessments are commonly required by state and federal environmental agencies to determine if action is required following a chemical spill or release to the environment. These assessments require knowledge of specific technical disciplines: engineering, chemistry, geology, and toxicology. This technical knowledge must be applied to the particular problem and the result placed in a form that is reviewed by agencies and the public. Public involvement in the risk management process and its relation to risk assessment is considered. Ethics and a concern for the public health and safety are emphasized.

The course is organized in modules and sub-modules. The modules are an administrative unit and the sub-modules are the learning units. The student will complete one module per week, and each module will "close" on a Monday at 8 PM, Alaska Time. Electronic asynchronous discussions with other students are part of the course and these require participation prior to the closing time. Each module will contain several sub-modules. Each sub-module will focus on one of these five main areas:

A. Hazard Identification, which includes regulatory standards and site investigations

B. Dose-Response Evaluation, which is primarily toxicology

C. Exposure Evaluation, primarily environmental fate and transport


D. Risk Characterization, putting it all together and stating uncertainties


E. Risk Communications, public involvement, and ethics.

The sub-modules will generally start with some stated learning goals. Within each sub-module there are several learning units. Each unit has explanatory text, then hyperlinks to sites of others that have more explanation, examples, or material for discussion. At the end of the sub-module there is an assignment.

Each module will be graded; the typical module will generate 25 points: 15 points for the individual student's assignment, 5 points for the discussion with other students, and 5 points for "questions and comments" with the instructor. The individual assignment may be an on-line electronic quiz, questions requiring text answers, calculations, or the results of computer programs. The discussion with other students requires participation in an on-line "discussion board." The questions and comments with the instructor require the student to ask questions pertaining to the material or identify glitches in the on-line presentations. This is first time this course is presented in the on-line format. If the student identifies glitches ranging from gaps in the material to incorrect hyperlinks and typographical errors, the student will get credit for calling them to the instructor's attention. Questions will be answered to the student directly and posted to a "closure" section in the following weeks module.

Goals
The student will become familiar with the risk assessment process regarding human health effects of chemicals in the environment such that the student can review and critically evaluate risk assessments performed by others and, within the student's professional area, efficiently contribute to the production of accurate risk assessments.

Paper and Exam
There will be a paper required. The paper will be submitted electronically and require both on-line and tradition literature research. There will be a "take-home" final examination.

Text Books
There are no required texts. You should have a college chemistry textbook nearby. The book, Multimedia Environmental Models, by Donald Mackay, is a recommended text. (CRC Lewis Publishers, 1991, ISBN 0-87371-242-0) We will parallel the first four chapters quite closely, and Mackay has several handy tables and examples. That information is also found in many chemistry books and conveniently tabulated in many environmental chemistry texts, so the Mackay book is handy, but not necessary. It is not in the UAF bookstore; you can order it from CRC over the web. There are other books available electronically, some we will make heavy use of, for example, Risk Assessment Guidance for Superfund (RAGS) by the EPA. I will give you the URL (web address) of the document the first time it is required. It's up to you if you want to printout the document for yourself (a lengthy process) or just refer to the sections you need when you need them. I would recommend downloading the lengthy documents to your hard drive or a zip disk.

Learning Modules

Module 1	Closes 29 January
	Introduction: Risk and safety, risk assessment vs. risk management, history
	Chemicals in the environment, are they harmful?
	Some chemical terms, calculations, analysis. Into fate and persistence
	Brief introduction to toxicology

Module 2	Closes 5 February
	Overview of laws and reg.'s, uses of risk assessment. Site assessment and data evaluation, chemical data quality
	Begin fate and persistence, Pathways - qualitative - conceptual site models (CSMs). Environmental media.
	On-line searching

Module 3	Closes 12 February
	Chemical Equilibrium
	Computer modeling
	Tox I , Into human health effects, toxicology
	Ethics, use of scientific literature

Module 4	Closes 19 February
	Environmental loss mechanisms
	Exposure Factors
	Tox II, toxicokinetics

Module 5	Closes 26 February
	Exposure Assessment, Chemical Terms
	Tox III, basic cell bioprocesses

Module 6	Closes 5 March
	Tox IV pathology, cancer and carcinogenesis
	Exposure assessment, Intake Assessment and Exposure Factors.

Module 7	Closes 12 March
	Risk Characterization
	Cancer endpoints

Module 8	Closes 26 March
	Non-cancer endpoints
	Summary of fate and transport, Modeling fate and transport
	Intro RISC program

Module 9	Closes 2 April
	RCBA
	Probability applied to Hazard Identification and Uncertainty,
	Dose Response lists and factors. Review IRIS glossary, other background

Module 10	Closes 9 April
	"Special" Chemicals
	Radiation
	Public Involvement

Module 11	Closes 16 April
	Workplace heath standards
	Ecological Risk Assessment
	Petroleum issues

Module 12	Closes 23 April
	Uncertainties: Animal testing and reporting, determining human health effects in populations
	Risk management

Module 13	Closes 30 April
	Case Studies

Module 14	Closes 7 May
	Case Studies
	Review