Course Objectives

The students will acquire insight into the relationship between where and how environmental poisons are spread in nature, and the unfortunate consequences for the ecosystem and living organisms, including human beings.

Course Description

The course will cover accumulation, spreading and the break down of foreign matter and natural poisons in nature, and the use of bio-markers to indicate poisons in the environment. Genetic and bio-chemical eco-toxicology will also be covered, as well as diseases and the transmission of disease across species. The course will also consider the most important environmental poisons, especially in relation to the Norwegian environment: various metals, pesticides, radioactive material, oil pollution and combustion products, chlorinated and brominated organic material, poisons from algae and cyan bacteria, acidification and eutrification-related poisons. Toxic effects at an individual level, as well as at a higher organisational level, will be discussed. In the theme-paper, the students should document broad knowledge concerning a current theme within the field of eco-toxicology. In the laboratory course, metal analyses in water and various tissue materials will be carried out in relation to various eco-toxicological problems. Analyses of certain organic poisons and radioactive isotopes will also be carried out.

Learning Methods

70 hours of lectures, seminars and laboratory course.
Obligatory: Seminar and laboratory course. Attendance on the first day, and presentation of a seminar paper concerning an eco-toxicological theme.

Assessment Methods

Grades will be given for the 3 part-exams: the seminar paper counts for 20%, the laboratory report counts for 20% and the written final examination (4 hours) counts for 60% of the final grade. All the part-exams must receive passing marks.

Minor adjustments may occur during the academic year, subject to the decision of the Dean