.
Environmental Health I
Study Course Description
Course Description Statuss:Approved
Course Description Version:4.00
Study Course Accepted:13.09.2021 10:16:09
| Study Course Information | |||||||||
| Course Code: | AUVMK_004 | LQF level: | Level 6 | ||||||
| Credit Points: | 4.00 | ECTS: | 6.00 | ||||||
| Branch of Science: | Clinical Medicine; Public Health | Target Audience: | Public Health | ||||||
| Study Course Supervisor | |||||||||
| Course Supervisor: | Darja Kaļužnaja | ||||||||
| Study Course Implementer | |||||||||
| Structural Unit: | Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine | ||||||||
| The Head of Structural Unit: | |||||||||
| Contacts: | Riga, 16 Dzirciema Street, avmk rsu[pnkts]lv, +371 67060816 | ||||||||
| Study Course Planning | |||||||||
| Full-Time - Semester No.1 | |||||||||
| Lectures (count) | 4 | Lecture Length (academic hours) | 2 | Total Contact Hours of Lectures | 8 | ||||
| Classes (count) | 8 | Class Length (academic hours) | 3 | Total Contact Hours of Classes | 24 | ||||
| Total Contact Hours | 32 | ||||||||
| Full-Time - Semester No.2 | |||||||||
| Lectures (count) | 2 | Lecture Length (academic hours) | 2 | Total Contact Hours of Lectures | 4 | ||||
| Classes (count) | 7 | Class Length (academic hours) | 4 | Total Contact Hours of Classes | 28 | ||||
| Total Contact Hours | 32 | ||||||||
| Study course description | |||||||||
| Preliminary Knowledge: | Prior knowledge in chemistry, biochemistry, physics, microbiology, physiology is required. | ||||||||
| Objective: | The aim of the study course is to learn the theoretical foundations of environmental health and practical methods of the importance of the air environment, pollution, adverse and harmful factors, their impact on health, identification, assessment, control, prevention or reduction thereof. | ||||||||
| Topic Layout (Full-Time) | |||||||||
| No. | Topic | Type of Implementation | Number | Venue | |||||
| 1 | Global environmental health problems in Latvia and the world. Environmental medicine as a branch of science. The main types of effects of environmental pollution on the human body. Environmental diseases. | Lectures | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 2 | Environmental health methodology and assessment principles. Biomonitoring, including urine and blood tests. | Lectures | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 3 | Methods of assessment of environmental risk factors. The problem of indoor air pollution. Sick building syndrome. | Lectures | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 4 | Physical environmental pollution. Ionising radiation, effect thereof on the human body. The experience of the atomic bombing of Japan and the Chernobyl disaster. | Lectures | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 5 | Atmospheric pressure. Microclimate. Air temperature, methods of determination thereof. Thermal radiation. Air humidity, indicators thereof. Air movement. Anemometry. The effect of the physical properties of air on the human body. Heat exchange between the organism and the environment. Practical tasks. Analysis of atmospheric pressure and microclimate indicators. Construction and analysis of a wind rose. | Classes | 1.00 | laboratory | |||||
| 6 | Chemical and biological air pollution. The impact of pollution on health. Carbon dioxide as an indicator of indoor air cleanliness. Indoor air exchange. Infiltration. Mechanical ventilation. Practical tasks. Dynamic determination of carbon dioxide concentration in indoor air. Calculation of air volume (cubic metre). Determining the frequency of air exchange. Situational tasks on indoor air quality. | Classes | 1.00 | laboratory | |||||
| 7 | Solar radiation. Light. Lighting. Lighting indicators. Practical tasks. Assessment of the natural ambient lighting of the room. Calculation of local lighting indicators. Determining the absorption of window glass. Measuring artificial lighting. | Classes | 1.00 | laboratory | |||||
| 8 | Seminar on physical factors of the air environment (environmental noise, vibration, non-ionising, ionising radiation). Student presentations, discussion. Test. | Classes | 1.00 | laboratory | |||||
| 9 | Air pollution, determination of emissions in the environment in relation to emission sources. | Classes | 1.00 | laboratory | |||||
| 10 | Air sampling methods for environmental analysis. The main principles and equipment. | Classes | 1.00 | laboratory | |||||
| 11 | The most frequently used analytical methods in the assessment of environmental pollution, basic principles thereof. | Classes | 1.00 | laboratory | |||||
| 12 | Statistical evaluation of data and requirements for environmental pollution analysis, validity of measurements. | Classes | 1.00 | laboratory | |||||
| 13 | Chemical air pollution – classification, monitoring, evaluation. | Lectures | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 14 | Chemical air pollution – methods of analysis, concentration calculations. | Lectures | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 15 | Occupational safety in laboratory work. Calculations of practical tasks. | Classes | 1.00 | laboratory | |||||
| 17 | Discussion of the test work on the topics learned in the previous year on the principles and methods of air pollutant assessment. Photometric evaluation methods – laboratory work with minutes. | Classes | 1.00 | laboratory | |||||
| 18 | Photometric evaluation methods – laboratory work. | Classes | 1.00 | laboratory | |||||
| 19 | Atomic absorption methods (flame, graphite cuvette) – determination of metals, work with analysis print-outs. | Classes | 1.00 | laboratory | |||||
| 20 | Chromatographic methods – options for detecting volatile organic pollutants. Biomonitoring. Indoor air quality index. | Classes | 1.00 | laboratory | |||||
| 21 | Gas chromatography – calculations of concentrations of volatile organic compounds, work with analysis print-outs. | Classes | 1.00 | laboratory | |||||
| 22 | Papers on chemical air pollutants. | Classes | 1.00 | laboratory | |||||
| Assessment | |||||||||
| Unaided Work: | Expanded acquisition of additional knowledge, skills, competences from study training materials, from presentations, discussions on problem reports and research papers developed by students. Development and presentation of problem reports. Filling in the study course evaluation questionnaires at the end of the study semester (in the 1st year of studies – spring semester, in the 2nd year of studies – autumn semester). | ||||||||
| Assessment Criteria: | During the practical work, there are also tests of theoretical knowledge, solving of situational tasks, discussions about them and at the end of the course – an exam. Students’ knowledge is assessed taking into account the activity and quality of work of each student throughout the study course: • participation and activity in the work of practical classes, discussions (10%); • quality of completing practical work minutes (including situational tasks) (30%); • quality of independent work content and presentation (30%); • testing of theoretical knowledge about environmental health issues in the exam (30%). Examination method: cumulative exam. | ||||||||
| Final Examination (Full-Time): | Exam (Oral) | ||||||||
| Final Examination (Part-Time): | |||||||||
| Learning Outcomes | |||||||||
| Knowledge: | As a result of completing the study course, students are able to do the following: • describe the importance of environmental health, principles, directions, tasks thereof; • describe indoor air microclimate parameters, indoor CO2 level as an indicator of air quality, types of ventilation and ventilation efficiency assessment techniques, lighting indicators; • name the levels of microclimate, indoor CO2 level, air volume, lighting indicators, which are determined by legislation or recommended in guidelines; • name the physical environmental factors of air, sources thereof, examples in the environment, possible impact on human health; • name the thermoregulation mechanisms of the human body depending on environmental conditions; • name the basic principles of environmental health policy and their importance in reducing chemical pollution; • describe air as an ecological component of the environment, name examples of pollution and preventive measures to reduce pollution; • describe analytical methods for determining chemical air pollution; • refer to the environmental air quality standards and guidelines of Latvia and the European Union according to the topics to be learned in the classes. | ||||||||
| Skills: | As a result of completing the study course, the student obtains skills to: • independently, critically analyse, apply ecological reasoning to justify one’s opinion and evaluate environmental health as a preventive branch of environmental science and medicine in preserving and strengthening human health; • determine and evaluate indicators of microclimate, CO2 level, ventilation efficiency, natural and artificial lighting, provide recommendations for improving conditions; • determine the main thermoregulation mechanisms of the human body depending on environmental conditions; • practically operate analytical equipment and perform analytical calculations in the determination of chemical substances in the air environment; • evaluate environmental policy measures and implement them to improve public health; • present one’s opinion on the problems of physical and chemical air pollution in Latvia and the world. | ||||||||
| Competencies: | The acquired competence allows to: • see the connection between the state of human health and the conditions of the surrounding environment; • apply knowledge of the basics of argumentation, logic and rhetoric to analyse practical situations; • develop recommendations, measures to prevent or reduce harmful environmental risk factors, ensuring optimal interaction between the human body and the environment; • take responsibility and demonstrate leadership skills in cases where the interests of environmental safety, individuals or the society as a whole require it; • apply knowledge and skills in solving environmental health problems in one’s professional activities. | ||||||||
| Bibliography | |||||||||
| No. | Reference | ||||||||
| Required Reading | |||||||||
| 1 | Vides veselība. - RSU, 2008. (akceptējams izdevums) | ||||||||
| Additional Reading | |||||||||
| 1 | Iekštelpu gaisa fizikālās īpašības un ventilācijas efektivitāte (1.-6. avoti): 1. HEVAC Humidity Group. Humidity and its Impact on Human Comfort and Wellbeing in Occupied Buildings. 2016. | ||||||||
| 2 | 2. Barry S.L. et al. Occupational and Environmental Health: Recognizing and Preventing Disease and Injury. 2011 | ||||||||
| 3 | 3. Nadvorniy M. et al. General Hygiene & Environmental Health. 2005. | ||||||||
| 4 | 4. Operating Room Design Manual. Kamal M. Room Ventilation Systems. 2012 | ||||||||
| 5 | 5. CO2 ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2013 | ||||||||
| 6 | 6. Prill R. Why Measure Carbon Dioxide Inside Buildings? | ||||||||
| 7 | Gaisa ķīmisko rādītāju novērtēšana (7.-11. avoti): 7. Ministru Kabinets. 17.11.2009. Noteikumi par gaisa kvalitāti: MK noteikumi Nr. 1290. Latvijas Vēstnesis. 182. | ||||||||
| 8 | 8. VARAM. Normatīvā akta projekts. Gaisu piesārņojošo vielu emisiju samazināšanas rīcības plāns 2019. - 2030. gadam. | ||||||||
| 9 | 9. IPCC ziņojumi par klimata pārmaiņām: AR6 Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. | ||||||||
| 10 | 10. Evolution of WHO air quality guidelines: past, present and future (2017). | ||||||||
| 11 | 11. Methods for sampling and analysis of chemical pollutants in indoor air: supplementary publication to the screening tool for assessment of health risks from combined exposure to multiple chemicals in indoor air (2020). | ||||||||
| Other Information Sources | |||||||||
| 1 | Vides aizsardzības un reģionālās attīstības ministrijas mājas lapa | ||||||||
| 2 | Veselības ministrijas mājas lapa | ||||||||
| 3 | Pasaules Veselības organizācijas mājas lapa | ||||||||
| 4 | Klimata pārmaiņu starpvaldību padome | ||||||||
