Environmental Medicine (AUVMK_014)
About Study Course
Objective
To acquire knowledge about the importance of various environmental factors (air, water, nutrition, soil, habitats, work environment), adverse environmental factors, environmental pollution, their impact on health, identification, measurement, evaluation, prevention and control of harmful environmental factors.
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge in chemistry, biochemistry, physics, microbiology, propedeutics, and physiology.
Learning outcomes
Students will have obtained basic knowledge of environmental health and they will be able to describe:
• the role of environmental health, its principles, trends, objectives and practical application;
• methods of measuring pollution and contamination and preventive measures to reduce pollution;
• requirements for planning, improvement, and exploitation of housing, public buildings, educational and healthcare institutions;
• nutrition, food quality, its epidemiological and toxicological significance;
• genetically modified food, food additives, food poisoning and their impact on health;
• work environment main hazards, their measurement and assessment principles, prevention methods.
Students will be able to:
• independently critically analyze, apply ecological arguments to justify their point of view and to assess environmental health as a preventive branch of environmental science and medicine in preserving and strengthening of human health;
• inspect and evaluate various surroundings and objects (dwellings, health and social care institutions, educational institutions, catering establishments), assess measurable parameters (microclimate, lighting, air, water, soil pollution) and discover risk factors;
• identify and assess the quality of food and pollution;
• analyze food poisoning cases;
• identify environmental health hazards for the health, growth and development of children and teenagers;
• solve practical problems concerning pollution of different components of the environment.
Students will be able to:
• recognize the connection between health condition and environmental factors;
• apply the reasoning logic and rhetoric skills in order to analyze practical situations;
• develop recommendations and measures for prevention or reduction of hazardous factors to ensure optimal interaction between the human body and the environment;
• take responsibility and demonstrate managerial skills in environmental safety for the sake of interests of an individual or the whole society.
Study course planning
| Study programme | Study semester | Program level | Study course category | Lecturers | Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medicine, SSNMF | 5 | Master’s | Required | Darja Kaļužnaja, Diāna Inga Paegle, Žanna Martinsone, Ieva Kalve, Jeļena Reste, Maija Eglīte | |
| Medicine, MF | 5 | Master’s | Required | Žanna Martinsone, Dace Jakimova, Kristīne Andža, Jeļena Reste, Darja Kaļužnaja, Ilze Plociņa, Anna Stašulāne, Viktorija Loginova |
| Study programme | Study semester | Program level | Study course category | Lecturers | Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medicine, SSNMFz | 5 | Master’s | Required | Darja Kaļužnaja, Žanna Martinsone |
