Environmental biological moniteering laboratory |
Code
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118384 |
Language
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ITA |
Type of certificate
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Profit certificate
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Module: Environmental biological moniteering laboratory (module I)
(objectives)
Educational objectives The objectives of the course are the transmission of the basic notions of ecotoxicology useful for correctly framing the issues related to environmental and human health. The course introduces environmental issues related to the presence of xenobiotic chemicals and focuses attention on cellular toxicity mechanisms. The processes that lead to persistence / degradation, bioconcentration, bioaccumulation, biomagnification, the use of cell biomarkers and the use of cell cultures in vitro as a useful tool in the study of toxicity at various levels constitute the central topics of the course. The lessons in the laboratory aim to learn the main techniques for in vitro cultivation of mammalian and / or fish cell lines and the procedures necessary to perform cytotoxicity tests Expected learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding At the end of the training activity the student will acquire knowledge on what the chemical / physical characteristics of the contaminants and the biotic and abiotic processes capable of influencing their environmental path and toxicity, will be able to describe the general principles for assessing the direct and indirect effects of different environmental contaminants on the various levels of biological organization, research, evaluation, elaboration of the relevant ecotoxicological information. He will be able to understand, organize and present data relating to an ecotoxicological study.
Knowledge and understanding applied At the end of the training activity, the student must demonstrate that he is able to experimentally manipulate in vitro cells to be used for ecotoxicological tests.
Judgment autonomy During the exercises and the bibliographic study work, the student will acquire critical judgment autonomy on the basis of the knowledge learned for the assessment of environmental risk and possible remedies.
Communication skills The student will acquire an appropriate technical language during the study of articles provided in class. The methods learned during the laboratory lessons include a short practical test. Communication and exhibition skills will be verified during the exam.
Ability to learn The student must demonstrate that he/she is able to use the methods learned to investigate different ecotoxicological problems. The student must be able to critically report an ecotoxicological research through a short discussion
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Language
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ITA |
Type of certificate
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Profit certificate
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Credits
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6
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Scientific Disciplinary Sector Code
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BIO/06
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Contact Hours
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40
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Exercise Hours
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8
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Type of Activity
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Core compulsory activities
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Teacher
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WILLEMS Daniela
(syllabus)
The environmental fate of a pollutant in the different environmental compartments. Air, water, soil. Importance of ecotoxicology and cellular toxicology. Review of the structure and function of the cell and organization of pluricellular organisms (cells, tissues, organs, organisms). Cellular and molecular toxicity. The environment as an agent capable of modifying the phenotype and influencing the molecular aspects of development. Regulation of transcription and environmental interference. Transmission of epigenetic memory between generations, transmission of damage from xenobiotics. The importance of development for health and disease. Developmental toxicology. Biotransformation of xenobiotics. Bioindicators, and biomarkers, the search for the primary target of pollutants: the main biomarkers. Organ toxicity. Chemical carcinogenesis. Mechanisms of action of chemical carcinogens. Relationship between the individual's response and ecological effects. The study of the effects, exposure, absorption, distribution and excretion. Toxicity tests. Use of bacteria, algae, crustaceans, fish and mammals, evaluation tests (acute and chronic) and "endpoints" (LC50, EC50, IC50, NOEC, LOEL) Bioconcentration, Bioaccumulation, Biomagnification. The REACH program and Directive 91/414 / EEC for chemicals. Main classes of synthetic organic pollutants and evidence of their environmental effects. Toxic effects of metals The main physico-chemical properties of a pollutant and environmental persistence, degradative pathways found in nature. Persistent contaminants and global contamination. Notes on the forecast models for the assessment of the environmental fate of organic pollutants. The QSAR (Quantitative Structure Activity Relationship) models. Mixtures of toxic substances in the environment: an approach to the problem. Evaluation of the effects: toxicological tests at different levels of organization and complexity (laboratory, mesocosms etc). Bioremediation In vitro cell cultures applied to the ecotoxicological study. Main cell culture techniques
(reference books)
Ecotossicologia (M.Vighi –E.Bacci) Utet ed. (out of sale ) Ecotossicologia quantitativa applicata – (Baudo R.- Perin G.) Aracne editrice Fundamental of Ecotoxicology: The Science of Pollution. M.C. Newman Ed.CRC Press (Fifth edition 2019) Introduzione alle colture cellulari metodiche relative (Mariottini, Capicchioni,Guida, Mattioli, Penco, romano, Scarabelli) Morgan edizioni tecniche Eco –Devo. Ambiente e Biologia dello Sviluppo- Gilbert S.F., Epel D.- ed. Piccin
During the lessons will be given links to recent journal articles or books on different related topics
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Dates of beginning and end of teaching activities
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From to |
Delivery mode
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Traditional
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Attendance
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not mandatory
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Evaluation methods
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Oral exam
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Module: Environmental biological moniteering laboratory (module II)
(objectives)
The course aims to develop skills in the design and execution of biological monitoring according to the principles and methods contained in current European and Italian legislation. Knowledge and understanding The knowledge acquired will concern the general principles on which biological monitoring activities are based, the methodological processes for the implementation of monitoring campaigns and the determination of biological indices of environmental quality. Knowledge and understanding applied The application of knowledge will be focused on the methodological study concerning the indices currently in use to evaluate the ecological status of the water courses. Making judgments The ability to formulate independent evaluations can be exercised in the interpretation of the results, coordinating the heterogeneous data to arrive at reasoned judgments. Communication skills These skills will be developed through the exercise of one's own expression (interventions during the lessons) and in the coordination of group activities. Ability to learn The methodological study can allow the extension of the concepts and practices to the monitoring application to other environmental matrices.
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Language
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ITA |
Type of certificate
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Profit certificate
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Credits
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6
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Scientific Disciplinary Sector Code
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BIO/05
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Contact Hours
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24
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Exercise Hours
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24
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Type of Activity
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Core compulsory activities
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Teacher
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BELLATI Adriana
(syllabus)
Changes in environmental quality, pollution and environmental monitoring (quality of soil, water bodies, air); General characteristics of inland waters: lentic and lotic environments (structure of lakes and self-purifying capacity, metabolic efficiency, river continuum concept, ecological and hydroclimatic factors of rivers); Biological monitoring of surface water bodies; The use of biological indicators for assessing the quality of running waters; The biological indices (of diversity, the saprobic system and the biotic indexes -BMWP, IBE, ASPT); The European Water Framework Directive (2000/60 / EC): typing, different types of monitoring, reference conditions; The elements of biological quality (EQB): Macroinvertebrates, Macrophytes, Diatoms and Pisces; The Macroper index; Sampling techniques, including complex environmental matrices, collection tools and biological conservation; The determination of the ecological status of a superficial watercourse through Macroinvertebrates and the elements of chemical-physical and hydromorphological quality in support. The most recent methodologies for the isolation and the analysis of diagnostic DNA markers for environmental monitoring.
(reference books)
Water Framework Directive (2000/60/CE) IRSA manuals ISPRA manuals Atlases and identification cards The texts will be provided by the teacher, who will indicate the links for the retrieval
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Dates of beginning and end of teaching activities
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From to |
Delivery mode
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Traditional
At a distance
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Attendance
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not mandatory
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Evaluation methods
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Oral exam
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Teacher
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CARERE Claudio
(syllabus)
Birds as monitors of environmental change; inter-specific and intra-specific behavioral diversity in birds; active and passive methods of counts and individual tracking. Behavioural ecology of birdsong. The use of birdsong for the monitoring of bird communities. Transects and point counts from listening spots.
(reference books)
Furness RW, Greenwood JJD 1993 Birds as Monitors of Environmental Change. Springer Pearce-Higgins J, Green RE 2014 Birds and climate change. Impacts and conservation responses. Cambridge University Press Sorace A, Gustin M, Calvario E, Ianniello L, Sarrocco S, Carere C 2000 Assessing bird communities by point counts: repeated sessions and their duration. Acta orn 35, 197-202
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Dates of beginning and end of teaching activities
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From to |
Delivery mode
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Traditional
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Attendance
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not mandatory
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Evaluation methods
|
Oral exam
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|
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