Fate, bioavailability and effects of contaminants

Abstract

This course will take up the principles of environmental chemistry and ecotoxicology from the bachelor courses and deepen the understanding on selected topics. The concept of bioavailability will be the link between environmental fate and effect. Mechanistic understanding of the fate of contaminants in the environment and in organisms will be a common denominator.

Objective

- Understanding the key processes involved in the bioavailability of (mainly) organic contaminants - Get insight how physicochemical properties influence the fate and behaviour of contaminants - Overview on and understanding of mechanisms of toxicity

Content

Unit 1: Introduction: What counts are effects! Can a chemical reach the environment? If yes, will it get into the organism? Concepts of bioavailability, bioaccessibility Unit 2: Free concentrations and bioavailability. Speciation of organic pollutants and metals. Experimental methods for determination of bioavailable concentrations Unit 3-4: Fate of contaminants in the environment. Partitioning processes in environmental compartments, Kinetic aspects of fate processes. Sorption to soils and sediments Unit 5-6: Fate of contaminants in biological organisms: Uptake and toxicokinetic processes. Bioaccumulation, biomagnification and bioconcentration, kinetic aspects Internal concentration, speciation and partitioning inside a cell. Metabolism and biotransformation of contaminants Unit 6-7: Effects of contaminants in biological organisms: Modes of action: o Classification (baseline, receptor-mediated and reactive mechanisms) o general principles (dose-response, mixture concepts) Effects on the cellular level o effects on energy transduction (oxidative phosphorylation) o effects on photosynthesis o effects on signal transduction (AChE, Ion Channels) Unit 8-10: Effects on the organism level: Effects on organism level o complex mechanisms and feedback loops: o Developmental toxicology o endocrine systems, reproduction o carcinogenesis Effects on the gene level: genetic response, genomics, defense mechanisms Unit 11-14: Integrative measures of bioavailability and effect - Bioanalytical tools: From antibody based systems, receptor binding studies to gene reporter systems - In-vitro tests: Cellular and subcellular systems, cell lines. - practical applications

Resources