Duration
20h Th, 18h Pr
Number of credits
| Master in biology of organisms and ecology (120 ECTS) | 4 crédits |
Lecturer
Coordinator
Language(s) of instruction
English language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the first semester, review in January
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
Course description
This course is a detailed introduction to ecotoxicology mainly focused on toxic pollutants Theoretical courses cover the following chapters
- Main classes of pollutants (nature, sources, remarkable properties, context of use, ...)
- The case of emerging pollutants
- The case of endocrine disruptors
- Fate of pollutants in the environment, including the biosphere
- Effects of pollutants (at the biomolecular, individual, population and community levels)
- Biomonitoring, ecotoxicological tests and biomarkers
- Management / regulation of toxic pollutants in the European Union.
Acute toxicity tests, which are essential for assessing toxicity and the management toxic pollutants, will be conducted by students in the laboratory.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
The objective of this course is to offer students a comprehensive and detailed view of the problems related to the presence of toxic pollutants in the environment.
Specific objectives are acquiring detailled knowledge on:
- properties, sources and the fate of the major classes of toxic pollutants in the environment
- the effects and mechanisms of action of these toxic pollutants on organisms / biocenoses
- the tools for the ecotoxicological management of these toxic pollutants, in general and in the specific context of the EU and RW.
- Initiation to the practical realization of ecotoxicological tests
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
In addition to the knowledge of the fundamental concepts of the ecology and the functioning of the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems (seen in blocks 2 and 3 of the bachelor's degree in biology), the students must have solid notions of chemistry, biochemistry, molecular and cellular biology which are all essential to the understanding of the mechanisms of action of pollutants and ecotoxicological tests.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
The concepts discussed in the theoretical course will be further elaborated by practical laboratory work or tutorials on the measurement of the toxicity of toxic pollutants on model species of freshwater invertebrates and following standardized test protocols (AFNOR, OECD, EU).
A seminar on the use of monitoring and evaluation tools for the ecotoxicological quality of water in the Walloon Region will be given by an ISSeP expert in ecotoxicology.
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
The majority of theoretical courses are lectures with power point support. The concepts discussed in the theoretical course will be deepened by practical laboratory work or tutorials.
Recommended or required readings
The slideshows will be available in pdf format (online access and e-campus platform).In addition, the basis of the course content can be found in the following books (available in libraries and / or labs):
- Principles of Ecotoxicology, Walker et al.
- Mechanistic toxicology, Boelsterli,
- Précis d'Ecotoxicologie, Ramade.
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
written exam ( multiple-choice questionnaire, open-ended questions )
Additional information:
The course will be evaluated on the basis of a written (closed book) exam; according to the sanitary situation, the exam will be organized on site or via the e-campus platform.
Work placement(s)
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
Contacts
Laboratoire d'écologie animale et d'écotoxicologie, Institut de Chimie, Bât. B6c,
Dr Célia Joaquim-Justo : Tél. 04/366.51.40 ; E-mail : celia.Joaquim-Justo@uliege.ac.be
Dr Yves Marneffe; E-mail: y.marneffe@issep.be
Dr Stéphane Roberty; Tél. 04/366.38.43; E-mail: sroberty@uliege.ac.be