GENETIC TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY

The following contents will be expanded or reduced according to the student’s skills and interests.
Part A (CHIM).
Chemico-physical properties and main descriptors in environmental chemistry. Evaluation of the pollutant distribution in air, water and soil. How chemical speciation affects the distribution of chemicals in the environment and their toxicity. Examples and model study cases (1.25 CFU).
Macro and micro-pollutants of the environment: organic compounds, metals, emerging contaminants. Radionuclides, sources of radioactive contamination. European regulatory aspects. Risk evaluation and management of the main pollutants (1.25 CFU).
Methods for determining main chemical parameters and contaminants. Examples of pollutants and case studies (0.5 CFU).
Part B (BIO).
Variety of toxic agents and possible adverse effects at different levels of biological organization. Toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics (in general). Biological targets, exposure measurements, effect and susceptibility. Dose-response with/without threshold, hormesis. Hazard, risk, harm. Safety/precautionary symbols and regulations. Criteria for the identification of toxic agents, with particular attention to genetic and reproductive toxicity (1.25 CFU).
Effects and responses induced by non-ionizing and ionizing radiations. Dose units. Adaptive response, bystander effect, radio-resistance in cancer cells and in extremophilic microbes. Effects and responses induced by chemical compounds: examples related to pesticides, metals/metalloids, animal/plant toxins (1.25 CFU).
Microbe-mediated bioremediation strategies (0.5 CFU).