ENVR 230 (Formerly ENVR 080) :  Environmental Health Issues       Instructor:  Dr. L.M. Ball

          Call No.  94592        Section 001              Tuesday-Thursday, 9:30-10:45 AM            Room 2302 McGavran-Greenberg

Description:  This course examines key events that have shaped our understanding of the impacts of environmental agents on human health, and uses them to introduce basic concepts in environmental health.


Textbook:  None.  Readings will be assigned from websites and scientific literature.

5 Grading Opportunities, all equally weighed:
                                   3 In-class Tests
                                   1 Presentation
                                   1 Final Examination
TOPICS FOR DEBATE
Syllabus:

Date
Topic
Reference Material
Tues
Aug 21
 Introduction: contemporary health issues  
 Thurs Aug 23  Seminar in Hooker Room 0001 Special seminar by faculty candidate Dr. Erin Lipp:
Ecological interactions and impacts of human pathogens in marine environments
 Tues Aug 28  The major players in environmental health  www.neha.org ;  www.niehs.nih.gov
www.epa.gov ; www.fda.gov;  www.cpsg.gov; www.who.org: 
 Thurs Aug 30
 Local issues
http://www.co.durham.nc.us/departments/phth/Environmental_Health.html
http://www.ncpublichealth.com
http://www.dhhs.state.nc.us
http://www.deh.enr.state.nc.us
 Tues Sep 04 The beginnings of public health:
John Graunt,

Edwin Chadwick,
John Snow.
US Mortality 2002
John Graunt - the first biostatistician
http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~stephan/Graunt/graunt.html
Edwin Chadwick - sanitary reformer
http://www.victorianweb.org/history/chadwick2.html
John Snow - Epidemiologist ?  Sanitarian ?
http://www.ph.ucla.edu/epi/snow.html ;
http://www.ph.ucla.edu/epi/snow/broadstreetpump.html
 Thurs Sep 06  
The plagues of today
http://www.state.nj.us/health/chs/19002000.pdf
Typhoid Fever: http://history1900s.about.com/od/1900s/a/typhoidmary.htm
http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/communicable_diseases/en/typh.htm
Cholera:  Sack et al., 2004 ;  Lipp et al., 2002
Plague:  http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5534a4.htm
 Tues Sep 11  Our Chemical Content
http://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/
 Thurs Sep 13  Lead and other metals Needleman, 2000
http://www.nimd.go.jp/english/
 Tues Sep 18
 In-class test  Test from 2006
 Thurs Sep 20  Air pollution www.epa.gov ;  http://www.docheritage.state.pa.us/documents/donora.asp
www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/Rachel_Carson/donora.htm ;
Scientific Literature: Hexter and Goldsmith, 1971 ; Lave and Seskin, 1970 ; Goldsmith and Breslow, 1959 ; Amdur, et al., 1952
 Tues Sep 25
 Thurs Sep 27
 Tues Oct 02 Occupational diseases Alice Hamilton:
www.chicagotribute.org/Markers/HullHouse.htm
http://www.chemheritage.org/classroom/chemach/environment/hamilton.html
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/changingthefaceofmedicine/physicians/biography_137.html
http://acswebcontent.acs.org/landmarks/landmarks/hamilton/ham2.html

Occupational protection:
www.dol.gov
www.osha.gov
www.cdc.gov/niosh/
Akpinar-Elsi et al., 2005
 Thurs Oct 04
Tues Oct 09
Industrial accidents: Seveso, Times Beach, Bhopal, Chernobyl

Fire at EQ, Apex
Times Beach

http://www.unu.edu/unupress/unupbooks/uu21le/uu21le09.htm ; http://www.bhopal.com/; http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/bhopal/default.stm ; http://www.ibiblio.org/expo/soviet.exhibit/chernobyl.html ; http://www.kiddofspeed.com/default.htm

 Thurs Oct 11
 Tues Oct 16 Water
www.epa.gov
http://www.epa.gov/ebtpages/water.html
http://www.epa.gov/region5/water/cwa.htm
http://www.epa.gov/beaches/
http://www.owasa.org/
http://www.cleanwaterfund.org/
 Thurs Oct 18  Fall break  
 Tues Oct 23  Food additives, Food Processing http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/list.html
Powerpoint ; http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/supplmnt.html
 Thurs Oct 25  In-class Test
Covering  Sept 11 to Oct 11
2006 Test

 Tues Oct 30  Pesticides
Should we be worried about pesticide residues in food ?
    Yes:   Parker Stevens  Powerpoint
    Against: Kevin Plotnick  Powerpoint
 Thurs Nov 01  Global Warming
Does Global Warming mean the end of life as we know it ?
    For:  -
    Against:  Shelly Tessitore  Powerpoint
 Tues Nov 06 Drinking Water Should we be worried about the quality of our drinking water ?
    Yes:  Lily Clark   Powerpoint
    No:  Emma Susick Powerpoint
 Thurs Nov 08 Global Pollution
Outsourcing - are we exporting our pollution along with our jobs ?
     Yes:  Alice Wang  Powerpoint
    No:  Angela Wang  Powerpoint
 Tues Nov 13 Food Safety
Is the current oversight of food safety adequate to ensure that our food is OK to eat ?
    Yes:  Allison Weis Powerpoint
    No:  David Scovill
Powerpoint
Thurs Nov 15 Environment and Asthma
Is there an environmental cause for the increase in asthma cases in children ?
    Yes: and No:: Anne Stephano  Powerpoint
 Tues Nov 20 Pandemic Disease
Should we be worried about a flu pandemic ?
    Yes: Charu Sood
    Against: Scott Espenschied  Powerpoint
 Thurs Nov 22 Thanksgiving break  
 Tues Nov 27 In-class test

Covering Oct 16 to Nov 20
2006 Test

 Thurs Nov 29 Love Canal
and Superfund
http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/projects/lovecanal/ ; http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/lcanal/lctimbmb.htm ; http://www.epa.gov/history/topics/lovecanal/ ; http://www.cnn.com/US/9808/07/love.canal/
http://www.epa.gov/superfund/; http://www.nj.gov/dep/srp/superfund/ ; http://www.scorecard.org/env-releases/land/
 Tues Dec 04 PCBs and Environmental Justice http://www.wastenotnc.org/WarrenCo_Fact_Sheet.htm ; http://www.ejrc.cau.edu/warren%20county%20rdb.htm
 Tues Dec 11  8:00 AM  Final examination  2006 Final