Biology: Ecotoxicology

This course aims to provide understanding and practical knowledge of the fate, uptake and effects of anthropogenic pollutants in the environment. We study and apply ecotoxicological theories, models, and both standard and novel test methods and approaches. You will learn how to: predict fate of pollutants in the environment using fugacity-based multimedia partitioning models; predict uptake and accumulation using models of bioconcentration and biomagnification, and predict and test effects on different levels of biological organisation: cellular, organism, population and ecosystem using ecotoxicological test methods with different endpoints. The knowledge and skills acquired during this course will be fundamental if you want to work with environmental issues regarding pollutants.

Learning activities are in the form of lectures, laboratory and modelling excercises, and seminars. The lectures combined with course literature are aimed to introduce, discuss and comprehend the main ecotoxicological theories and concepts, and are combined with seminars to address particular issues throughout the progress of the course.

You will learn and apply multimedia partitioning models based on the fugacity concept, an approach developed to predict the fate of chemicals in the environment. You will be introduced to the topic in a series of lectures and use applied software in modelling laboratory excercises. You will perform two research projects during the course. A one-week laboration practicing ecotoxicological test methods using simpler, short-term, standardized test methods, and a longer three-week laboration testing effects on populations, communities and ecosystems. The latter is designed and planned by you using tools and concepts acquired from scientific methodology earlier during the course. The projects are presented orally and in writing after completion. The aim is to learn and practice hypothesis testing, experimental design and scientific communication and presentation technique, plus to perform and interpret ecotoxicological test methods and approaches using different endpoints and degrees of complexity.

Prerequisites

90 ECTS credits Science studies including a course corresponding to BIOC02 Ecology 15 ECTS credits and Chemistry 15 ECTS credits. English 6/English Course B.

Selection criteria

Seats are allocated according to: ECTS (HPAV): 100 %.

Tuition fees for non-EU/EEA citizens

Citizens of countries outside:

• The European Union (EU)
• The European Economic Area (EEA) and
• Switzerland

are required to pay tuition fees. You pay an instalment of the tuition fee in advance of each
semester.

Tuition fees, payments and exemptions

Full programme/course tuition fee: SEK 46,250
First payment: SEK 46,250

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Note that you may also need to pay an application fee, or provide proof of exemption.

Application fee

No tuition fees for citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland

There are no tuition fees for citizens of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland.