Course Overview

Requiremente & Grading

Learning Objectives

ENVH 535, Fall Quarter
Inhalation Toxicology

(Respiratory effects of air pollutants)

MWF 10:30-11:20, T474A

Course instructors

Dr. Dan Luchtel, Professor, Office: F561B, Phone: 3-2036

e-mail: dluchtel@u.washington.edu

Dr. Jane Koenig, Professor, Office: F561A, Phone: 3-2026.

e-mail: jkoenig@u.washington.edu

Course Overview

A 3-credit course designed to cover a range of topics about inhalation toxicology including sources of air pollution, fate in the atmosphere, deposition and clearance in the lung and toxicology, including human respiratory health effects of common outdoor air pollutants. It is organized with modules pertaining to:

1. Structure and function of the respiratory system, both upper and lower respiratory tracts.

2. Methods of assessment of air pollution effects:

a. morphology b. biochemistry

c. pulmonary mechanics d. inflammatory markers

e. respiratory diseases f. exposure assessments

3. Characterization of atmospheric pollutants: O3, SO2, H2SO4, NO2, CO, PM.

a. sources

b. distributions

c. monitoring

 

4. Fate of inhaled gases and aerosols: Deposition, clearance and retention.

5. Health effects of oxidants (O3 and NO2), SO2, H2SO₄, CO, and PM (fine particulate matter from combustion sources and wood smoke), and natural and man-made fibers.

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Requirements of the Class and Basis for Grades

Students are expected to read the assigned materials and come to class prepared to discuss these materials in relation to the lectures and presentations.

Each student is expected to lead one or more of the Friday presentations.

Each student is expected to choose a topic related to the health effects of air pollution and write a term paper (approximately 10-15 pages).

Copies of assigned journal can be downloaded from the web, in some cases, copies will be provided.

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Learning Objectives

A student completing this course should have a good comprehension of state of the art knowledge of the health effects of air pollution. The course provides information on the sources of common air pollutants and the atmospheric chemistry directing their transformation and fate in community air as well as their deposition and uptake in the body. The course emphasizes an understanding of the respiratory and cardiorespiratory changes that are associated with particulate matter exposure. The student should know the methods used to assess health effects and the difficulties of designing realistic experiments. The student should understand the strengths and weaknesses of epidemiological and toxicological approaches for studying the effects of air pollutants and the difficulty of setting air quality standards that protect the public health.

 

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Contact the instructor at: dluchtel@u.washington.edu