Text Box: Environmental Sciences Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville ENSC 595 Ecological Risk Assessment Fall Semester, 2005 Thurs 6:30 - 9:30 pm (PH 2304) Course Instructors: Dr. Chris Theodorakis, SL 0329 650-5235 Office Hours: After class or by appointment Course Description: Ecological risk assessment is a process for collecting, organizing, and analyzing information to estimate the likelihood of undesired effects on nonhuman organisms, populations, or ecosystems.  The primary purpose for conducting such assessments is to provide information needed to make decisions concerning site remediation.  The course presents a conceptual approach and specific methods for assessing the ecological risks posed by contaminated sites. We will work through the individual steps for understanding, and then apply the concepts to real ecological risk assessment case studies. Course Objectives: By the end of the course, students should be able to answer the following questions (taken from the text): What exactly are we trying to protect and to what extent should it be protected? How do the data relate to the endpoint? How are the biota exposed to the pollutant? What aspects of the assessment are uncertain, how uncertain are we, and how does that uncertainty influence the risk? Are there alternate assessment approaches or models that might supplement my preferred approach, thereby potentially increasing confidence in the validity of the results? Text: J. W. Suter II, R. A. Efroymson, B. E. Sample, and D. S. Jones. 2000. Ecological Risk Assessment for Contaminated Sites. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. Some useful links can be found at: EPA Ecological Risk Guidance http://www.epa.gov/nceawww1/ecorsk.htm Case Studies: Waquoit Watershed: An Ecological Risk Assessment Case Study (Waquoit Bay is a shallow Cape Cod estuary fed, by groundwater and freshwater streams). http://www.epa.gov/ncea/waquoit.htm Mid-Snake River: An Ecological Risk Assessment Case Study (Covers the middle reach of the Snake River which runs about 100 Km from Milner Dam to King Hill). http://www.epa.gov/ncea/midsnake.htm Middle Platte River Watershed: An Ecological Risk Assessment Case Study (The Platte River flows eastward across Nebraska providing water for irrigation, electric power, recreation, fish, wildlife, and water supplies). http://www.epa.gov/ncea/midplatt.htm Clinch River Watershed: An Ecological Risk Assessment Case Study (The Clinch River above Norris Lake is one of the largest free – flowing segments of the Tennessee River Drainage basin). http://www.epa.gov/ncea/clinch.htm There will be additional handouts as needed throughout the semester. Preparation/Prerequisites: Consent of instructor(s). Organization: The class will be held once a week. There will be lectures, presentations, critiques, and discussions for


Text Box: Grading: The course grade will be weighted as follows: Critical analysis of articles 15% Critical reviews (5) Presentation & synopsis (5) Discussions (5) Case Study 15% Synopsis (10) Discussion (5) Ecological Risk Assessments 20 % Quizes/Exams 50% If you have questions regarding the grading of a particular assignment, please see us as soon as possible to discuss the matter. We reserve the right to re-grade the entire assignment. No points will be awarded or grades changed one week after an assignment has been handed back to the class. Unless arrangements are made with the instructor prior to the due date, late assignments will be marked down 10% a day beginning at the end of the class period in which it was due (e.g. 9:01pm on the date its due = ‑ 10%). Attendance: Attendance is essential for success in this class. If excessive absenteeism occurs, percentage points will be deducted from the overall grade. If you miss a class, work with your fellow students to obtain notes for the missed lectures. Only University approved absences will be accepted for missing class (however, it is strongly discouraged and frowned upon). Students with disabilities: Persons with documented disabilities should visit the Disability Support Services Office, located in Peck Hall, room 1311, at their earliest convenience to meet the director and discuss available services. The student should also, make an appointment with the instructor as soon as possible to discuss any special arrangements.


Text Box: Policy Statement: Academic Misconduct by Students Faculty members retain their traditional authority to take disciplinary action in the event of academic misconduct. Acts of academic misconduct for which students are subject to sanctions include, without limitation, plagiarism, cheating, failure or refusal to follow clinical practice standards, falsifying or manufacturing scientific or scholarly experiments or research, and soliciting, aiding, abetting, concealing, or attempting such acts. Plagiarism is defined as including, without limitation, the act of representing the work of another as one’s own. Plagiarism may consist of copying, paraphrasing, or otherwise using written or oral work of another without proper acknowledgment of the source or presenting oral or written material prepared by another as one’s own. In the event of academic misconduct, the instructor may request the Student Assessments and Standards Committee of the Environmental Studies Program to impose on a student the sanction of a failing grade on an individual assignment


Ecological Risk Assessment

 

Tentative Schedule

(subject to change)

 

 

Date

 

Lecture/Discussion

 

Reading

 

Aug 25

 

Introduction, Defining the field; Definitions and concepts

CH 1; Articles

Sept 1

Stressor-Response

(Toxicology overview)

 

 

Sept 8

 

Problem Formulation: assessment endpoint selection

CH 2;

 

Sept 15

Problem Formulation: conceptual models, and analysis plan

 

 

Sept 22

Uncertainty Analysis

CH 7

 

Sept 29

Analysis Phase: exposure and effects assessment; Discussion of uncertainty article

CH 3 & 4

 

Oct 6

Analysis Phase: effects assessment; ecoepidemiology, environmental forensics, and criteria for assessing causality

CH 5 & 6

 

Oct 13

Risk characterization; Remedial goals; discussion of causality article

CH 8

 

Oct 20

Remedial decisions; Case study: Rocky Mountain Arsenal

CH 9

Hand Out

 

Oct 27

Midterm exam (covers material up to and including Oct 6 lecture).

 

Nov 3

Post-remedial assessments; Case study: Anaconda Mine; Article discussion

Handouts

Nov 10

Aquatic Ecological Risk Assessment Procedure: Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 2; Aquatic Hazard Assessment; Case study: presentation and discussion

WERF document; Assigned case study

Nov 17

Work on Ecological Risk Assessments

Go see talks & posters on risk assessment

Nov 24

Thanksgiving

Risk of overeating

Indigestion hazard

Remedial sleeping

Dec 1

Prospective Risk Assessments, Exotic species risk assessment, Regional and Landscape-Scale Risk Assessment, Multiple stressors

Handouts

Dec 8

 

Environmental Surveillance

Special Topics: Amphibians

Risk Management

Ecological Risk Assessments Due

 

Handouts

Ecological Risk Assessment Assignment

 

 

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