Ecotoxicology and statisticsLaajuus (5 cr)

Objective

The course is an introduction to the field of ecotoxicology: the study of the fate and effects of contaminants in ecosystems. The course covers the fate of chemicals in the environment, sorption and degradation of chemicals, bioavailability and biomagnification of chemicals and dose-response relationships. It is further considered, how environmental factors affect exposure and toxicity, and how the effects on individuals affect populations and communities. The statistical part deals with research problems with proper methods and you are able to produce, present and critically analyze statistical data. You also learn to perfprm basic statistical tests with computer programs.

Content

What happens to chemicals in the environment?
How can bioavailability be estimated?
What kind of effects do chemicals cause?
What kind of environmental factors affect the environmental fate of chemicals?
How to use statistical tests in your work?
How can basic statistical tests be done by computer programs?

Evaluation

Students can:
use professional vocabulary and concepts in an expert way in different situations.
evaluate information sources critically.
work as team members in working life expert duties and identify and describe the problems of the professional field.
choose appropriate models, methods, software and techniques according to the purpose and justify these choices.
apply critically the ethical principles of the professional field in different situations.