.
Environmental Medicine
Study Course Description
Course Description Statuss:Approved
Course Description Version:7.00
Study Course Accepted:22.04.2024 16:22:46
| Study Course Information | |||||||||
| Course Code: | AUVMK_014 | LQF level: | Level 7 | ||||||
| Credit Points: | 2.00 | ECTS: | 3.00 | ||||||
| Branch of Science: | Clinical Medicine; Public Health | Target Audience: | Medicine | ||||||
| Study Course Supervisor | |||||||||
| Course Supervisor: | Jeļena Reste | ||||||||
| Study Course Implementer | |||||||||
| Structural Unit: | Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine | ||||||||
| The Head of Structural Unit: | |||||||||
| Contacts: | Riga, 16 Dzirciema Street, avmk rsu[pnkts]lv, +371 67060816 | ||||||||
| Study Course Planning | |||||||||
| Full-Time - Semester No.1 | |||||||||
| Lectures (count) | 0 | Lecture Length (academic hours) | 0 | Total Contact Hours of Lectures | 0 | ||||
| Classes (count) | 11 | Class Length (academic hours) | 3 | Total Contact Hours of Classes | 33 | ||||
| Total Contact Hours | 33 | ||||||||
| Study course description | |||||||||
| Preliminary Knowledge: | Basic knowledge in chemistry, biochemistry, physics, microbiology, propedeutics, and physiology. | ||||||||
| Objective: | To acquire knowledge about the importance of various environmental factors (air, water, nutrition, soil, habitats), adverse environmental factors, environmental pollution, their impact on health, identification, measurement, evaluation, prevention and control of harmful environmental factors. | ||||||||
| Topic Layout (Full-Time) | |||||||||
| No. | Topic | Type of Implementation | Number | Venue | |||||
| 1 | The introduction to Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Environmental health and medicine, role, tasks, assessment methods. Environmental pollution exposure routes and effect on human health. Microclimate in health care institutions and workplaces. Measuring and evaluation of temperature, humidity and atmosphere pressure of air. | Classes | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 2 | Air pollutants. Indoor air quality. Air motion detection methods and evaluation. Carbon dioxide as indicator of the indoor air pollution. Indoor air exchange effectiveness. Typical air pollutants at workplaces, principles of airway protection measures. | Classes | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 3 | Meaning of natural and artificial lighting. Determination and evaluation of natural and artificial lighting indicators. Natural and artificial lighting in health care institutions and workplaces. Physical environmental pollutants and work hazards. | Classes | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 4 | Workshop – Air as environmental factor. Effects of air pollution on human health. Reports on current air pollution problems. | Classes | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 5 | Drinking water obtaining methods. Drinking water mandatory safety and quality requirements. Drinking water quality assessment. Getting non-infectious water in extreme situations. | Classes | 1.00 | laboratory | |||||
| 6 | Workshop – Water as environmental factor. Effects of water pollution on human health. Reports on current water pollution problems. | Classes | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 7 | Nutrition sufficiency, balance, diversity, pollution, and safety. Food safety and quality assurance. Food quality determination of vegetables and fruits. | Classes | 1.00 | laboratory | |||||
| 8 | Food culinary treatment and preservation methods. Food poisoning. Eating establishment regulations and sanitary control. Food quality determination of grain-crops products and milk products. | Classes | 1.00 | laboratory | |||||
| 9 | Workshop – Food as environmental factor. Effects of food pollution on human health. Reports on current food pollution problems. | Classes | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 10 | Work environment, hazards, risks and prevention principles. Risk assessment methods. Individual protective equipment. | Classes | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 11 | Principles of ergonomics in everyday life and workplace. | Classes | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| Assessment | |||||||||
| Unaided Work: | Acquisition of extended knowledge, skills and competence from the training materials in e-study environment, from presentations, discussions on the students’ reports and research. Development of reports on pollution of air, drinking water, river beds and food contamination. The analysis of situation tasks. In order to evaluate the quality of the study course as a whole, the student must fill out the study course evaluation questionnaire on the Student Portal. | ||||||||
| Assessment Criteria: | In the assessment of student’s knowledge the total individual contribution and quality of work during the whole course is taken into account: • participation and activity in practical classes and seminars, successful implementation of teacher’s tasks (20%); • quality of completion of practical work protocols (20%); • topicality of the independent work and quality of presentations (30%); • regular tests on issues of environmental medicine during the course and at the end of the course (30%). Method of testing: cumulative exam | ||||||||
| Final Examination (Full-Time): | Exam | ||||||||
| Final Examination (Part-Time): | |||||||||
| Learning Outcomes | |||||||||
| Knowledge: | Students will have obtained basic knowledge of environmental health and they will be able to describe: • the role of environmental health, its principles, trends, objectives and practical application; • methods of measuring pollution and contamination and preventive measures to reduce pollution; • requirements for planning, improvement, and exploitation of housing, public buildings, educational and healthcare institutions; • nutrition, food quality, its epidemiological and toxicological significance; • genetically modified food, food additives, food poisoning and their impact on health; • work environment main hazards, their measurement and assessment principles, prevention methods. | ||||||||
| Skills: | Students will be able to: • independently critically analyze, apply ecological arguments to justify their point of view and to assess environmental health as a preventive branch of environmental science and medicine in preserving and strengthening of human health; • inspect and evaluate various surroundings and objects (dwellings, health and social care institutions, educational institutions, catering establishments), assess measurable parameters (microclimate, lighting, air, water, soil pollution) and discover risk factors; • identify and assess the quality of food and pollution; • analyze food poisoning cases; • identify environmental health hazards for the health, growth and development of children and teenagers; • solve practical problems concerning pollution of different components of the environment. | ||||||||
| Competencies: | Students will be able to: • recognize the connection between health condition and environmental factors; • apply the reasoning logic and rhetoric skills in order to analyze practical situations; • develop recommendations and measures for prevention or reduction of hazardous factors to ensure optimal interaction between the human body and the environment; • take responsibility and demonstrate managerial skills in environmental safety for the sake of interests of an individual or the whole society. | ||||||||
| Bibliography | |||||||||
| No. | Reference | ||||||||
| Required Reading | |||||||||
| 1 | Eglīte M. 2008. Vides veselība. Rīga: RSU. (latviešu plūsmas studijām; latviešu valodā pieejamā grāmata ar visu nepieciešamo informāciju studiju kursam) | ||||||||
| 2 | Dundurs, J. 2015. Environmental & Occupational Medicine. Rīga: RSU. (pieejams pdf fails kursa e-studiju mājaslapā) | ||||||||
| 3 | LaDou, J., Harrison, R. J. 2021. CURRENT Diagnosis & Treatment: Occupational & Environmental Medicine, 6th ed. McGraw Hill. Access Medicine. Iegūts no: via Access Medicine | ||||||||
| 4 | Ārvalstu studentiem/For international students: | ||||||||
| 5 | Dundurs, J. 2015. Environmental & Occupational Medicine. Rīga: RSU. (pieejams pdf fails kursa e-studiju mājaslapā) | ||||||||
| 6 | LaDou, J., Harrison, R. J. 2021. CURRENT Diagnosis & Treatment: Occupational & Environmental Medicine, 6th ed. McGraw Hill. Access Medicine. Iegūts no: via Access Medicine | ||||||||
| Additional Reading | |||||||||
| 1 | Ahluwalia, V. K. 2014. Environmental Pollution and Health. Energy and Resources Institute. Iegūts no: via ProQuest Ebook Central | ||||||||
| 2 | Ayres, J. G., Harrison, R.M. et al., eds. 2010. Environmental Medicine. London: Hodder Education. iegūts no: via ProQuest Ebook Central | ||||||||
| 3 | Frumkin, H. 2016. Environmental Health. From Global to Local. 3rd ed. Jossey-Bass A Wiley Brand | ||||||||
| Other Information Sources | |||||||||
| 1 | Pruss-Ustun, A., Bos, R., et al. 2008. Safer Water, Better Health: Costs, Benefits and Sustainability of Interventions to Protect and Promote Health. Geneva: World Health Organization. | ||||||||
| 2 | Vides zinātne. LU akadēmiskais apgāds, 2008 | ||||||||
| 3 | Ārvalstu studentiem/For international students: | ||||||||
| 4 | Pruss-Ustun, A., Bos, R., et al. 2008. Safer Water, Better Health: Costs, Benefits and Sustainability of Interventions to Protect and Promote Health. Geneva: World Health Organization. | ||||||||
