Environmental Health II (AUVMK_005)
About Study Course
Objective
For the student to learn the theoretical foundations of environmental health and practical methods related to water, food and soil (waste management) pollution; the planning, construction, pollution of populated areas and basic hygiene principles of residential buildings; adverse, harmful factors of the environment of children’s growth and development, their impact on health, identification, assessment, control and preventive protection against them; as well as hygiene requirements of educational and public institutions.
Prerequisites
Prior knowledge in chemistry, biochemistry, physics, microbiology, physiology is required.
Learning outcomes
• Names and describes drinking water quality indicators, compares the test results of drinking water samples with the limit values according to the regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers.
• Names examples of cases of water pollution, describes the causative factor of pollution, sources, impact on the environment, impact on human health, describes preventive measures to reduce pollution;
• Describes the quality, epidemiological and toxic significance of food products; names examples of contamination for each of the groups of food products, describes the stages (from field to table) in which contamination can occur; describes the impact of contamination of food products on human health and possible preventive measures to reduce contamination;
• Names the functional groups of food additives, the purposes of use thereof, describes the benefits and risks of use; describes the safety evaluation procedure and labelling requirements.
• Describes the goals and problems, benefits and risks of obtaining genetically modified organisms; describes the procedure for risk assessment in the European Union and labelling requirements for products containing GMOs.
• Names novel foods and the procedure for their use in Latvia and the European Union.
• Names the types of waste, describes the processes for the management, sorting, recycling and disposal thereof;
• Describes the waste of health care institutions;
• Names the requirements for the planning, construction, development of populated areas;
• Names the requirements for the planning, development and operation of residential buildings, public, health care, educational institutions;
• Describes the environmental factors of growth and development of children and adolescents, names possible health promotion measures according to environmental risk factors.
• Using laboratory measuring devices, determines and evaluates the quality and contamination of drinking water and food products, as well as provides a conclusion on the safety of the water sample and food product;
• Analyses cases of food poisoning independently, critically and with arguments; decides on the next course of action to clarify the situation and prevent the hazard;
• Discovers and evaluates environmental risk factors that are unfavourable to the health, growth and development of children and adolescents, preparing a plan of preventive measures to prevent or reduce risks;
• Based on guidelines/recommendations in Latvia, the European Union and the world, assesses the safety and compliance of environmental items (textbooks, toys, etc.) for children and adolescents, makes decisions on the safety and compliance of these items, and makes recommendations for remedying and improving the situation;
• Based on the requirements of legislation and recommendations, surveys and evaluates various environmental objects (residential buildings, health care, educational institutions, public institutions, potentially polluting environmental objects – a sewage treatment plant, landfill), their hygienic requirements and determines the risk factors present, as well as provides a conclusion on the situation and develops proposals for improving the situation.
• Sees the relationship between human health and environmental conditions;
• Uses knowledge of the basics of argumentation, logic and rhetoric to analyse practical situations;
• Develops recommendations, measures for the prevention or reduction of harmful risk factors of the environment (water, food, soil, populated areas, residential, health care, educational institutions and public buildings), ensuring optimal interaction between the human body and the environment;
• Takes responsibility and demonstrates leadership skills in cases where the interests of environmental safety, individuals or the society as a whole require it.
