Veterinary Toxicology

Code:

MV416

Acronym:

TV

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Basic Sciences

Instance: 2011/2012 - 1S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Population Studies
Course/CS Responsible:	Integrated Masters Degree in Veterinary Medicine

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MIMV	62	Plan 2007 to 2017	4	-	4,5	64	121,5

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

OBJECTIVES REGARDING KNOWLEDGE:
1. To get knowledge on fundamental concepts of toxicology and ecotoxicology and the capability of applying them to routine situations (e.g. intoxications of domestic and wild animals, assessment of the toxicity of veterinary medicines, ecological risk assessment, etc.).
2. To get knowledge and training on classical and novel approaches, methods and techniques to address problems that students will have to face in their future professional activity.

OBJECTIVES REGARDING COMPETENCES:
(3) To stimulate and develop the aptitude of students for scientific research and to get scientific knowledge to solve toxicological and ecotoxicological situations.
(4) To develop the ability of students to integrate and use the knowledge and training obtained in the scope of previous courses when addressing toxicological and ecotoxicological questions and situations.

GENERAL ATITUDES:

5. To stimulate and develop the critical capability of students regarding toxicological and ecotoxicological matters.
6. To stimulate and develop the capability of working in a team, in na integrated way and in a multidisciplinary perspective.
7. To develop the capability of communicate orally and in different written formats toxicological and ecotoxicological results, including clinical cases, risk assessment results and management actions to different types of audience.
8. To promote the acquisition of responsible and ethical correct attitudes in the scope of Veterinary Toxicology as well as in more wide contexts.

Program

I. FUNDAMENTAL TOXIOLOGY.
1. Origins and scope of Veterinary Toxicology. Toxicology and Ecotoxicology: objectives and scopes. Possible professional fields in both areas.
2. Basic principles and fundamental concepts.
3. Fate of xenobiotics in the organism. Toxicological process.
4. Mixtures and toxicological interactions.
5. Dose(concentration) relationship. Toxicological parameters.
6. Toxiological toxicity tests.
7. Alternative methods to the use of animals in toxicology.

II. CLINICAL TOXICOLOGY
8. Circumstances of domestic and wild animal intoxications and poisonings.
9. Main chemical agents responsible for animal intoxications: mechanisms of toxicity and detoxication; differences among species.
10. Diagnose and treatment of animal intoxications.

III. ECOTOXICOLOGY.
11. Importance of Ecotoxicology in Veterinary Medicine and at global level.
12. Fate of xenobiotics and natural substances in the environment. Bioaccumulation and biomagnification of chemicals.
13. Effects of pollution on wildlife and ecosystems
14. Primary and secondary poisoning.
15. Assessment of ecotoxicological effects: laboratorial standardised bioassays and other lab bioassays; micro, meso and macrocosmos; in situ bioassays and other field experiments.
15. Chemical, biological and ecotoxicological monitoring of pollution.
16. Ecological Assessment and management, National and European regulation regarding chemicals, including REACH.

Mandatory literature

Walker C. H. 070; Principles of ecotoxicology. ISBN: 0-8493-3635-X
Rachel Carson; Silent Spring, 1962
Humphreys D. J.; Toxicologia veterinária. ISBN: 84-7615-469-0
Klaassen Curtis D. ed.; Casarett and Doull.s toxicology. ISBN: 0-07-105476-6
Ballantyne Bryan ed.; General & applied toxicology. ISBN: 1-56159-107-6
Rand, G.M. (ed.) ; Fundamentals of Aquatic Toxicology., Taylor & Francis, London
OECD ; OECD guidelines for the testing of chemicals. , Organisation for Economic Co-operation and development, Paris. (www.oecd.org), 1996
Guilhermino, L.; Origens e evolução da Toxicologia e da Ecotoxicologia, ICBAS, 2001
Colborn, T.; Dumanoski; Myers, J.P; Our Stolen Future. Are we threatening our Fertility, Intelligence and Survival? - a Scientific Detective Story. , Dutto, New York.New York. , 1996
Timbrell John; Introduction to toxicology. ISBN: 0-415-24762-4
Timbrell John; Principles of biochemical toxicology. ISBN: 0-748-40736-7
Beasley, V. (Ed.). ; Veterinary Toxicology, International Veterinary Information Service, Ithaca NY. (www.ivis.org), 1999.
Gfeller Roger W.; Handbook of small animal toxicology and poisonings. ISBN: 0-8151-6454-8

Teaching methods and learning activities

- Interactive lectures and case studies discussions stimulating the active participation of students to develop their critical opinion while getting knowledge.

- Group working: autonomous searching for information to address and solve simulations of real scenarios, take difficult decisions and communicate them to different types of audience, thus developing several skills of the students, including their autonomy.

- Laboratorial work: perform ecotoxicological assays and calculate ecotoxicological parameters.

- Computational and other simulations to develop the capability of diagnosing and decision making in toxicological and ecotoxicological situations, as well as developing their capability of sustaining opinions and decisions, and of dialogue with different audiences.

Software

spss
microsoft office
explorador da internet

keywords

Natural sciences > Environmental science > Ecology > Animal ecology
Natural sciences > Environmental science > Ecology > Ecotoxicology
Natural sciences > Environmental science > Ecology > Environmental risks
Health sciences > Medical sciences > Veterinary medicine > Animal toxicology

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Description	Type	Time (hours)	Weight (%)	End date
Attendance (estimated)	Participação presencial	60,00
Autonomous working group by students	Trabalho escrito	20,00		2011-01-08
Autonomous working group by students	Trabalho escrito	20,00		2011-01-08
study	Exame	15,00		2011-02-18
laboratorial work	Trabalho laboratorial	4,00		2010-12-16
laboratorial work	Trabalho laboratorial	4,00		2010-12-16
	Total:	-	0,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Description	Type	Time (hours)	End date
Individual work to support learning and trainning activities	Estudo autónomo	30	2011-01-08
	Total:	30,00

Eligibility for exams

- delivery of a power point presentation and of a poster in the last week of the semester and present them for all the other students (in a topic selected by the goup)

- a minimum of 1.0 in continuous evaluation (participation in the course activities along the semester)

-

Calculation formula of final grade

The final mark is the sum of the partial records obtained in the following items (to a total of 20 points):

- Final exam: up to 15.0 with a compulsory minimum of 7.5 points.
- Seminary component (autonomous group work with platform and poster presentation at the end of the semester): up to 3.0 points.
- Participation in the activities done during the semester in the different types of sessions, including min-tests: up to 2.0 points.

Examinations or Special Assignments

group work on a specific topic to be presented at the end of the semestre (platform and poster presentations)

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

exam.

Classification improvement

exam.

Observations

In the scope of the course, seminars by invited professors/researchers on specific topics are organized