Curricular Unit:			Code:
Environment and Human Health			1075ASHU
Year:	Level:	Course:	Credits:
1	Postgraduate	Ecology and Environmental Health	5 ects
Learning Period:		Language of Instruction:	Total Hours:
		Portuguese/English	65
Learning Outcomes of the Curricular Unit:
During the last decades the integrity of natural ecosystems has been adversely affected, namely in developing countries, affecting the public health and demanding urgent measures to reach environmental sustainability. The magnitude of those impacts is related to the technological revolution, rising population and increasing per capita consumption. This discipline examines and discusses multidisciplinary aspects of the impacts that humans have on environment and vice-versa, covering areas such as environmental pollution and contamination, effects of global climate changes in public health.
Syllabus:
Environmental Health Problems. Environmental pollutants of concern to human health: sources, pathways, environmental fate and known toxicological effects. Pollution: air, soil and water. Water and waste-water diseases: control and prevention. Other environmentally associated diseases. Impacts of global climate change in public health: climate-sensitive diseases. Environmental Awareness, Education and Ethics. Protecting the environment and humans: environmental and public health policies.
Demonstration of the Syllabus Coherence with the Curricular Unit's Objectives:
In preparing the syllabus of the discipline, the acquisition of up-to-date and relevant theoretical knowledge in the current scenario was taken into account, with particular emphasis on issues of interconnection between the environment, pollution and climate change, and their impact on public health.
Teaching Methodologies (Including Evaluation):
Classes will have theoretical-practical typology with tutorial sessions. In the theoretical-practical sessions, emphasis will be given to the acquisition and application of programmatic knowledge through the use of different methodologies (expository classes, group work and discussion of scientific articles) within the scope of the problem of water intended for human consumption. The assessment of the acquisition of skills by students in this curricular unit will be carried out through the completion of a written work that will be presented and discussed by the student.
Demonstration of the Coherence between the Teaching Methodologies and the Learning Outcomes:
During the pedagogical execution of this curricular unit, the particular nature of the type of class in progress will be taken into account. In the theoretical-practical sessions, the acquisition, understanding and application of knowledge will be privileged through face-to-face classes in which the teacher, with the support of multimedia devices, will teach the syllabus, always in a role of facilitator and organizer of themes, privileging a perspective of active exchange with the students. In the tutorial sessions, the student will develop the assessment work with the teacher in a close environment, trying, whenever possible, to frame it in a relevant topic for their work programme.
Reading:
Lippmann M. 2009. Environmental toxicants: human exposures and their health effects. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ISBN: 9780471793359 Plant JA. 2012. Pollutants, Human Health and the Environment: A Risk Based Approach. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. ISBN: 9780470742617 Kirch W, Menne B, R. Bertollini R. 2013. Extreme weather events and public health. Springer. ISBN 9783540288626 Rom WN. 2011. Environmental policy and public health: air pollution, global climate change, and wilderness. Jossey-Bass. ISBN: 9780470593431 Reid A, Jensen BB, Nikel J, Simovska V.2008. Participation and learning: Perspectives on education and the environment, health and sustainability. Springer. ISBN 9781402064166