View all Departments' Course Offerings View current course offerings at the Office of the Registrar Environmental Health Sciences Courses: ENHS 603 SURVEY OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH (3)
This course is designed as a survey course which introduces students to basic environmental health topics and it fulfills the school's core requirement. The course focuses on environmental factors impacting human health and the environment. Sources of these factors, methods of identification, recognition, evaluation and regulatory framework control are discussed. Factors might include health hazards associated with contaminated water, food and air, vectors of disease, exposure to toxic chemicals, environmental justice, regulations, and safety in the work place. See Course Learning Objectives ENHS 604 ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES (3)
This course is intended for students interested in understanding international environmental health problems, especially in developing countries. Global environmental health topics with a focus on developing countries are discussed. Topics include rural water supply and treatment, human waste collection and disposal, food protection, insect and rodent control, solid waste collection and disposal, and pesticide use and abuse. Specific problems in represented countries will also be presented and discussed. Selected Field Trips will compliment material discussed in class. In the Field Portion: Upon the completion of the field visits, students will be able to relate what was discussed in class to what was observed in the field. See course Learning Objectives. ENHS 610 FUNDAMENTALS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINANTS (3)
The course is designed to identify, characterize and evaluate environmental contaminants as they relate to human health. Topics include biological, chemical and physical contaminants in air, food, soil and water. The behavior of these chemicals will be discussed. Integrating appropriate methods of their control will also be addressed. See Course Learning Objectives. ENHS 611 GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE ISSUES IN PUBLIC HEALTH POLICY & GOVERNANCE (3)
The objective of the course is to provide students with a thorough understanding of global climate change (GCC) phenomenon, the public health issues associated with GCC, and the role of policy and governance in tackling this problem. In line with this objective, the course examines the scientific, political and socio economic factors influencing public health policy development, adaptation, and compliance in response to the global climate change problem. The course also analyzes the current policy and governance intervention models, and sheds light on direction for the future. See Course Learning Objectives. ENHS 631 CANCER: CAUSES, TREATMENT, AND DISPARITIES (3)
Prerequisites: Undergraduate: sophomore status with intro biology or greater. Graduate: SPHL 601 This is an introductory course that covers basic aspects of biology, treatment, epidemiology, psychosocial factors, ethics, health disparities, cultural competence and population diversity issues within the framework of cancer. See Course Learning Objectives. ENHS 640 ELEMENTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH (3)
This course is designed for students majoring in Global Environmental Health Sciences/Developing Countries. It covers topics in environmental practices in public health including: environmental pollution (its sources), public health significance and methods of control. Quality of food and food products, milk and dairy products, vector and rodent control, schools, housing and recreational waters are discussed in depth. See Course Learning Objectives. ENHS 641 WATER AND SANITATION FIELD OPERATIONS (3)
This course is designed for students who will be working in areas, especially in developing countries, where contaminated water and improper sanitation are the cause of serious health problems. In this course, fundamental concepts will be taken from the classroom to field installations. The course will emphasize the design and construction of water systems (wells, springs, rain collection systems) and building individual of human waste disposal systems. See Course Learning Objectives. ENHS 647 MANAGEMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES (3)
This course is designed to introduce students to the relevance of sustainable management of natural resources to public health. This is accomplished by identifying problems of natural resources use, examining a number of natural resources management policy tools and laws, and applying them to public health benefits. Ecosystem services and the management of air, water, wetland, agricultural land, forest, global climate change and ozone depletion are some of the topics covered. Students are given case-study based assignments to encourage their skill development in applied natural resources management for better public health protection. See Course Learning Objectives. ENHS 650 TOXIC & HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT (3)
This course addresses the current/future trends and background in Toxic and Hazardous Waste Management. The lecture portion of this course covers the methods for identifying, testing and managing of medical, toxic, hazardous waste, municipal sludge, manures and other waste residuals. It includes topics such as Waste Minimization, Hazardous Waste Treatment, Residuals Management, RI/FS Studies, Emergency Response, Coastal Restoration Wetlands and pertinent guest lecturers. In addition, regulations concerning classification, transportation, treatment and abandon sites will be covered, and field trips to municipal recycling center, infectious waste incinerator, landfill operational site, wetlands restoration research center and hazardous waste treatment facility. This is an introductory course which is open to non majors. It is offered during the fall of each year. See Course Learning Objectives. ENHS 651 WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT (3)
The course presents the basic concepts concerning policy, evaluation, and implementation of pertinent water quality management issues. Topics of focus include: water quality standards and criteria; principles of water quality management; regulatory considerations; limnological aspects; eutrophication; ecotoxicology; diffuse pollution and global aspects of sustainable water quality control strategies. See Course Learning Objectives. ENHS 652 FUNDAMENTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY (3)
Lectures cover the basic concepts of water chemistry including: concentrations, solubility, absorption, kinetics, gas law, phase relationships, and colloidal chemistry. The laboratory portion of the course includes wet chemistry for water quality analyses pertinent to environmental health sciences, such as coagulation, water softening, chlorination, biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, and nutrient analysis. The background provided is necessary preparation for course work in the following tracks: developing countries and resource management (water quality management, toxic and hazardous waste management and natural resource management. See Course Learning Objectives. ENHS 654 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH (3)
This course will address the most important health disorders affecting people as a result of their work: respiratory diseases, musculoskeletal disorders such as those caused by overexertion or repeated exertion, cancer, hearing loss, skin disorders and occupational stress. Focusing on identifying and preventing work-related diseases, the course will commence with an introduction to scientific method, and the application of scientific method, particularly epidemiology, to the critical evaluation of the relationship between work exposures and the occurrence of disease. General principles of toxicology will also be studied. Major occupational disorders will be introduced as examples following the scientific method section. See Course Learning Objectives. ENHS 655 ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH MANAGEMENT (3)
This course explains the fundamentals of environmental health and how they fit into the larger context of public health security. It highlights the elementary science of environmental exposure of humans to toxic chemicals and microbes, and in this way provides a context and basis for preventative policy and management responses to environmental health problems. The course discusses current environmental health issues, policy development processes, policy tools and environmental laws – their weaknesses and strengths. It also introduces students to environmental management systems and practices. Students are given case-study based assignments to encourage their skill development in applied environmental health management. See Course Learning Objectives. ENHS 656: ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY (3)
This course emphasizes the significance of microbes of public health significance in the environment. Their detection, initiation of disease host response, detection of disease, will also be discussed. Finally, the biology of the organism, their epidemiology and prevention, if disease is presented. Major groups of enteric bacteria, along with RNA and DNA virus are discussed. See Course Learning Objectives. ENHS 659 AIR POLLUTION (3)
This course covers the following topics: structure, composition, and physical characteristics of the atmosphere and its various layers; pollutant behavior in the atmosphere; global, regional, and community air pollutants; indoor air quality; effects of air pollutants on the atmosphere, vegetation, animals, and materials; human health effects of exposure to air pollutants; standards and regulations pertaining to air pollution; atmospheric dispersion modeling techniques; and control of particulate matter and gaseous air pollutants. See Course Learning Objectives. ENHS 660 PRINCIPLES OF TOXICOLOGY (3)
This course focuses on the fundamentals of toxicology and the mechanisms by which environmental and occupational chemical agents affect human health. The principles and mechanisms will be approached in three areas: 1) General principles: Route of exposure; dose response; absorption, distribution, storage, metabolism and excretion; 2) Effects on target organs: liver, kidney, blood, respiratory system and nervous system; and 3) Application of the principles of toxicology using: solvents, pesticides and metals. At the end of this course, the student will be able to apply the principles of toxicology for compounds found in the environment and workplace. See Course Learning Objectives. ENHS 661 TOXICOLOGY OF ENVIRONMENTAL AGENTS (3)
Prerequisite(s): ENHS 660 The actions of toxicants are studied in detail. Mechanisms of toxicity and extension of this knowledge to general classes of toxicants is emphasized. Students are expected to use current toxicological literature in this course. See Course Learning Objectives. ENHS 662 PHYSICAL AGENTS & ERGONOMIC HAZARDS IN THE WORKPLACE (3)
Prerequisite(s): ENHS 672 Problems associated with occupational exposure to temperature extremes, abnormal pressure, noise, mechanical vibration, non-ionizing radiation, and cumulative trauma/ergonomics are discussed in lecture sessions. The fundamental physics, health effects, and occurrence of these agents, along with methods for evaluating the extent of exposure and approaches to controlling them are discussed in lectures and appropriate measurement instrumentation is demonstrated. A laboratory session on noise measurement is included. Applicable exposure standards, regulations, and guidelines are covered in detail. See Course Learning Objectives.
ENHS 668 RISK COMMUNICATION (2)
This course is designed to improve written and oral communication skills and to provide hands on experience in the art of two-way communication of environmental issues between scientists and managers, policy makers and the public. Discussion topics include: Principles of communication theory, message development and target audience identification, public perceptions of health risks, community perspective and listening to communities, communicating the news media and policy makers are covered. Written and oral presentation exercises include fact sheets, press releases, mock public meeting, policy briefing papers, presenting and debating environmental findings. Each student will develop, present and critique oral presentations and written materials. See Course Learning Objectives.
ENHS 672 PRINCIPLES OF INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE (3)
This course provides the student with an introduction into the field of Industrial Hygiene. Topics covered include an overview and historical perspective of Industrial Hygiene, anatomy and physiology of the skin and lungs, occupational diseases and inhalation toxicology, chemical agents, biohazards, ergonomics, indoor air quality, ventilation systems, lab safety, personal protective equipment, Hazard Communication and other OSHA standards. Examples from case studies work experience will be discussed. The course also allows for discussion of topics of interest to the class. See Course Learning Objectives. ENHS 676 ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS (3)
This course introduces students to the ethical issues in environmental resource management and the environmental health outcomes. It debates the various ethical theories on human relationship to environmental resources, and offers critical examinations of the ethical basis of a variety of environmental management policies and approaches. Utilizing a case study approach, it examines some practical ethical failures and successes in environmental stewardship. The course discusses the APHA code of ethics and explains the benefits of the code to environmental public health professionalism and practice. See Course Learning Objectives. ENHS 691 ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS OF DISASTER RESPONSE (3)
This course examines the fundamentals of the environmental health and consequence management infrastructure through the lens of a disaster situation. Environmental health challenges that arise during emergencies are explored and operational models unique to disasters are developed. See Course Learning Objectives. ENHS 692 ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING, SAMPLING AND ANALYSIS IN A DISASTER (3)
This course is deigned to provide students with necessary knowledge and tools for sampling and monitoring of the environment following a disaster such as floods, hurricanes, earth quakes, explosions etc. During this course, students will also be exposed to field sampling and become familiar with laboratory instruments used for chemical, biological and physical sample analysis. See Course Learning Objectives. ENHS 693 POPULATIONS ISSUES IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT: SHELTER, ACUTE CARE, IMMUNIZATION, FORENSICS (3)
The United States is among other global communities that attempt to prepare its citizens for potential mass casualty events such as natural disasters, terrorism, or a pandemic flu outbreak. This course introduces disaster theory and overviews the United States’ National Response Framework. Core population health issues that present during the management of disasters are examined. Developing preparedness at the local level is emphasized. Fundamental concepts of emergency management and leadership are discussed. See Course Learning Objectives. ENHS 694 ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS OF DISASTER RECOVERY (3)
This course addresses the process of disaster recovery as the most costly and complex phase of the disaster cycle. The content focuses on critical outcome standards guiding actions during the recovery phase of a disaster to achieve community preparedness. See Course Learning Objectives. ENHS 695 PSYCHOSOCIAL ASPECTS OF DISASTERS (3)
The course covers the theoretical development, history, and empirical studies of the psychosocial dynamics and sequelae of disasters. Characteristics and types of disasters, reactions and risk factors, as well as trends in disaster mental health are examined. Emphasis is placed on inclusion of psychosocial considerations in the planning, preparation, and very early intervention phases of a disaster. Vulnerable populations are of particular interest in highly interactive case-based learning through interdisciplinary team labs for application in situations such as natural disaster, environmental health crises, pandemic illness, or threats to national security. Baseline resilience planning is required of all students planning to work in disaster or emergency response fields. See Course Learning Objectives. ENHS 696 PUBLIC HEALTH LAW (3)
Population-based preventative health intervention is a major focus of public health. Public health law speaks to the legal aspects of delivering this intervention to the society. This course introduces students to the functions and outcomes of public health law from local to global, and provides a hands-on legal tool for public health protection and practice. It covers a variety of topics such as the public health powers of the federal, state and local governments; civil liberties in matters such as quarantine, isolation and mandated medical testing; access to healthcare; liability of healthcare workers; and international law on the duties and rights of countries to control the spread of infectious diseases. See Course Learning Objectives. ENHS 700 DEPARTMENTAL SEMINAR (0, 1)
Students will present seminars and receive instruction on literature searches, outlining, preparing and presenting a seminar. Members of the department and invited speakers meet weekly to discuss current research in environmental health sciences. Attendance at seminars by outside speakers is required of all students enrolled in ENHS degree programs. This course must be taken for credit the first semester in residence or study for the degree program. See Course Learning Objectives. ENHS 702 WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT AND TREATMENT (3)
Theory and application of wastewater treatment concepts is presented stressing holistic waste management. Focus is given to product life cycle analysis, pretreatment and biological treatment of industrial wastes. Wastewater characterization, pretreatment methods, treatment kinetics and unit operation are addressed as well as methods of toxicity reduction, nutrient removal and procedures for residuals management. See Course Learning Objectives. ENHS 703 WATER TREATMENT AND SUPPLY (3)
Prerequisite(s): ENHS 652 The course is concerned with water quality criteria and standards, hydrologic and hydraulic aspects of water supply, theory and operation of water treatment processes, analysis and design of water treatment facilities, and fundamentals of industrial water treatment (boilers, cooling systems and corrosion inhibition and scale control). Unit operations including gas transfer, sedimentation, filtration, coagulation, adsorption, disinfection, ion exchange and desalinization are also addressed. See Course Learning Objectives. ENHS 705 FIELD TRIPS IN INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE (3)
Prerequisite(s): ENHS 620 or ENHS 672 This course introduces students to the various job functions of an industrial hygienist in the workplace and will enable them to apply knowledge learned in the classroom to actual field conditions. Visits planned range from local industrial hygiene operations on the corporate level to plant and field activities. Students will have the opportunity to observe various industrial processes such as oil refining, metal, smelting, power generation and chemical manufacturing. See Course Learning Objectives. ENHS 711 INDUSTRIAL VENTILATION AND CHEMICAL HAZARD CONTROL (3)
Prerequisite(s): ENHS 672 This course covers the control and management of chemical hazards in the workplace and indoor environments through engineering, administrative change, and personal protective equipment. The selection, use, and limitations of respirators and protective clothing are discussed. Engineering controls covered include product substitution, process isolation, and ventilation. The fundamentals of design and operation of local exhaust and general dilution ventilation systems are covered in detail and include basic air flow, general dilution ventilation, exhaust hood design, duct design, fans, air cleaning and recirculation, system balancing, system evaluation and special ventilation systems. A laboratory session on evaluating ventilation system performance is included. See Course Learning Objectives. ENHS 714 INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE ASPECTS OF PLANT OPERATIONS (2)
Prerequisite(s): ENHS 672 or permission of instructor This course emphasizes the recognition, evaluation, and control of potential hazards associated with plant operations. Basic equipment and process descriptions for various manufacturing operations are covered. This course is also designed to introduce students to various functions of an industrial hygienist in the workplace and will enable them to apply knowledge from the classroom to field conditions. Invited speakers from local industries, government and labor will present challenges faced by health and safety professionals. Students will have an opportunity to observe industrial hygiene processes in oil refining and chemical manufacturing and other manufacturing operations. Visits range from local industrial hygiene operations on the corporate level to plant and field activities. See Course Learning Objectives. ENHS 721 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH (OSHA) REGULATIONS (1)
This course provides an overview of the major OSHA regulations applicable to industrial hygiene practice. After introductory lectures by the instructor, students will give an oral presentation on a specific OSHA standard. These reports will include background/introductory materials concerning the problem the standard addresses, the history of the particular standard, any prior governmental standards predating OSHA, an outline of the requirements and recommendations of the OSHA standard, any consensus standards concerning the problem such as those put forth by ANSI, and a case study or example of an existing program which implements the standard in a workplace setting. See Course Learning Objectives. ENHS 740 FIELD AND LABORATORY APPLICATIONS OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PRACTICES (3)
Other Prerequisite(s): ENHS 603, ENHS 640 This course consists of field and laboratory work dealing with the identification, assessment and isolation of environmental health problems. It is designed to provide the students an opportunity to observe and work with real-life settings of environmental health problems in the field, i.e. food establishments, jails, schools, water, sewage, etc. Students conduct environmental health exercise and make analysis of problems situations on-site. Written reports of each exercise are required. All reports will be discussed and methods of remedies for environmental health violation corrections will also be discussed. See Course Learning Objectives. ENHS 744 ENVIRONMENTAL CANCER RISK ASSESSMENT (3)
Prerequisite(s): ENHS 660. The course covers the principles of risk assessment for environmental cancer. The basic model framework for risk assessment (hazard identification, dose response assessment, exposure analysis, and risk characterization) is used to determine and explain cancer risks of human body in response to environmental hazards carried by air, food and water. The interaction of scientific methods with focus on toxicology and regulatory requirements will be reviewed. Case studies focus on current environmental pollution issues such as exposures to vehicle exhaust, dust mixture, arsenic from smelters and petrochemical industrial emissions. Cellular and molecular toxicology and environmental epidemiology will be used as major tools for risk assessment process. Qualitative and quantitative risk assessment methods as well as cancer risk models will be incorporated into the case studies. Field trips to workplaces where suspected carcinogens are released will be organized and a scientific report is required to analyze cancer risks in selected workplaces. See Course Learning Objectives. ENHS 745 BIOMONITORING OF ENVIRONMENAL AND OCCUPATIONAL POLLUTANTS (3)
Prerequisite(s): ENHS 660 Humans are continually exposed chemical compounds (e.g., pharmaceuticals, disinfectants, soaps and detergents, as well as the by-products of combustion and other pollutants). Chemicals are absorbed through eating, breathing, drinking, and through contact with our surroundings. Although scientists have long understood that our bodies absorb tiny amounts of chemical substances simply by interacting with our environment, today’s technology allows researchers to detect and measure trace concentrations of many environmental substances in the body. The measurement of trace compounds in humans is referred to as biological monitoring, or biomonitoring. Biomonitoring usually involves the analysis of blood, urine or other body tissues/fluids. See Course Learning Objectives. ENHS 750 AIR SAMPLING AND ANALYSIS (3)
Prerequisite(s): BIOS 603 The principles and techniques for measuring and evaluating airborne contaminants in the work and community environments are presented in lectures and practiced in laboratory sessions. Covered topics include air flow measurements, aerosol science, particulate sampling with and without size separation, optical microscopy, active and passive sampling of gases and vapors, direct reading instruments, stack sampling, atmospheric dispersion modeling, and sampling strategy and statistical data analysis. See Course Learning Objectives. ENHS 753 ENVIRONMENTAL UNIT OPERATIONS (3)
Prerequisite(s): ENHS 652; ENHS 702; ENHS 703 The course is designed for environmental science and engineering application of unit processes for water and wastewater treatment. Techniques for prototype design from laboratory and pilot plant studies; wastewater characterization including toxicity screening evaluations; treatability analysis; kinetics of biological and physical chemical processes are presented. See Course Learning Objectives. ENHS 754 ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY (3)
Other Prerequisite(s): ENHS 652 This is an upper division graduate level course which will prepare the student to apply the principles of aquatic chemistry to real problems of environmental pollution. Topics covered include equilibrium (including carbonate equilibrium) alkalinity of natural water bodies, ionic strength and activity, solubility of inorganic contaminants, speciation diagramming by hand, electrochemistry, redox diagramming and computer modeling of speciation. The class meets on Wednesday from 4:30 – 7:00 p.m. and on Monday from 4:30 p.m – 6:30 p.m. in Tidewater, Room 1204. Class on Wednesdays will consist of material presented in lecture. Class on Mondays will be question and answer sessions where the student may ask questions about specific exam problems. Example problems will be worked on the blackboard. Students are expected to attend all lecture and problem sessions. See Course Learning Objectives. ENHS 762 HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT (3)
Principles of quantitative human health risk assessment. This course develops the qualitative and quantitative skills necessary to evaluate the probability of health effects from exposure to environmental contaminants. Basic concepts of qualitative and quantitative risk assessment are demonstrated with practical case studies. Emphasis is place on hazard identification, dose-response evaluation, exposure assessment, and risk characterization. Integration of risk assessment with risk management and communicating risks to the public are discussed. Regulatory aspects of risk assessment in the promulgation of environmental standards are presented. See Course Learning Objectives. ENHS 775 ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY (3)
This course introduces students to the concepts of public health policy with an emphasis on environmental health. The course describes the relationship among public health science, policy and practice and demonstrates the application of this relationship through a series of real cases in environmental health. The curriculum includes an analysis of the key national environmental health laws, policies, regulations and statutes in the context of public health. Through “hands-on” experience, students examine the policy implications of contemporary environmental public health problems. See Course Learning Objectives. ENHS 785 METHODS IN TOXICOLOGICAL RESEARCH (3)
Prerequisite(s): ENHS 660; ENHS 661; doctoral student status This course is made available for students pursuing doctoral studies in Environmental Health Sciences. A suitable environmental health problem is identified by the student after consultation with the mentor. Experimental techniques used in modern research are discussed and demonstrated and then carried out by the student. The student prepares a research report to successfully complete the course. See Course Learning Objectives. ENHS 786 GENETIC AND MOLECULAR TOXICOLOGY (3)
Prerequisite(s): ENHS 660: ENHS 661 Genetic and Molecular Toxicology addresses the causes and effects of alterations to the hereditary material and the elucidation of fundamental mechanisms of toxicity. The generation of spontaneous and agent-induced mutations are covered in depth in this course. The roles of cellular and genetic regulation in the induction of responses to DNA damage are explored. The merits of various experimental systems for the detection and analysis of DNA damage and mutations are examined. Effects of mutations, polymorphisms, and epigenetic factors on human disease (cancers, aging, and other chronic diseases) and health maintenance are discussed in this course. See Course Learning Objectives. ENHS 791ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER RESPONSE PLANNING & IMPLEMENTATION (3)
Prerequisite(s): ENHS 660; ENHS 603 This course addresses the planning and public/ health system infrastucture critical to address environmental health issues arising from natural and human made disasters. The effective use of the resources in the face of different types disasters is explored. See Course Learning Objectives. ENHS 793 SPECIAL NEEDS IN DISASTER RESPONSE (3)
Prerequisite(s): ENHS 691 This course characterizes the special needs of vulnerable populations in a crises environment as well as the special needs imposed on a population at large in the evolution of a disaster. The course also how to most effectively apply available resources to maximize community and individual survival under extraordinary circumstances. See Course Learning Objectives. ENHS 795 PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS IN DISASTER OR CRISIS (3)
Other prerequisite(s): for public health students ENHS 695 or instructor’s permission The course covers the development and application of both brief solution-focused and crisis intervention methods within the context of biopsychosocial resolution in healthy human development and social functioning. Emphasis is placed on practical application of techniques in situations such as natural disaster, death, traumatic injury or illness, pandemics, violent crime, terrorism, suicide, chronic physical and mental conditions, and severe family dysfunction. The clinical-community approach is demonstrated through case-based learning and simulations. Prerequisites for SW students: Methods I and Methods II. See Course Learning Objectives. | 
