Drugs, Environment, and Our Health

1HON 152 Drugs, Environment, and Our Health FALL 2015

COURSE DIRECTORS:

Hollie Swanson, PhD Office address: MN 322 Willard Medical Science Building Email: [email protected] Office phone: 323-1463 Office hours: By appointment

Ok-Kyong Park Sarge, PhD Office address: MN 502A Willard Medical Science Building Email: [email protected] Office phone: MN-502A Office hours: By appointment

COURSE DESCRIPTION

When we hear about chemicals called endocrine disruptors that are in the water that we drink, it is hard to know what to believe. What are endocrine disruptors? Are they something we should really worry about? Just how safe is the water that we drink? These are some of the questions that we will start to answer in this course. We will learn about endocrine disruptors and how they may affect our bodies. We will also examine the different ways we may be exposed to endocrine disruptors and how some consumer products and industry practices including fracking and may contribute to the presence of endocrine disruptors in our drinking water.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

After completing the course, the students will be able to:

1. Describe what is meant by the term “endocrine disruptor.” 2. Describe how exposures to endocrine disruptors may impact our bodies. 3. Examine the scientific evidence supporting the idea that exposures to endocrine disruptors are a significant threat to human health.

CLASS MEETINGS: MW 11:00-12:15 CRH 005

ATTENDANCE POLICY Regular class attendance is critical to success in this course. Tardiness is an inconvenience to classmates and instructors. Classroom discussion is an essential component of the grade for this course. Therefore, students are expected to arrive on time and participate in all course related activities. Three unexcused absences will be allowed during the semester before a letter grade reduction is employed.

EXAMINATIONS AND GRADING POLICIES

Course Grading The following grading scale will be used to determine the final class grade.

A = 100-90

B = 89.5-80

C = 79.5-70

D= 69.6-60

E (Fail) = Below 59.5

Grading: The following are the components to the final grade.

Homework assignments: Assessed by the instructors ( 30%), assessed by peers (20%) = 50% Participation in discussions and debates: 50% of grade

Classroom participation: Students will be expected to contribute to the intellectual atmosphere of the class by participating in classroom discussions. Students are expected to participate in all classroom discussions and activities.

MID-TERM EXAM INFORMATION

Mid-term grades will be posted in myUK by the deadline established in the Academic Calendar (http://www.uky.edu/Registrar/AcademicCalendar.htm)

COURSE POLICIES Submission of Homework Assignments: Homework assignments will be submitted by 9 AM most Mondays prior to class and small group discussions as indicated on the schedule. The assignments should be written using 1 inch margins, single spaced and Arial 11 point font. Assignments not turned in on-schedule will be penalized 15%.

Excused Absences Students need to notify the professor of absences prior to class when possible. S.R. 5.2.4.2 defines the following as acceptable reasons for excused absences: (a) serious illness, (b) illness or death of family member, (c) University-related trips, (d) major religious holidays, and (e) other circumstances found to fit “reasonable cause for nonattendance” by the professor. Students anticipating an absence for a major religious holiday are responsible for notifying the instructor in writing of anticipated absences due to their observance of such holidays no later than the last day in the semester to add a class. Information regarding dates of major religious holidays may be obtained through the religious liaison, Mr. Jake Karnes (859-257-2754). Students are expected to withdraw from the class if more than 20% of the classes scheduled for the semester are missed (excused or unexcused) per university policy.

Verification of Absences Students may be asked to verify their absences in order for them to be considered excused. Senate Rule 5.2.4.2 states that faculty have the right to request “appropriate verification” when students claim an excused absence because of illness or death in the family. Appropriate notification of absences due to university-related trips is required prior to the absence.

Academic Integrity Per university policy, students shall not plagiarize, cheat, or falsify or misuse academic records. Students are expected to adhere to University policy on cheating and plagiarism in all courses. The minimum penalty for a first offense is a zero on the assignment on which the offense occurred. If the offense is considered severe or the student has other academic offenses on their record, more serious penalties, up to suspension from the university may be imposed. Plagiarism and cheating are serious breaches of academic conduct. Each student is advised to become familiar with the various forms of academic dishonesty as explained in the Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities. Complete information can be found at the following website: http://www.uky.edu/Ombud. A plea of ignorance is not acceptable as a defense against the charge of academic dishonesty. It is important that you review this information as all ideas borrowed from others need to be properly credited. Part II of Student Rights and Responsibilities (available online http://www.uky.edu/StudentAffairs/Code/part2.html) states that all academic work, written or otherwise, submitted by students to their instructors or other academic supervisors, is expected to be the result of their own thought, research, or self-expression. In cases where students feel unsure about the question of plagiarism involving their own work, they are obliged to consult their instructors on the matter before submission. When students submit work purporting to be their own, but which in any way borrows ideas, organization, wording or anything else from another source without appropriate acknowledgement of the fact, the students are guilty of plagiarism.

Plagiarism includes reproducing someone else’s work, whether it be a published article, chapter of a book, a paper from a friend or some file, or something similar to this. Plagiarism also includes the practice of employing or allowing another person to alter or revise the work which a student submits as his/her own, whoever that other person may be. Students may discuss assignments among themselves or with an instructor or tutor, but when the actual work is done, it must be done by the student, and the student alone. When a student’s assignment involves research in outside sources of information, the student must carefully acknowledge exactly what, where and how he/she employed them. If the words of someone else are used, the student must put quotation marks around the passage in question and add an appropriate indication of its origin. Making simple changes while leaving the organization, content and phraseology intact is plagiaristic. However, nothing in these Rules shall apply to those ideas which are so generally and freely circulated as to be a part of the public domain (Section 6.3.1). Please note: Any assignment you turn in may be submitted to an electronic database to check for plagiarism.

Accommodations due to disability If you have a documented disability that requires academic accommodations, please see me as soon as possible during scheduled office hours. In order to receive accommodations in this course, you must provide me with a Letter of Accommodation from the Disability Resource Center (Room 2, Alumni Gym, 257-2754, email address: [email protected]) for coordination of campus disability services available to students with disabilities.

Classroom Behavior Behavior that detracts from the educational environment will not be tolerated. Professional behavior is expected. This is defined as: treating the instructors and your fellow students in a respectful and courteous manner. Instructors and students alike are entitled to professional respect from one another regardless of the similarity or divergence of viewpoint and irrespective of age or experience. Disruptive students will be asked to leave the classroom and may receive a penalty to their final grade in the course

SCHEDULE

Wed. Aug. 26 Introduction Mon. Aug. 31 History of environmental sciences-“Silent Spring” and “Our Stolen Future” Wed. Sept. 2 History of endocrine disruptors-DD,T

Mon. Sept. 7 LABOR DAY HOLIDAY No Class Wed. Sept. 9 Defining “Endocrine Disruptors”

Mon. Sept. 14 Are pesticides like atrazine endocrine Submit homework disruptors? Small group discussion and peer grading Wed. Sept. 16 Are pesticides like atrazine endocrine disruptors? Debate, General discussion, Reaching consensus Mon. Sept. 21 Are fungicides like vinclozolin endocrine Submit homework disruptors? Small group discussion and peer grading Wed. Sept. 23 Are fungicides like vinclozolin endocrine disruptors? Debate, General discussion, Reaching consensus Mon. Sept. 28 Are plasticizers like phthalate esters endocrine Submit homework disruptors? Small group discussion and peer grading Wed. Sept. 30 Are plasticizers like phthalate esters endocrine disruptors? Debate, General discussion, Reaching consensus Mon. Oct. 5 Are halogenated phenolic chemicals like Submit homework triclosan endocrine disruptors? Small group discussion and peer grading Wed. Oct. 7 Are halogenated phenolic chemicals like triclosan endocrine disruptors? Debate, General discussion, Reaching consensus Mon. Oct. 12 Are non-halogenated phenolic chemicals like Submit homework bisphenol A endocrine disruptors? Small group discussion and peer grading Wed. Oct. 14 Are non-halogenated phenolic chemicals like bisphenol A endocrine disruptors? Debate, General discussion, Reaching consensus Mon. Oct. 18 Are flame retardants like polybrominated Submit homework diphenyl ethers endocrine disruptors? Small group discussion and peer grading Wed. Oct. 21 Are flame retardants like polybrominated diphenyl ethers endocrine disruptors? Debate, General discussion, Reaching consensus Mon. Oct. 26 Are polychlorinated biphenyls endocrine Submit homework disruptors? Small group discussion and peer grading Wed. Oct. 28 Are polychlorinated biphenyls endocrine disruptors? Debate, General discussion, Reaching consensus Mon. Nov. 2 Is methylmercury an endocrine disruptor? Submit homework Small group discussion and peer grading Wed. Nov. 4 Is methylmercury an endocrine disruptor? Debate, General discussion, Reaching consensus Mon. Nov. 9 Are antidepressants like Fluoxetine endocrine Submit homework disruptors? Small group discussion and peer grading Wed. Nov 11 Are antidepressants like Fluoxetine endocrine disruptors? Debate, General discussion, Reaching consensus Mon. Nov. 16 Are phytochemicals endocrine disruptors? Submit homework Small group discussion and peer grading Wed. Nov. 18 Are phytochemicals endocrine disruptors? Debate, General discussion, Reaching consensus Mon. Nov. 23 What do we still need to know about endocrine disruptors? Large group discussion Wed. Nov. 25 THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY No Class Mon. Nov. 30 Fracking and endocrine disruption Submit homework Small group discussion and peer grading Wed. Dec. 2 Fracking and endocrine disruption Debate, General discussion, Reaching consensus Mon Dec. 7 Climate change and endocrine disruption Submit homework Small group discussion and peer grading Wed. Dec 9 Climate change and endocrine disruption Debate, General discussion, Reaching consensus Dec. 14-18 Finals week