Toxic threats of aquatic environments

Timetable

Module aim (aims)

The course introduces different types of toxic threats in the aquatic ecosystems (e.g. cyanotoxins, toxins produce by eukaryotic algae, heavy metals, ksenobiotics etc) and characterizes their influence on functioning of ecosystems and human health. Moreover harmful algal blooms, biocenotic transformation, reaction of organisms to different toxins are broadly presented as well as detection methods and economic cost of toxic threats.

Pre-requisites in terms of knowledge, skills and social competences (where relevant)

General knowledge in hydrobiology and ecologyGraduate students (B.A.)

Syllabus

Week 1 L: Introduction to the methodology and terminology of toxic threats of aquatic environment.Cl: Characteristic of potentially toxic cyanobacteria species from Chroococcales groupWeek 2 L: Characteristic of cyanobacteria toxinsCl: Characteristic of potentially toxic cyanobacteria species from Nostocales groupWeek 3 L: Toxic threats associated with harmful algal bloomsCl: Characteristic of potentially toxic cyanobacteria species from Oscillatoriales groupWeek 4 L: Reactions of organisms to toxinsCl: Reactions of organisms to natural toxins – part IWeek 5 L: Ecotoxicological tests – practical aspects in monitoring of aquatic ecosystemsCl: Reactions of organisms to natural toxins – part IIWeek 6 L: Physical and chemical threats associated with anthropopressureCl: Detection of microalgae responsible for harmful algal blooms in marine ecosystemsWeek 7 L: Economic costs of toxic threatsCl: Visiting of biological laboratory of Aquanet – company supplying water to Poznan city (6h) and sampling cyanobacteria in the nearby pondsWeek 8 L: Summary and testCl: Assessment of toxic threats based on abundance of cyanobacteriaWeek 9 Cl: Examples of toxic threat of aquatic ecosystems – oral presentations of students

Reading list

Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms – In: Advances in experimental Medicine and Biology. Edited by H. K. Hudnell Volume 619; Springer 2008.Environmental Toxicology. Editors: A.G. Kungolos, C.A. Brebbia, C.P. Samaras and V. Popov, WITPress 2006Principles of ecotoxicology. C.H. Walker, S.P. Hopkin, R.M. Sibly, D.B. Peakall. Second Edition 2001.