Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Spring 2026 - BISC 313 D100

Environmental Toxicology: A Mechanistic Perspective (3)

Class Number: 2392

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Jan 5 – Apr 10, 2026: Mon, Wed, 10:30–11:20 a.m.
    Burnaby

    Jan 5 – Apr 10, 2026: Fri, 10:30–11:20 a.m.
    Burnaby

  • Exam Times + Location:

    Apr 17, 2026
    Fri, 8:30–11:30 a.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    BISC 101 and (BISC 204, or BISC 205, or GEOG 215, or MBB 231), both with a minimum grade of C-.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

An introduction to the environmental and biological fate of chemicals, their mechanisms of action, testing, evaluation, and risk assessment. Students are introduced to different classes of environmental contaminants, and examine how they affect various organisms (including humans) at the molecular, biochemical, organ system, and behavioural levels of biological organization.

COURSE DETAILS:

Course description:
This course serves as an introduction to the field of Environmental Toxicology. General principles of environmental fate, biological fate, toxicological action, testing, evaluation and assessment will be discussed. The toxicological action and fate of several important classes of environmental pollutants in several organisms (including humans) will be examined at different levels of organization from the molecular and biochemical to the function of organ systems and behavior. 

Objectives of Course
Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:
    1. Describe the fate of foreign compounds in the environment and in a variety of different organisms and the general principles behind this fate.
    2. Explain some of the common biological mechanisms negatively impacted by environmental contaminants and give several examples of common environmental pollutants and their specific mechanisms of action.
    3. Recognize the variety of toxic impacts that environmental contaminants have on organisms and ecosystems.
    4. Evaluate data obtained from common toxicological tests; and
    5. Identify and discuss various issues related to toxicology, such as risk assessment.

Tentative Lecture Schedule:
The course is given in five sections: Part I: Introduction to Toxicological Principles; Part II: Environmental Fate; Part III: Toxicokinetics; Part IV: Toxicodynamics (Specific Toxicants and Mechanisms), Part V: Toxicological Testing and Risk Assessment

Part I: Introduction to Toxicological Principles
Week 1      Introduction to and definition of toxicology. History of toxicology. Goals of the toxicologist. Different areas of toxicology.   

Part II: Environmental Fate
Week 2      Introduction to toxicokinetic phases of toxicant action. Chemical management plans. Key chemical characteristics for
                    environmental fate. Partitioning.
Week 3      Fate of chemicals in water, air and sediments.

Part III: Introduction to Toxicokinetics
Week 4      Introduction to exposure to chemicals.  Mechanisms of toxicant absorption (routes of exposure).
Week 5      Distribution of chemicals. Principles and examples of bioaccumulation and biomagnification.
Week 6      The biotransformation of chemicals. Midterm Exam TBA.
Week 7      Reading break.
Week 8      Excretion of chemicals.

Part IV: Introduction to the toxicodynamic phase of toxicant action.
Week 9      Introduction to the toxicodynamic phase of toxicant action. General mechanisms of toxic action.
Week 10    Antidotes.

Part V: Specific Toxicants and Risk Assessment
Week 11     Numbers in toxicology. Dose-response relationships. Statistics. Toxicological testing procedures: acute, short-term,
                    and chronic tests. 
Week 12     Mechanisms of mutagenesis, carcinogenesis and teratogenesis.                                                           
Week 13     Pesticides and heavy metals. Persistent Organic Pollutants. Petroleum products and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
                    Endocrine disruptors. Environmental Risk Assessment.
Week 17     Final Exam TBA

Grading

  • Midterm Examination 40%
  • Final Examination 60%

NOTES:

The final examination will include material from the whole course, although emphasis will be placed on the latter half of the course. Exams will be comprehensive and consist of short answer and essay type questions.

Policy on exams:
Exams are to be taken at the specified date and time. Make-up exams will only be allowed in the case of documented illness.

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

There is NO required textbook: material will be from lecture notes only or supplied articles by the instructor.

Other sources of lecture material are:
      - 'Casarett and Doul's Toxicology, The Basic Science of Poisons'. C. D. Klaassen, M. O. Amdur and J. Doull, eds. 4th edition. Macmillan, New York, 2021.
      - 'Introduction to Toxicology, by J. A. Timbrell. 2001. 3rd edition. Taylor & Freancis Ltd., London.
      - 'Basic Toxicology: Fundamentals, Target Organs, and Risk Assessment'. 7th edition. F. C. Lu. Hemisphere, New York, 2017.

REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.

To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit: 


RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.