Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Spring 2026 - HSCI 204 D100

Perspectives on Human Health and the Environment (3)

Class Number: 2081

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Jan 5 – Apr 10, 2026: Wed, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    HSCI 100 or BISC 101, HSCI 130, all with a minimum grade of C-.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

An overview of environmental hazards and their impacts on human health. Methodological approaches to their detection, assessment, management, and mitigation. Students with credit for HSCI 304 may not take this course for further credit.

COURSE DETAILS:

This is an introductory course in the multidisciplinary field of environmental and occupational health. The course will begin by introducing the methods used to study environment-health relationships and to assess and manage environmental risks. The second portion of the course will focus on specific groups of common environmental and/or occupational pollutants and describe their characteristics, sources, routes of exposure, human health impacts, and control strategies.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

Upon completion of this course students will be able to:

·   Define key terms and describe methods used in exposure assessment, toxicology, environmental/occupational epidemiology, and environmental risk assessment.
·   Identify common pollutants or groups of pollutants (e.g., pesticides) in various media (e.g., air, water) and describe the human health risks associated with each.
·   Interpret scientific research on environmental/occupational health.

Grading

  • Question Sets 35%
  • Midterm Exam 20%
  • Final Exam 30%
  • Exercises 15%

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Essentials of Environmental Health (3rd Ed.) Robert Friis
ISBN: 9781284123975

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.