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Professional Development

SHORT COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

 
Short Courses
 
Full-Day
Half-Day
 
By
4 Oct
After
4 Oct
By
4 Oct
After
4 Oct
Member
$ 230
$ 355
$ 120
$ 185
Member
(Student)
$ 75
$ 115
$ 45
$ 65
Nonmember
$ 260
$ 385
$ 150
$ 225
Nonmember (Student)
$ 85
$ 125
$ 55
$ 75

 

Half-day Courses - Sunday, 8:00am - Noon

Half-day Courses - Sunday, 1:00pm - 5:00pm

Full-day Courses - Sunday, 8:00am - 5:00pm

Educational Outreach Course Description - Sunday, 1:00pm - 5:00pm

Course: SC01

Title: Ecologically Focused Remediation Strategies

Instructor: Charles R. Harman

Strategies based on ecological and conservation principles can be used to effectively control corporate environmental liabilities as part of property manage activities. Such ecological strategies can include measures that are brought to bear at contaminated properties to both assist in, and complement remedial actions. These active or passive measures can include the use of natural remedial technologies, which can be designed to both reduce contamination and provide ecological service. That ecological service, when integrated into the future use of the site, can be recognized as a valuable ecological enhancement which could be a tradable asset or credit against environmental liabilities. Ecological strategies can also include actions such as the use of ecological enhancements or conservation-based easements that are implemented to control current costs and future liabilities, and to add sources of marketable value. The use of ecological enhancements to restore or increase the natural resource value of a piece of property is another strategy that can me used as a means of managing liabilities at a site. Ecological enhancements can be considered up-front as a component of environmental remediation at Brownfield sites or can be incorporated into remedial actions planned for hazardous waste sites regulated under federal, state or local environmental regulations. The incorporation of ecological strategies as a tool to managing environmental liabilities can concurrently benefit multiple stakeholders, such as the property owner, regulatory agencies, local communities and the general public at large.

 

Course: SC02

Title: Food Chain Modeling Using Probabilistic Techniques

Instructor: Dwayne Moore

Students will be instructed on how to adapt and modify the Total Daily Intake model from the Wildlife Exposures Factor Handbook (USEPA 1993) to estimate exposure using probabilistic techniques. The course will focus on selecting and parameterizing input distributions (e.g., free metabolic rate, diet, prey concentration), and propagating uncertainty using Monte Carlo techniques and probability bounds analysis. Examples from contaminated sites will be used to illustrate the methods. 

 

Course: SC03

Title: Sediment Toxicity Testing: Methods to Achieve Strong Data Sets and Interpret Results

Instructor: Jeff Steevens

Sediments and their associated benthic organisms are critically important in maintaining the overall health and productivity of aquatic ecosystems. However, as the main repository for particulate matter, and as a medium which often has a high affinity for sorption and deposition of contaminants, sediments are typically the primary 'sink' for contaminants in the aquatic systems. As a result, sediments can be the most sensitive and ecologically important component of potentially-contaminated aquatic systems, and assessment of sediment toxicity has become increasingly important in evaluating the impacts of contaminants on these ecosystems. Sediment toxicity testing is currently used in a wide variety of applications, including dredged material assessments, ecological and human health risk assessment, pesticide and industrial chemical registration, the TMDL process, and site remediation. However, while straight-forward, the appropriate design and interpretation of these tests can sometimes become complicated due to the number of factors that can affect the tests and test results. This short course is designed to provide the nuts and bolts of sediment toxicity test sample collection, toxicity test and test species selection, and interpretation of (sometimes confusing) test results. The objective of this course is to provide the informational tools necessary to plan, conduct, and interpret sediment toxicity tests as part of the evaluation of contaminant impacts on aquatic systems. Students will apply lessons learned through a hands-on test and review of a case study. Emerging technologies and trends in sediment toxicity (e.g., toxicity identification evaluation, bioavailability of absorbed contaminants, rapid sediment characterization) will be discussed at the end of the course.

 

Course: SC04

Title: Use of the ICE and ACE Modeling Tools to Estimate Aquatic Species Sensitivity to Contaminants

Instructor: Mace Barron

This course will train registrants on the use of the Interspecies Correlation Estimation (ICE) and Acute to Chronic Estimation (ACE) programs. ICE and ACE were developed by the U.S. EPA in collaboration with other federal agencies, industry, and universities to address data gaps in species sensitivity and reduce reliance on uncertainty factors in ecological risk assessment. The ICE program was developed to allow prediction of acute toxicity to taxa with limited toxicity databases such as endangered species. The ACE program was developed to allow prediction of chronic toxicity from acute toxicity datasets. ICE is based on existing acute toxicity data for 143 aquatic and terrestrial species, and estimates acute toxicity using least squares regression and over 4000 interspecies correlations. ACE uses linear regression and accelerated life testing to predict no-effect and low-effect concentrations for chronic mortality.  The course was taught in 2005 and had maximum attendance. This course will provide instruction to new registrants and provide new information on ICE and ACE databases, statistical methodologies, applications, and accuracy. The Course will also provide hands-on use of these toxicity estimation tools, and will be instructed by experts from industry, academia and government.

 

Course: SC05

Title: Analytical Chemistry: A guide to Sample Collection, Laboratory Analysis, and Data Interpretation

Instructor: Gregory Salata

The goal of this course is to help end users of all backgrounds and skill levels better understand the complete environmental analytical process, leading to more productive sample collection, laboratory analysis, and data interpretation. The course will follow a sample set from the field (sediment, tissue, or water) through the lab prep, analysis, and data reporting steps. The course will seek to help the end user understand the effects of field activities on their sample integrity and data quality (i.e. how to avoid sample contamination), understand the basics of laboratory analysis including the limitations of current technologies (focusing on organic and inorganic analyses), and understand basic QA/QC definitions and conventions and their impact on data quality. This course is designed to help individuals involved in project planning, sample collection, and data interpretation to generate better data sets by better understanding their role in the laboratory data analysis process.

 

Course: SC06

Title: Statistical Assessment of Dose-Response Curves with Free Software

Instructor: Christian Ritz

Dose-response curves are fundamental to ecotoxicology, toxicology and related disciplines. The way dose-response data are summarized, however, varies much among scientists and is often based on traditional approaches rather than theoretical considerations of the best way to exploit the information contained in the data. During the past decade the development of statistical software has been swift, and today reliable, free statistical software is available. Any scientist in any place of the world with an internet access can download the programs. The advances in statistical software allow both standard statistical methods and more advanced methods for analysis of dose-response curves to be implemented, moving the focus in the application of statistical analysis from pure computational aspects to more relevant aspects concerning interpretation of results (biological implications). The course will discuss different endpoints (binary, count and continuous), raw versus relative data, lower/upper limits, model assumptions, remedies for model violations, calculation and comparison of EC values. More advanced issues on modeling hormetical effects, mixtures effects and natural mortality will also be introduced. The topics will be illustrated through small case studies analyzed using the open-source language R (www.r-project.org). The course is intended for PhD students, researchers and scientists in environmental sciences, working with concentration/dose-response curves. An elementary understanding of statistical procedures is necessary.

 

Course: SC07

Title: Advance Mass Spectrometric Analysis for Endocrine Disruptors in the Environment

Instructor: Damia Barcelo

In this course you will learn about the various mass spectrometric methods used for the determination of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) and pharmaceuticals in environmental samples. Among the EDCs we have selected five groups of compounds that are of priority within European Union and US research activities: alkylphenols, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, phthalates and steroid sex hormones. Target pharmaceuticals included in this short course will be antibiotics, ß-blockers, anti-inflammatory drugs, lipid regulators and psychiatric drugs. In the past, GC-MS has been the technique most commonly employed for the environmental analysis of EDCs and selected pharmaceuticals like anti-inflammatory drugs . However, due to the poor volatility and/or polarity of some compounds, derivatisations step aimed to produce more volatile products is required to improve the sensitivity of subsequent GC analysis. Thus, the advantages of better sensitivity are sometimes largely offset by loss of sample during the additional manipulation. Furthermore, each derivatisation step is generally focused on one group of target analytes, producing volatile derivatives of the expected compounds, and thus discriminating related compounds and metabolites, which are simultaneously present but differ in structure. This is the reason why, for some groups of EDCs and pharmaceuticals, GC-MS and GC-MS-MS methodology has been recently substituted with LC-MS and mainly with LC-MS-MS. LC-MS-MS has gained in popularity, due to the sensitivity, ruggedness and ease of use given by API interfaces, such as electrospray (ESI) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI), respectively Combined with a new generation of MS equipment (single triple quadrupole, ilinear on-trap and time of flight), LC-MS and LC-MS-MS have become often routine methods for several classes of EDCs, and pharmaceuticals such as alkylphenolic compounds, synthetic and natural steroids ,bisphenolic compounds , brominated flame retardants like HBCD , antibiotics, ß-blockers, anti-inflammatory drugs, lipid regulators and psychiatric drugs. The latest developments on the use of LC-Q-TOF-MS and other hybrid instruments for multi-residue analysis of pharmaceuticals will also be reported

 

Course: SC08

Title: Predicting the Toxicity of Metals to Aquatice Organisms: An Introduction to the Biotic Ligand Model

Instructor: Ray Arnold

Water quality criteria (WQC) for metals have been developed to protect the integrity of aquatic systems. However, tests used to develop WQC were performed in laboratory waters that often are not representative of natural waters. Water effect ratio (WER) tests account for the effects of substances that alter the toxicity of metals in natural waters but can be costly and time consuming. The biotic ligand model (BLM), a computationally efficient alternative to conducting WER tests, has been developed. The BLM may assist in developing technically defensible site-specific criteria, waste load allocations, and ecological risk assessments. It is intended to promote more focused and efficient uses of resources in the regulation and control of metals and the protection of the environment. The BLM is under review by regulatory agencies and is being considered for use in refining water quality criteria in the United States and elsewhere. This course provides an introduction, background and rationale for the BLM, a description of its applications and case examples. The course will cover special considerations, data needs and data quality objectives, and model demonstrations. Demonstrations will be brief scenarios using hypothetical data sets and will cover model navigation, data input, and model outputs.

 

Course: SC09

Title: Gene Expression, Proteomics and Microarrays and their Respective Informatic Approaches to Address Ecotoxicological Issues

Instructor: Adam Biales

Molecular methods are being used to address emerging contaminants of concern in aquatic ecosystems such as endocrine disrupting chemicals and pharmaceuticals. These compounds may enter aquatic systems from a variety of sources, e.g. pesticide runoff from agriculture, pharmaceuticals used in animal operations, human pharmaceuticals passing through sewage treatment facilities, and various industrial sources. New technologies focusing on molecular responses, such as changes in gene and protein expression levels, are being used to provide an important link between immediate environmental exposure and long term biological, community and population effects. Concomitant, with these technical advances are new informatic approaches, which enable more complete and significant data interpretation. This session will describe the technical and biological background for the most commonly used molecular methods such as Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (QPCR), microarrays and two-dimensional protein analysis. We will also present the latest informatics approaches for dealing with the large amount of data generated by these methods. Finally, we will discuss how data resulting from these methods may be integrated into water quality programs and may be used to identify chemical modes of action. Although this work was reviewed by EPA and approved for publication, it may not necessarily reflect official Agency policy

 

Course: SC10

Title: Statistics in Ecotoxicology Using R

Instructor: Stephen B. Cox

The primary goals of this course are to introduce participants to R – a freely available and very powerful tool for conducting statistical analyses, and to demonstrate the capabilities and tools available in R that are specifically relevant to environmental toxicologists. Example topics include basic data input and manipulation, graphics, and statistical modeling with emphasis on dose response modeling and survival analysis. The course is intended for participants who would like a brief introduction to some of the statistical tools that are particularly relevant to ecotoxicologists, or are familiar with statistics but are interested in the R programming environment. Some conceptual background information about relevant statistical tests will be presented. Participants are encouraged to bring their own laptops to step through several exercises on their own. Only a general understanding of basic statistical principles (sampling, hypothesis testing, and probability distributions) is required.

 

Course: SC11

Title: Food-Web Bioaccumulation Modeling of Organic Substances

Instructor: Frank Gobas

The extent to which chemical contaminants in the environment are absorbed and accumulated by organisms and transferred through food-webs is a key consideration in the hazard assessment of chemicals and in ecological and human health risk assessment of chemical contamination problems. The degree of chemical bioaccumulation from water and sediments is also a key information requirement for developing water and sediment quality guidelines and for developing total maximum daily loading limits for aquatic systems. The purpose of the course is to (i) review and discuss the scientific principles involved in the bioaccumulation of chemical substances in organisms, (ii) to summarize, review and discuss the types of food-web bioaccumulation models available and their practical application and (iii) to get some hands-on experience with the food-web bioaccumulation models that our research group has developed.

 

Course: SC12

Title: Methods Development and Validation Procedures in the Environmental Analytical Laboratory

Instructor: Mary Kaiser

Selective and sensitive analytical methods for quantitative and qualitative analysis are essential to the successful completion of environmental measurements. Selectivity, specificity, accuracy, precision, recovery, limit of detection, limit of quantitation, calibration, stability, selectivity, and acceptance criteria are aspects that must be considered in developing an analytical method. Although they are not part of a formal validation, sampling strategies, system-suitability testing and sample-solution stability testing can also be important. After the laboratory work is completed, the data and processes should be reviewed to assure on-going quality of results.

 

Course: SC13

Title: Understanding Freshwater Mussels and their Significance in Toxicity Research and Water Quality Management

Instructor: Ferrella March

Freshwater mussels have a unique life history that includes several life stages differing in station and potential exposure to contaminants. Adults are benthic suspension feeders in rivers and lakes and live for decades. Larval mussels are briefly parasitic on the skin and gills of fish, before transforming into tiny juveniles that live interstitially in sediments. Mussels provide important ecosystem services and are also one of the most diverse groups of freshwater animals. While important indicators of water quality health, mussels have received little attention relative to their value. The decline of freshwater mussels over the past century, combined with a greater understanding of their role in the ecosystem, has propelled mussel research to a new level of importance. Recent research focuses upon the toxic effects of contaminants on more sensitive life stages and the role of propagation in conservation and restoration. This short course first explores the life history of freshwater mussels, their significance in the ecosystem, and the role of propagation in recovery efforts of imperiled species. The student then gains laboratory experience using methods that attempt to establish sensitivity of freshwater mussels to acute and chronic effects of contaminants in laboratory or field studies. Finally, an overview of the sensitivity of mussels to contaminants in water, sediment, and diet will be presented.

 

Course: SC14

Title: Environmental Risk Assessment of Pharmaceuticals

Instructor: Katie Barrett

The detection of pharmaceuticals in environmental samples, including sewage effluent, surface waters and ground waters, has prompted the development of new regulatory guidance on the evaluation of the fate and effects of these products. In this course the instructors will provide an overview of the legislation and an update on the status. This will include details of the EU requirements and the position of the US authorities on this topic. The course will include an overview of the specified environmental fate and effects studies including details on the optimum study design and endpoints. The models proposed for the generation of Predicted Environmental Concentrations (PECs) in surface and ground water (PELMO, MACRO etc) will be demonstrated, and recommendations made on the selection of data for inclusion in the modeling. A model developed for the evaluation of the partitioning and transformation of pharmaceuticals in sewage treatment plants will also be demonstrated. Incorporation of the environmental fate and effects data in the preparation of the Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) will be explained, and the options for refinement of the ERA will be presented.

 

Course: SC15

Title: A Practicum in Probabilistic Modeling for Ecological Risk Assessment

Instructor: Bruce Hope

Because probabilistic risk assessments can deliver a more transparent, realistic, and non-conservative approach to risk estimation, there is a growing interest in their use to inform regulatory and other types of environmental decision making. It is thus increasingly important for practicing risk assessors to understand. at a working level, how to propagate variability and incertitude in ecological risk assessment models. This short course aims to give participants a practical, hands-on, step-by-step introduction to Monte Carlo Analysis (MCA) for ecological risk assessment. After a refresher on exploratory data analysis, one-and two-dimensional MCA, and other relevant statistical concepts, it will focus on practical skills, including a review of distribution types and strategies for selecting and fitting distributions, a discussion of dependence and correlations with examples, the mechanics of setting-up and running simulations using a popular commercial MCA software, spatially explicit probabilistic analyses, interpreting and presenting probabilistic results in various contexts, the strengths and limitations of the MCA and some alternatives to MCA, and several ecological risk assessment case studies illustrating the generation an use of probabilistic results. Proficiency in statistics and previous experience with MCA software is not required. However, students will need a laptop and access to Crystal Ball®.

 

Course: SC16

Title: Endangered Species and Environmental Contaminants: Conducting Problem Formulation under the Endangered Species Act (ESA)

Instructor: Maria T. Boroja

The scope and boundaries for ecological risk assessments (ERA) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) are principally determined by federal statute, regulation, policy and guidance. This course is intended to provide an overview of the key aspects of the ESA which necessitate unique approaches compared to risk assessments formulated under other federal statutes (i.e., FIFRA, CWA, CERCLA). Participants will learn key definitions and components of an endangered species risk assessment. An overview of pertinent statues, regulations, policy, and guidance will be provided to establish the regulatory context for ESA assessments. Participants should be familiar with foundations of ecological risk assessment and the basic terms and concepts presented in Guidelines for Ecological Risk Assessment (EPA 1998). Lectures, case studies on pesticides and Pacific salmon, and small group exercises will be utilized to demonstrate application of the problem formulation phase of ecological risk assessment under the ESA.

 

Course:EO01

Title: Job Skills Workshop: Employment in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry

Instructor: Teresa Norberg-King, Tom LaPoint, Barry Gillespie, Cristy Bishop, Joanne Parrot, Phil Dorn

This workshop is a practical short course that is designed to aid students with the process of career job hunting in today's job market and will be team taught by academic, consulting, industry and government SETAC members. Applying, interviewing, and approaching a job is challenging and one of most important in career planning. The application, interview and selection processes for all jobs are not the same. In this workshop, various types of positions in different organizations of academic, business sector (consulting and industry), and government positions will be covered. This workshop is designed for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. A team of instructors from in academia, consulting, industry, and government will present the viewpoint of a potential employee and the personnel responsible for hiring recommendations. Participants will learn about the hiring processes from application to final selection with emphasis placed on the personal interview and panel interviews. The workshop will include overviews of the hiring process, applications and supporting materials, typical interview formats, and the selection and decision procedures for each type of organization. Example resumes will be presented and an opportunity to consult on resumes for each sector will be provided. Mock interviews information on preparing for the interview, from a potential employee's perspective may be arranged. Workshop participants who pre-register may provide resumes and sign up for mock interviews. Please send your resume and interest in mock interviewer at least two weeks prior to workshop by emailing Teresa Norberg-King (Norberg-king.teresa@epa.gov). Be sure to include your name, contact information, attach your resume, and indicate your sector of choice for the mock interview. Participants will learn about the hiring processes for academic, business, and government positions from application to final selection with emphasis placed on the interview. Students should plan to bring résumés. We will cover résumé writing, interview preparation, and conduct mock interviews.

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