Global Sustainability, Safe Chemicals and Risk Assessment, Second Cycle, 15 credits

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding
After completing the course, the student should be able to

• account for ecological, economic, and social aspects of sustainability,
• explain the connection between chemical pollution and other key environmental and societal problems,
• describe important legislation and the roles of different authorities for risk assessment,
• account for toxicological test methods, exposure measurements, model calculations and risk assessment methods,
• account for all steps in modern chemical risk assessment,
• account for the processes that are important for the emergence of multilateral environmental agreements, and
• understand and describe the responsibility of interest groups and authorities (eg political parties, academia, individual citizens/society, business and chancelleries for the current conventions) for the implementation of multilateral environmental agreements.

Skills and Abilities
After completing the course, the student should have the ability to

• apply an interdisciplinary system perspective to find solutions for sustainable development,
• evaluate different tools for measuring sustainable development,
• carry out a scientifically based risk assessment of chemicals,
• apply the language that is important for the design of multilateral environmental agreements in speech and writing, and
• interpret the legal text based on a convention to follow up when it is implemented by an authority or interest group.

Evaluation ability and approach
After completing the course, the student should have the ability to

• evaluate different solutions to key environmental problems from a sustainability perspective,
• reflect on values and principles for achieving a chemically safe society,
• be able to search for and evaluate relevant scientific information on risk assessments,
• evaluate and critically examine measurement data and theoretical interpretations of risk assessments, and
• evaluate the work with and goal fulfillment for multilateral environmental agreements.

Content

The course addresses the relationship between human and animal health and sustainable global development as well as the environment from an economic, ecological, and social perspective. Risk assessment of chemicals, as well as national and international agreements regarding environmental pollution are considered to provide an understanding of how environmentally hazardous substances are regulated in different ways to protect humans and the environment. The course provides a clear link between national and international chemical regulation and effects on the environment and human health based on global goals for sustainable development.

Module 1: Global sustainable development, 6 Credits

The first module introduces sustainable development as a concept and provides an overview of its ecological, economic, and social dimensions. Sustainability issues are raised from an ethical perspective and placed in a historical context, and further provide knowledge about current and future challenges to achieve sustainable development. The course also deals with chemical pollution in relation to other planetary boundaries, as well as different ways of measuring and evaluating sustainable development. The module also addresses theories of systems thinking to solve today's and tomorrow's environmental problems.

Module 2: Risk assessment, 5 Credits

The module focuses on how a scientifically based risk assessment of chemicals is carried out. The course includes practical assessment work based on current principles and practice regarding risk classification methods, including qualitative, quantitative, and cumulative methods. The course covers scientific methods for data generation and experimental tests, epidemiology, exposure assessment and chemical characterization. Also included is an overview of the scientific sources for toxicological data, important legislation and the various authorities working in the field.

Module 3: Multilateral environmental agreements, 4 Credits

The concluding module provides knowledge of the relationship between science and politics at an international level and the role of those multilateral environmental agreements in meeting the global sustainability goals. Emphasis is on technologies for maintaining environmental agreements and global chemical management. Further in-depth study is given on knowledge of global environmental pollution and methods for elimination and reduced production of environmentally hazardous chemicals.

Examinations and grades

Module 1: Global sustainable development

Global Sustainable Development, Theory, 4 credits (Code: A001)
Grades used are Fail (F), Sufficient (E), Satisfactory (D), Good (C), Very Good (B) or Excellent (A).

Global Sustainable Development, Practicals, 2 credits (Code: A002)
Grades used are Fail (U) or Pass (G).

Module 2: Risk assessment

Risk Assessment, Theory, 3 credits (Code: B001)
Grades used are Fail (F), Sufficient (E), Satisfactory (D), Good (C), Very Good (B) or Excellent (A).

Risk Assessment, Practicals, 2 credits (Code: B002)
Grades used are Fail (U) or Pass (G).

Module 3: Multilateral environmental agreements

Multilateral Environmental Agreements, Theory, 2.5 credits (Code: C001)
Grades used are Fail (F), Sufficient (E), Satisfactory (D), Good (C), Very Good (B) or Excellent (A).

Multilateral Environmental Agreements, Practicals, 1.5 credits (Code: C002)
Grades used are Fail (U) or Pass (G).

According to the Higher Education Ordinance, Chapter 6, Section 18, a grade is to be awarded on the completion of a course, unless otherwise prescribed by the university. The university may determine which grading system is to be used. The grade must be determined by a teacher specifically nominated by the university (the examiner).

In accordance with university regulations on grading systems for first and second-cycle courses and study programmes (Vice-Chancellor’s decision ORU 2018/00929), one of the following grades is to be used: fail (U), pass (G) or pass with distinction (VG). For courses included in an international master’s programme (60 or 120 credits) or offered to the university’s incoming exchange students, the A to F grading scale is to be used. The vice-chancellor, or a person appointed by them, may decide on exceptions from this provision for a specific course, if there are special grounds for doing so.

The grades used on this course are Fail (F), Sufficient (E), Satisfactory (D), Good (C), Very Good (B) or Excellent (A).

Comments on grades

In order to obtain a passing grade for the entire course, a minimum grade of E is required for all the included theoretical parts and Passed for the practical parts. The weighting of the examination assignments' grades is done by converting the letter grades A-E from the theoretical parts to the numbers 5-1 and adding them up to an average grade where the number of points that each part constitutes of the entire course's number of points is also weighed. The grade for the entire course is thus set by a weighted average of the theoretical course elements. In cases where the weighted average grades is exactly between two grade levels, the higher grade is given.

Modes of assessment

Module 1: Global sustainable development

• Global Sustainable Development, Theory (code A001): written assignment
• Global Sustainable Development, Practicals (code A002): Oral examination, written assignment and ongoing examniation

Module 2: Risk assessment

• Risk Assessment, Theory (code B001): Written exam
• Risk Assessment, Practicals (code B002): Oral examination, written assignment and ongoing examniation

Module 3: Multilateral environmental agreements

• Multilateral Environmental Agreements, Theory (code C001): written assignment
• Multilateral Environmental Agreements, Practicals (code C002): Oral examination, written assignment and ongoing examniation

If a student is absent from a mandatory course component, the examiner determines if the student will be able to make up for the component during another scheduled class of the same kind. Otherwise, the student is referred to the next time the course is offered. As an exception the examiner may decide on substitute assignments. These shall then be carried out before or shortly after the end of the course.

For students with a documented disability, the university may approve applications for adapted or other modes of assessment.

For further information, see the university's local examination regulations.

Specific entry requirements

A first-cycle qualification comprising at least 90 credits with successive specialization in a natural science area of which at least 60 credits with a progressive specialization in Chemistry. The applicant must also have qualifications corresponding to the course "English 6" or "English B" from the Swedish Upper Secondary School.

For further information, see the university's admission regulations.

Other provisions

The language of instruction is English.

Students who have been admitted to and registered on a course have the right to receive tuition and/or supervision for the duration of the time period specified for the particular course to which they were accepted (see, the university's admission regulations (in Swedish)). After that, the right to receive tuition and/or supervision expires.

Reading list and other learning resources

Module 1: Global sustainable development, 6 Credits

Additional Reading

Kaplan, Jed O et al (2009)
The prehistoric and preindustrial deforestation of Europe
Quaternary Science Reviews 28 (2009) 3016–3034

Klöpffer, Walter et al. (2014)
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) : A Guide to Best Practice
John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, 396 sidor

Meadows, Donella H. (2009)
Thinking in Systems
Earthscan, 210 sidor

Steffen, Will et al. (2011)
The Anthropocene: conceptual and historical perspectives
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A 369: 842–867

Stenmark, Mikael (2016)
Environmental Ethics and Policy-Making
Routledge, 161 sidor

White, Lynn (1967)
The Historical Roots of Our Ecologic Crisis
Science 155 (3767):1203-1207

Module 2: Risk assessment, 5 Credits

Additional Reading

REACH Förordning (EC) No 1907/2006
Retrieved from http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/SV/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32006R1907&from=SV

World Health Organization (2010)
WHO Human Health Risk Assessment Toolkit: Chemical Hazards
ISBN 978 92 4 154807 6, Fritt nedladdningsbar från WHO:s hemsida

Module 3: Multilateral environmental agreements, 4 Credits

Additional Reading

UNEP, Basel Convention
Basel Convention on Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Waste
Retrieved from https://www.basel.int/Portals/4/Basel%20Convention/docs/text/BaselConventionText-e.pdf

UNEP, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade
Retrieved from https://www.pic.int/Portals/5/download.aspx?d=UNEP-FAO-RC-CONVTEXT-2015.English.pdf

UNEP, Stockholm Convention
Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants
Retrieved from chm.pops.int/Portals/0/download.aspx?d=UNEP-POPS-COP-CONVTEXT-2009.En.pdf

UNEP, Minamata Convention on Mercury
Minamata Convention on Mercury
Retrieved from http://www.mercuryconvention.org/Portals/11/documents/conventionText/Minamata%20Convention%20on%20Mercury_e.pdf

UNEP, SAICM, World Health Organization
Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management
Retrieved from https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/SAICM_publication_ENG.pdf

Wexler, P et al (2011)
Chemicals, Environment, Health : A Global Management Perspective
Taylor & Francis Group

Additions and Comments on the Reading List

Compendiums, articles and other material will be added.