Environment & Public Health

Course Information:

Course ID: AB-302
Type of Course: Elective
Semester: Fall
ΕCTS: 9

Instructor: Associate Professor D. Venieri

Recommended Reading:

  • «Environmental Microbiology» Raina M. Maier, Ian L. Pepper, Charles P. Gerba, Academic Press, ISBN-13: 978-0-12-497570-5, ISBN-10: 0-12-497570-4
  • «Water Treatment and Pathogen Control»,MW LeChevallier, Kwok-Keung Au, ISBN: 9781843390695
    Page URL: http://www.iwapublishing.com/template.cfm?name=isbn1843390698,

Eclass:

  • Registration required

Course objectives:

The overall objectives of the course are to define the important microbes involved in environmental microbiology, the nature of the different environments in which the microbes are situated and the methodologies used to monitor the microbes and their activities and, finally, to evaluate their effects on human activities. 

Syllabus:

1st Week Introduction to microbiology of the aquatic environment. Taxonomic classification of microorganisms. Viruses - Eubacteria – Archaea – Fungi – Protozoa – Algae.
2nd Week: Cell structure – chemical composition of biological systems. Metabolic pathways in microbial cells.
3rd Week Microbial growth kinetics. Batch cultures – Continuous culture of microorganisms.
4th Week Microbial growth in the environment. Heterogeneous microbial populations - Biofilms.
5th Week Microbial habitats (earth environments, aeromicrobiology, aquatic environments, extreme environments). Methods & techniques for the detection, enumeration and identification of microorganisms.
6th Week: Public health microbiology. Elements of epidemiology (chain of infection, types and reservoir of infectious agent, mode of transmission, host susceptibility). Pathogens found in the aquatic environment (water/wastewater) – Bacteria: Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., Yersinia enterocolitica, E. coli, Campylobacter spp., Vibrio cholerae.
7th Week: Pathogens found in the aquatic environment (water/wastewater) – Parasites: Giardia lamblia, Cryptosporidium spp., Entamoeba histolytica – Viruses: entroviruses, adenoviruses, noroviruses.
8th Week: The use of microorganisms for bioremediation purposes.
9th Week: Wastewater and water treatment microbiology. Disinfection. Microbiology and public health aspects of wastewater disposal and reuse.
10th Week: Water & public health. Dispersion of antibiotic resistance into the aquatic environment.
11th Week: Food microbiology. HACCP system.
12th Week: Fecal source tracking methodology and techniques.
13th Week: Projects presentation

Work Load:

Projects: Individual or group projects are assigned according to the number of students.

Assessment method:

  • Projects (40%)
  • Final exam (60%)

Last modification: 09-10-2018