Chemicals and Health

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/chemicals-health

Introduction

### Course Review: Chemicals and Health **Platform:** Coursera **Duration:** 6 Weeks **Level:** Beginner to Intermediate If you've ever wondered how the chemicals in your environment affect your health, the **Chemicals and Health** course on Coursera is designed for you. Offered by [University Name], this engaging course delves into the world of chemicals—where they come from, how we encounter them, and their potential repercussions on our well-being. Here’s a detailed review covering the course overview, content, delivery, and my recommendation. #### Course Overview This course aims to equip learners with a fundamental understanding of the chemistry that surrounds us and how it contributes to our health. It facilitates a comprehensive examination of various themes, including: - **Exposure**: How chemicals enter our bodies - **Toxicology**: The effects of chemicals on human biology - **Biomonitoring**: Methods for measuring chemical substances within us - **Health Impact**: Recognizing how chemistry correlates with health outcomes - **Policy**: Understanding regulations surrounding chemical use and exposure The primary focus is on examples, predominantly from the United States, making it particularly relevant for learners from this region. #### Syllabus Breakdown **Week 1: Welcome & Introduction** The first week is all about setting the stage. Starting with a peer assessment, it encourages participants to establish a baseline understanding of the material. A blend of lectures kicks off discussions about types of chemicals, exposure pathways, and an overview of manufacturing regulations. The highlight includes a short, engaging video that prompts discussion among peers. **Week 2: Toxicology** Week two dives into toxicology, guiding learners through the science that explains how chemicals affect health. Participants will learn to assess the risks associated with various substances while engaging in peer evaluations of written submissions, enhancing both knowledge and community connection. **Week 3: Biomonitoring** This week introduces the National Biomonitoring Program by the CDC, emphasizing how chemicals are measured in bodies and communities. The combination of videos and articles enriches the learning experience, prompting critical engagement with the course material and peer interactions. **Week 4: Health Effects of Chemicals** Understanding how toxins affect health becomes the primary focus this week. Real-world applications are explored, integrating lectures from specialists in environmental health. Through a quiz at the week’s end, learners assess their grasp of the key concepts. **Week 5: Chemicals Policy** This week emphasizes policy regulation and its historical context, particularly regarding air quality in the U.S. Engaging content from non-profit groups provides learners with a holistic view of how societal efforts can shape regulations that protect health. **Week 6: Case Studies** The final week brings together all previous learnings through case studies on pressing issues like tobacco exposure, drinking water contamination, and nanotechnology. The course culminates in a reflective assessment where learners evaluate each other's understanding of the intricate relationship between chemicals, health, and policy. #### Delivery and Engagement The course is structured to encourage active participation and peer-to-peer learning, providing a community feeling that enhances the educational experience. The combination of video lectures, readings, quizzes, and peer assessments creates a well-rounded mix that caters to different learning styles. #### Recommendation I highly recommend the **Chemicals and Health** course to anyone interested in environmental health, public policy, or the science of toxicology. It's suitable for beginners and those curious about the complexities of chemical exposure in daily life. The structured syllabus guides learners progressively, making the content digestible, while quizzes and peer assessments keep engagement high. With a wealth of information presented accessibly, this course stands out not only for its academic rigor but also for its practical relevance. Whether you’re a student, a health professional, or simply someone eager to understand the impacts of chemicals in your environment, this course will provide valuable insights and a framework to think critically about chemicals and health relationships. **Final Rating: 9/10** The course is a comprehensive, valuable asset for understanding the pivotal role that chemicals play in our health, equipped with expert knowledge and real-world implications. Don't miss the opportunity to broaden your understanding of this crucial topic!

Syllabus

Week 1: Welcome & Introduction

Start off this week with the peer assessment (we know, we know. . .how can we have an assessment before the course even starts, right?). We simply hope to gauge your initial understanding of the topics that we’ll cover (so grade easy). Then we get into a quick overview of the course, a discussion of chemicals & how we are exposed (in three parts) and an introduction to chemical production & regulation. The module ends with a fun homework assignment: watch an eight-minute video and discuss amongst yourselves (and with us too).

Now that you have a sense of what a chemical is, and how we are exposed to them, we dive into the science of how chemicals impact our health, starting with toxicology. But before you dive into the study of poisons, please review, evaluate, and grade at least four of your classmates' submissions from last week. After you listen to the lectures by Professor Trush, take the ten-question/multiple-choice quiz that covers weeks 1 & 2. Feel free to go back and use the lectures to help you answer the questions.

Start by watching a two-minute video and a five-minute news report. Post your reactions not only to the video and audio files, but also to your peers’ thoughts! Next you’ll hear from a CDC scientist about the US’ National Biomonitoring Program, then you’ll hear how that program translates to the local level. Be sure to keep in mind the relationship of communities to their government! This week is pretty light – so enjoy!

Finally we get to one of the main questions presented in this course - how do scientists assess the impact of chemicals on our health? You’ll hear from a physician who specializes in environmental & occupational medicine and epidemiology. Then you’ll hear how policymakers use the knowledge that we do have (about chemicals & health) to assess risk and drive policy. Once you’ve viewed the two lectures, another ten-question/multiple-choice quiz will assess how much information you absorbed from weeks 3 and 4. Feel free to go back and use the lectures to help you answer the questions.

So far we’ve covered: how chemicals get into our bodies and how we measure them, what our bodies do with them and what they do to our bodies, and how that ultimately impacts our health. Now we turn to policy and how society addresses the impact of chemicals on health. We will hear from a non-profit group that works to change policies such as laws & regulations related to this area. Then we’ll hear how such changes have impacted our health and environment historically, looking specifically at air quality regulation in the US. After you view the lectures in Module 5, there is a second peer-reviewed writing assessment that aims to gauge your shift in understanding the complex relationship between chemicals and health (again grade each other generously).

At this point you may be wondering: so how do all these pieces fit together? From chemicals in our natural world to production on a large scale, through exposure to health effects and policy . . . this module provides real world examples of how the general public, scientists, industry, governments and non-profit groups come together to effect change. Specifically, we’ll hear about tobacco, contaminated food, drinking water, nanotechnology & worker health. At some point this week (either before, after or in-between listening to the case studies), you’ll need to review, evaluate, and grade at least four of your classmates' submissions from last week. The final lecture offers a summary & conclusion, hopefully providing ideas for next steps for those of you interested in learning or doing more related to chemicals & health. Please let us know how we did and how we can improve!