Course Descriptions

This unique course provides an overview of the history of toxicology told through stories and case studies covering pivotal and transformative events and discoveries through time. Topics include high profile poisonings in ancient and modern times, natural poisons, classical examples of industrial and environmental pollution, current issues, and important discoveries that led to the development of the field of toxicology and the creation of national regulatory agencies and guidelines. The use of case studies provides students with exciting and memorable examples of how poisons and pollutants have changed history and had important influences at regional, national and international scales. No previous knowledge of toxicology is required.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Note: Students may not have more than 75 credit units of university courses before registering in this course. Students with credit for TOX 200.3 or TOX 220.3 may not take this course for credit.

Toxicology in Practice is designed to provide students with hands-on and experiential learning opportunities in some of the most common test methods and techniques used by researchers and risk assessors to evaluate the effects of toxic substances on biological systems. Students will conduct experiments and apply foundational toxicology and risk assessment concepts and practice experimental design, data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Key concepts are emphasized through application of these methods to contemporary real-world examples.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours and 4 Practicum/Lab hours
Prerequisite(s): BIOL 120.3 and CHEM 112.3.
Note: TOX 110 is recommended.

Offered occasionally by visiting faculty and in other special situations. Students interested in these courses should contact the department for more information.

Weekly hours: 3 Seminar/Discussion hours

Offered occasionally by visiting faculty and in other special situations. Students interested in these courses should contact the department for more information.

Weekly hours: 6 Seminar/Discussion hours

An introduction to the general principles of toxicology. Salient topics include: dose-response relationships, toxicokinetics, target toxicity, mechanisms of toxic action, general principles of toxicity testing, and mechanisms of action of antidotes.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): BIOL 224.3 or BMSC 208.3.
Note: Open to all students. Students with credit for VBMS 300 may not take this course for credit.

A discussion of major environmental pollutants, their sources, interactions with atmospheric, terrestrial and aquatic systems, exposure of people, animals and other biota, and their dose-response relationships. Some of the physical and chemical changes induced in the environment by pollutants, contaminant fate and transport, and bioremediation are also discussed.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): BIOL 120.3, BIOL 121.3 and CHEM 112.3.

This course will provide an overview of the sources, fate and effects of toxicants in the aquatic environment. Material will center around prevailing issues reported in the popular news media associated with modern and legacy contaminants, and will illustrate how laboratory and field testing can be combined to assess and predict effects on organisms.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): BIOL 120.3, BIOL 121.3 and CHEM 112.3
Note: TOX 300.3 is recommended.

Discusses natural and artificially produced radionuclides, units of radiation measurement, processes of decay and fission, interaction of radiation with matter, doses, risks of effects, and radionuclide transfer through ecosystems. Provides students with the knowledge to assess potential environmental impacts and health hazards from exposure to ionizing radiation from natural background, uranium mining and medical sources. A 2 hour tutorial once a week is included.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours and 2 Tutorial hours
Prerequisite(s): BIOL 120.3, BIOL 121.3 and CHEM 112.3 or PHYS 115.3.
Note: Students with credit for TOX 810 will not receive credit for this course.

An introduction to human health and ecological risk assessment and an overview of Canadian and international regulatory requirements for the registration of new products, focussing on safety assessment/toxicity testing of pesticides and human pharmaceuticals, and basic principles of occupational health and industrial hygiene.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): 6 credit units BIOL and 6 credit units CHEM.
Note: TOX 300 and TOX 301 recommended.

Offered occasionally by visiting faculty and in other special situations. Students interested in these courses should contact the department for more information.

Weekly hours: 3 Seminar/Discussion hours

Offered occasionally by visiting faculty and in other special situations. Students interested in these courses should contact the department for more information.

Weekly hours: 6 Seminar/Discussion hours

This course provides students with the knowledge and tools required to design, evaluate and interpret toxicological studies. Students will learn how to identify putative causes of adverse effects, design experiments to evaluate these causes and how to estimate, and communicate about, how toxicant concentrations are linked to adverse effects. The course will include test designs at the organism, population and ecological levels of organization by using examples drawn from human and ecological toxicological disciplines. At the conclusion of this course, students will have gained an understanding of how human and ecological toxicity tests are designed, interpreted and communicated.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): TOX 300.3, TOX 301.3; and one of STAT 245.3, STAT 246.3 or PLSC 214.3

This course will provide an overview of the types of injury produced in specific organs by chemical stressors. We discuss how structural and functional changes at the molecular, cellular, tissue, and organ level can alter organ system function to produce adverse effects (e.g. disease). Students will become familiar with traditional biomarkers of organ injury as well as introduced to new approach methods in systems toxicological assessment. The course is organized into modules according to target organ systems with focus on adverse effects in mammals.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): TOX 300.3

An overview of the occurrence, mechanisms of action and clinical effects of commonly encountered plant toxins, mycotoxins, poisonous mushrooms, algal toxins, bacterial toxins, and zootoxins (venomous and poisonous snakes, fish, arthropods, and marine invertebrates).

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): TOX 300.3

This course will provide an overview of 21st-century approaches in toxicology covering all levels of biological organization, from molecules to ecosystems. “Omics” methods to explore the impacts of chemical stressors on the diversity of transcripts (transcriptomics), proteins (proteomics), and metabolites (metabolomics) will be particularly emphasized. Exciting novel concepts, such as epigenetics and environmental DNA (eDNA) will be introduced and their use in toxicology and chemical risk assessment discussed. Last, students will be acquainted with various computational tools required to process the very large datasets resulting from these methods.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): TOX 300 and 3 credit units of 300- or 400-level TOX courses; or permission of the instructor.
Note: Students with credit for TOX 498.3 21st Century Methods in Toxicology or TOX 805 may not take this course for credit.

An introduction to major categories, sources, routes of exposure, metabolism, mechanisms of action and toxic effects on people and ecosystems of common industrial organic chemicals, pesticides and metals. Emphasis will be placed on pollutants and industries of relevance to Canada.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): TOX 300.3
Note: TOX 301.3 recommended.

Provides students an opportunity to evaluate practical toxicology/ecotoxicology problems associated with Saskatchewan and northern ecosystems. Students will be presented with specific toxicological questions or case studies of current relevance which will be examined using research data and library facilities. Written and oral presentations will be required for each problem.

Prerequisite(s): TOX 300.3 and TOX 301.3

Students will work on a laboratory, field, library, or theoretical study under the supervision of a faculty member from the Toxicology Group. Each individual project requires approval of a research proposal by the Toxicology Chair in the term preceding registration before permission will be granted. A thorough, written report in thesis format describing the project and the summarized results submitted at the end of the project will be evaluated by the supervisor.

Weekly hours: 3 Practicum/Lab hours
Permission of the department required.
Prerequisite(s): TOX 300.3 and TOX 301.3
Note: Students with credit for TOX 481.3 may not take this course for credit. This course is only open to Honours students in the fourth year of their Toxicology program, unless special permission has been granted by the Toxicology Chair.

Students will work on a toxicology research project under the supervision of a faculty member from the Toxicology Group. Each project requires approval of a research proposal by the Toxicology Chair prior to registration. A written report in thesis format must be submitted at the end of the project.

Weekly hours: 6 Practicum/Lab hours
Permission of the department required.
Prerequisite(s): TOX 300.3 and TOX 301.3
Note: Students with credit for TOX 480.3 may not take this course for credit. This course is only open to Honours students in the fourth year of their Toxicology program, unless special permission has been granted by the Toxicology Chair.

Seminar presentations by visitors, faculty and students on a broad selection of toxicology issues. Fourth-year students in the Undergraduate Toxicology Program will be required to present one seminar and attend all seminars throughout the full academic year.

Weekly hours: 1 Seminar/Discussion hours
Prerequisite(s): TOX 300.3 and TOX 301.3

Offered occasionally by visiting faculty and in other special situations to cover, in depth, topics that are not thoroughly covered in regularly offered courses.

Weekly hours: 3 Seminar/Discussion hours

Offered occasionally by visiting faculty and in other special situations. Students interested in these courses should contact the department for more information.

Weekly hours: 6 Seminar/Discussion hours

This course will provide an overview of 21st-century approaches in toxicology covering all levels of biological organization, from molecules to ecosystems. “Omics” methods to explore the impacts of chemical stressors on the diversity of transcripts (transcriptomics), proteins (proteomics), and metabolites (metabolomics) will be particularly emphasized. Exciting novel concepts, such as epigenetics and environmental DNA (eDNA) will be introduced and their use in toxicology and chemical risk assessment discussed. Last, students will be acquainted with various computational tools required to process the very large datasets resulting from these methods.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): Toxicology undergraduate degree/major, or permission from the instructor on a case-by-case basis.
Note: This course is a hybrid course with TOX 405, and this course cannot be taken for credit after previously taking TOX 405.

Describes the basic properties of ionizing radiation, the interaction of radiation with matter, radiation detection, units and dosimetry. Discusses the natural radiation environment, radioactivity and its distribution and accumulation by chemical and biological processes. Presents the biological effects of radiation, particularly carcinogenesis, both at the epidemiological and molecular level.

Prerequisite(s): Toxicological, Pharmaceutical, Biomedical Science or Imaging Science (including Radiology and Medical Imaging) student majors.
Note: This course is a hybrid course with TOX 310, and this course cannot be taken for credit after previously taking TOX 310.

Students will gain a comprehensive understanding of various biochemical mechanisms of toxicity, from both biomedical (human) and ecotoxicological perspectives. The focus will be on applying basic knowledge of biochemistry and physiology to the science of toxicology. Classes will involve discussions on topics related to the current scientific literature.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours

Provides students with an understanding of the processes that control the movement of organic and inorganic contaminants in the atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere and will also provide an understanding of the methods used to monitor environmental behavior of potentially toxic contaminants in biotic and abiotic matrices.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): One course in ecology or environmental biology and one course in general or environmental chemistry, or permission of the instructor and student's advisor/advisory committee.
Note: Students with credit for ENVS 816 or ENVS 819 or ENVS 823 will not receive credit for this course.

Provides theoretical background and hands-on experience in methods and techniques typically applied by toxicology professionals in academia, industry, and government. It is a modular course that covers a broad spectrum of procedures, ranging from proper handling of field equipment to biological test methods and analytical processing of samples.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Permission of course coordinator required.
Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of Laboratory Safety course and GSR 962.

This course introduces the concept of chemical risk assessment and provides an overview of current frameworks considered by regulatory authorities. Students will develop a common vocabulary and basic understanding of risk assessment and its use in decision making. The initial phase of a risk assessment, the Problem Formulation phase, is emphasized.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Restriction(s): Open to School of Environment and Sustainability (SENS) and Toxicology students, and other students by permission.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of the instructor; Students need a bachelor's degree in a science-related discipline (e.g., environmental science, toxicology, biology, chemistry, health sciences, or a related discipline), or they must have equivalent scientific and technical experience from work or other educational and training program.

This course presents and discusses classic historical cases or topics in toxicology from a risk perspective. It focuses on lessons learned and how that has helped improve current chemical risk assessment principles and approaches. It also covers key regulatory systems and discusses similarities and differences in approaches. The importance of proper Problem Formulation is emphasized.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Restriction(s): Open to School of Environment and Sustainability (SENS) and Toxicology students, and other students by permission.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of the instructor; Students need a bachelor's degree in a science-related discipline (e.g., environmental science, toxicology, biology, chemistry, health sciences, or a related discipline), or they must have equivalent scientific and technical experience from work or other educational and training program.

The course will introduce students to the variety of organic and inorganic chemicals that can be of concern from an ecological risk assessment perspective. By looking at the major classes of chemicals, students will be introduced to the concepts of chemical sources and emissions, chemical movement or transport in the environment, and the ultimate degradation of chemicals or their final resting place in environmental reservoirs.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Restriction(s): Open to School of Environment and Sustainability (SENS) and Toxicology students, and other students by permission.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of the instructor; Students need a bachelor's degree in a science-related discipline (e.g., environmental science, toxicology, biology, chemistry, health sciences, or a related discipline), or they must have equivalent scientific and technical experience from work or other educational and training program.

This course will introduce students to the fundamental principles of toxicology and ecotoxicology, including toxicodynamics, systemic toxicology, molecular-, cellular-, organ-, individual- and population-level effects, mechanisms of toxicity, estimation of toxicity endpoints and benchmarks, direct and indirect effects, bioavailability and bioaccumulation, experimental approaches for generation of ecotoxicity data, categories of pollutants (case studies), assessment of terrestrial and aquatic systems, functional ecosystem endpoints, and energy transfer in ecosystems.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Restriction(s): Open to School of Environment and Sustainability (SENS) and Toxicology students, and other students by permission.
Prerequisite(s): TOX 870.3 and TOX 871.3

Human health risk assessment is now playing a major role in the environmental management of chemicals, from both operational and regulatory perspectives. The quantitative assessment of potential health risk is now routine for chemicals in ambient air, indoor air, drinking water, commercial and country foods, soil, indoor dust, and innumerable consumer products (drugs, medical and dental devices and materials, pesticides, cosmetics, natural health products (nutraceuticals), tobacco products, nutritional supplements, building materials, paints, and coatings, etc.). This course will provide the knowledge necessary to conduct, evaluate, and interpret human exposure assessments of chemicals present in both natural and built environments.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Restriction(s): Open to School of Environment and Sustainability (SENS) and Toxicology students, and other students by permission.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of the instructor; Students need a bachelor's degree in a science-related discipline (e.g., environmental science, toxicology, biology, chemistry, health sciences, or a related discipline), or they must have equivalent scientific and technical experience from work or other educational and training program.

Human hazard characterization begins after a toxicological or epidemiological study has identified the most sensitive organ/receptor and the dose at which this organ is adversely affected. Based on that dose, human hazard assessment must then transfer this knowledge to a form that can be used to assess the risk to humans based on a dose. This course will provide the expertise necessary to derive an estimate of a safe human exposure dose based on a key toxicological study.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Restriction(s): Open to School of Environment and Sustainability (SENS) and Toxicology students, and other students by permission.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of the instructor; Students need a bachelor's degree in a science-related discipline (e.g., environmental science, toxicology, biology, chemistry, health sciences, or a related discipline), or they must have equivalent scientific and technical experience from work or other educational and training program.

The course will introduce students to the most commonly applied approaches, predictive models, and computational tools to characterize chemical exposure and hazard. Particular emphasis will be placed on understanding of uncertainties and limitations of models, as well as the process for selecting models of an adequate level of complexity for the task at hand.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Restriction(s): Open to School of Environment and Sustainability (SENS) and Toxicology students, and other students by permission.
Prerequisite(s): TOX 872.3 and TOX 873.3.

In this course, students apply the skills they have obtained in earlier courses related to characterizing the exposome to real-world risk assessment scenarios. This will be achieved by engaging students in an active learning experience that is modeled after a typical project life cycle as would be common in a professional work environment. This active learning experience will take place in collaboration with an academic mentor from either the University of Saskatchewan or Aarhus University.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Restriction(s): Open to School of Environment and Sustainability (SENS) and Toxicology students, and other students by permission.
Prerequisite(s): TOX 872.3 and TOX 873.3.

In this course students apply the skills they have obtained in earlier courses related to characterizing hazards of chemicals based on real-world risk assessment scenarios. This will be achieved by engaging students in an active learning experience that is modeled after a typical project life cycle as would be common in a professional work environment. This active learning experience will take place in collaboration with an academic mentor from either the University of Saskatchewan or Aarhus University.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Restriction(s): Open to School of Environment and Sustainability (SENS) and Toxicology students, and other students by permission
Prerequisite(s):TOX 872.3, TOX 873.3

This course will introduce students to major global regulatory frameworks that play a key role in how risk assessments are conducted to support regulatory and policy related decision making. The focus will be on North American and European frameworks, but there will be some exposure to other regulatory frameworks used elsewhere in the world. Students will also have the opportunity to explore such frameworks in more detail themselves in the case studies they will be working on as part of their assignments.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Restriction(s): Open to School of Environment and Sustainability (SENS) and Toxicology students, and other students by permission.
Prerequisite(s): TOX 870.3 and TOX 871.3.

This course pulls together key material from all previous courses in the Chemical Risk Assessment program and discusses how it is integrated into a final risk characterization. It also covers risk perception, communication and management, and New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) poised to play key roles in future chemical risk assessments and nascent sustainable chemical policies. A final project proposal is also developed.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Restriction(s): Open to School of Environment and Sustainability (SENS) and Toxicology students, and other students by permission.
Prerequisite(s): Students must have completed TOX 870.3 and TOX 876.3 and at least 2 other courses (6 CU) from the Chemical Risk Assessment (MRA) program to enroll in this course or have obtained comparable knowledge through employment or other training.

This course consists entirely of a single, complete risk assessment performed by students working in small groups. The assessment can be either prospective or retrospective in nature but must be based on a real situation. Each group will be paired with another group, and they shall provide constructive feedback to each other on drafts during the writing process.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Restriction(s): Open to School of Environment and Sustainability (SENS) and Toxicology students, and other students by permission
Prerequisite(s): TOX 880.3 and at least 18 credit units of other course work in the MRA program.

This course will introduce students to key principles for designing robust environmental effects studies from industrial activities on the landscape, and the regulatory frameworks requiring these programs. It will cover selection of appropriate ecological effects and measurable parameters (endpoints) that can be used for pre-construction environmental assessments in regulatory approval applications, post-construction environmental effects monitoring programs, and post-project restoration.

Prerequisite(s): Undergraduate degree in biology, toxicology, environmental sciences or other related disciplines.
Note: This course is designed to complement GEOG 885 (Environmental Impact Assessment), and students are encouraged to take both courses.

Offered occasionally by existing and visiting faculty, and in other special situations to cover, in depth, topics that are not thoroughly covered in regularly offered courses.

Weekly seminars presented by graduate students and invited speakers. Graduate students are required to attend and to present seminars.

Students writing a Master's thesis must register for this course.

Students writing a Ph.D. thesis must register for this course.