PUBH 6100: Environmental Health
Course Description
This accelerated graduate course provides a foundational understanding of environmental health sciences and their critical role in public health. Students explore the interrelationships between human populations and the natural and built environments, focusing on major hazards (biological, chemical, physical), exposure pathways, toxicology, risk assessment, and management strategies. Key emphases include environmental justice, health equity, climate change impacts, policy/regulatory frameworks, and evidence-based prevention and control measures.Through intensive readings, case analyses, discussions, data exercises, and practical assignments, students develop competencies to identify, assess, and address environmental health threats across local to global scales. The course prepares advanced practice public health professionals for integrating environmental considerations into program planning, policy advocacy, and interdisciplinary practice.Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisites: PUBH 3001 (Fundamentals of Public Health) or equivalent; basic epidemiology recommended.
Format: Accelerated online/hybrid (8 weeks); weekly modules with asynchronous discussions, multimedia, and applied activities. Expect a rigorous pace with substantial weekly reading and assignments.
Course Objectives / Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will be able to:Describe core principles, hazards, and exposure pathways in environmental health and their links to population health outcomes.
Apply concepts of toxicology, exposure assessment, and risk assessment to evaluate environmental threats.
Analyze the public health impacts of key issues including air/water quality, climate change, and the built environment.
Evaluate environmental policies, regulations, and management strategies, including considerations for equity and justice.
Propose evidence-based interventions and risk communication approaches for environmental health challenges.
Synthesize multi-level factors (individual to global) affecting environmental health and recommend integrated solutions.
Required ResourcesPrimary Textbook: Frumkin, H. (Ed.). Environmental Health: From Global to Local (latest edition). Jossey-Bass/Wiley.
Additional: CDC, EPA, WHO reports; peer-reviewed articles and case studies (via LMS).
Supplemental tools: EPA EJScreen, CDC Environmental Public Health Tracking, ATSDR resources.
Weekly StructureEach week features assigned readings (textbook chapters + 1–3 articles/reports), multimedia, one Weekly Discussion (initial post + 2–3 substantive replies), and one focused Assignment/Activity. The pace is accelerated, with foundational concepts front-loaded and synthesis/application emphasized in later weeks. A major culminating project replaces multiple smaller assessments.
Week 1: Introduction to Environmental Health – Principles, History, and Core Functions
Discussion: Introduce yourself and identify a current environmental health issue in your community or the news. Why is environmental health foundational to public health practice? Respond to at least two peers.
Assignment: Complete a self-paced introductory module or overview (e.g., CDC environmental health basics) and submit a 1–2 page reflection on personal learning goals and one key historical achievement in the field.
Week 2: Environmental Hazards and Exposure Pathways (Biological, Chemical, Physical)
Discussion: Compare biological, chemical, and physical hazards with examples of exposure routes (inhalation, ingestion, dermal). How do these contribute to population-level health burdens?
Assignment: Hazard summary: Select one agent from each category, describe sources/pathways/health effects using reliable sources (e.g., ATSDR), and submit a concise written analysis (2–3 pages).
Week 3: Toxicology, Dose-Response, and Risk Assessment
Discussion: Explain key toxicological principles (e.g., dose-response, thresholds) and the four-step risk assessment process. Apply to a real-world environmental exposure example and discuss limitations.
Assignment: Perform a basic qualitative/quantitative risk assessment on a provided or chosen scenario; submit with supporting rationale and data interpretation.
Week 4: Air and Water Quality – Pollutants, Monitoring, and Health Impacts
Discussion: Analyze major air and water contaminants, sources, and associated health effects. Discuss regulatory standards (e.g., NAAQS, Safe Drinking Water Act) and lessons from historical cases (e.g., Flint or air pollution events).
Assignment: Analyze public environmental data (e.g., local air/water quality via EPA or CDC tools) and propose one targeted public health intervention (written summary + visuals).
Week 5: Food Safety, Built Environment, Vector-Borne Issues, and Occupational OverlapsDiscussion: How do the food system, built environment, and workplace settings intersect with environmental health? Provide examples of prevention strategies for foodborne illness, vectors, or occupational hazards.
Assignment: Case study analysis: Evaluate a provided outbreak or exposure incident and outline control measures using the hierarchy of controls or similar frameworks.
Week 6: Environmental Justice, Health Equity, and Vulnerable Populations
Discussion: Define environmental justice and discuss disproportionate impacts on marginalized communities. How should public health professionals address equity in environmental decision-making? Include examples.
Assignment: Annotated bibliography (4–5 sources) on an environmental justice case, highlighting disparities, policy gaps, and nursing/public health implications.
Week 7: Climate Change, Emerging Issues, Policy, and Risk Communication
Discussion: Evaluate the public health consequences of climate change and other emerging threats. Discuss adaptation strategies, policy tools (e.g., Clean Air Act extensions), and best practices for risk communication amid uncertainty.
Assignment: Draft a risk communication plan or policy brief for a chosen environmental health threat, incorporating equity considerations.
Week 8: Course Synthesis, Implementation, and Culminating Project
Discussion: Reflect on how environmental health integrates with other public health domains (e.g., behavior theory from PUBH 3202 or fundamentals from PUBH 3001). What is one key insight or strategy you will apply in future practice? Respond thoughtfully to peers.
Assignment: Culminating Project – Environmental Health Issue Analysis Presentation or Paper (10–15 slides or 8–10 pages): Select a current environmental health issue, apply risk assessment principles, discuss hazards/determinants/disparities, evaluate existing policies/interventions, and propose evidence-based recommendations with visuals and references. Demonstrate integration of course concepts. (This serves as the major project; weighted heavily.)Grading Breakdown (Example)Weekly Discussions: 25% (quality and engagement)
Weekly Assignments/Reflections: 40%
Culminating Project: 35%
Total: 100%This 8-week format condenses the 15-week version by merging related hazard and application topics while preserving progressive skill-building—from foundational knowledge and assessment tools to equity-focused analysis and synthesis. It emphasizes active learning suitable for accelerated graduate students.
