Toxicology

- Knowledge of the general mechanisms of action of chemical substances, both homogeneous and heterogeneous ones on organic systems.
- Knowledge of the risks of a continuous exposure to chemical agent on the human body.
- Assessment of that exposure on food and its repercussion on humans as users.
- To be able to differentiate scientifically about the benefit/risk balance of what it can represent the presence of certain substances added during the processes of food preparation.
As additional objectives it is important that students can:
- Discover the importance of the discipline in the studies of Nutrition and Dietary and their professional future.
- Acquire the specific toxicological vocabulary and terminology.
- Be concern by topics of general and/or social interest in relation with toxicology with repercussions on human health
- Use critically bibliographic sources.
- Encourage investigation on the Area of Toxicology
To sum up, it is intended that students can know the possible toxicological risks derived from food intake.

Part I. General Toxicology

1.- Toxicology: History, development and concept. Sciences related with Toxicology. Types and classification of Toxicology. Food Toxicology: framework and concept.

2.- Concept of toxicology: factors influencing in them. Classification of toxic substances. Types of intoxications.

3.- Mechanism of toxic action. Toxicokinetics

4. Toxicodynamics.

5.- Procedures of toxicological assessment: objectives. Study of general effects.

6.- Study of specific effects: carcinogenesis, mutagenesis and teratogenesis.

Part II. Descriptive aspects.

7.- Health risks caused by food. Classification of food toxins according to the source. Natural substances harmful to food.

8.- Toxicological study on fungus. Descriptive and physiopathological aspects.
Molecular

9.- Toxicological study on metals (I). Toxic aspects of lead. Toxic aspects of mercury.

10.- Toxicological study on metals (II). Toxic aspects of arsenic. Toxic aspects of cadmium.

11.- Toxicological study on nitrates, nitrites and nitrosamines.

12.- Toxicological study on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heterocyclic amine.

13.- Toxicological study on biphenyl and dioxin.

14.- Toxicological study on pesticides. Assessment of the benefit-risk when using them.

15.- Toxicological study on organochlorine compound. Classification.

16.- Toxicological study on organophosphorus insecticide and others. Classification.

17.- Toxicological study about materials in contact with food.

18.- Food additives. Levels and risks of residues transported by aliments. Assessment of risks.

19.- Feeding and cancer. Prevention.



PROGRAMME OF PRACTICAL CLASSES

1.- Research of nitrates: interpretation of water potability (UV spectrophotometry)

2.- Research of micropullutant in honey: residues of organophosphorus pesticides (gaseous chromatography).

3.- Toxicological analysis in biological samples herbicides: paraquat and diquat (VIS spectrophotometry).

4.-Assessment according to current legislation on hazardous chemicals.


SEMINARS:

Study of different toxic that may be present in food. Analysis of the allowable limits of these toxic under current legislation.

GROUP WORK:

The students will work in groups to have as topics related to the subject aspects, assumptions, etc., which they should to present in class.

BASIC BIBLIOGRAPHY:

CALVO, M; MENDOZA, E. Toxicología de los Alimentos. Ed. McGraw-Hill. México.2012.
CAMEÁN, A; MENCÍA, A.; MORENO, I.; PICHARDO, S.; PRIETO, A. Estudiando Toxicología a través de preguntas objetivas: tipo test. Ed. Manuales Universitarios. 2ª ed. Sevilla. 2015.
CAMEÁN, A; REPETTO, M. Toxicología Alimentaria. Ed. Díaz de Santos. Madrid. 2006.
CHANG, L.W. Toxicology of metals. Ed. Lewis Publishers. Boca Ratón. 1996
CONCON, J.M. Food Toxicology: Part A y B. Marcel Dekker Inc. Nueva York. 1988.
DERACHE, R. Toxicología y seguridad de los alimentos. Ed. Omega. Barcelona. 1990.
GARCÍA FERNÁNDEZ, M.A. Unidade didáctica 11. Estudio toxicolóxico de nitratos, nitritos e nitrosamionas. Servicio de Publicacións e Intercambio Científico da Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 2014.
HODGSON, E.; SMART, R.C. Introduction to Biochemical Toxicology. 3ª ed. Ed. Wiley-Interscience, Nueva York. 2001.
KLAASSEN, C.D. CASARETT & DOULL'S TOXICOLOGY: The Basic Science of Poisons. Ed. McGraw-Hill. 9ª ed. New York, 2018.
KLAASSEN, C.D.; WATKINS, J.B. Casarett y Doull. Essentials of Toxicology. Ed. McGraw-Hill. 4ª ed. New York, 2021.
KLAASSEN, C.D.; WATKINS, J.B. Casarett y Doull. Fundamentos de Toxicología. Edición en español revisada por M. López-Rivadulla. Ed. McGraw-Hill Interamericana. Madrid. 2005.
LINDNER, E. Toxicología de los alimentos. 2ª ed. Ed. Acribia. Zaragoza. 1995.
LOOMIS, T.A. Fundamentos de Toxicología. Ed. Acribia. Zaragoza. 1982.
NIESINK, R.J.M.; DE VRIES J.; HOLLINGER, M.A. Toxicology: principles and applications. CRC Press. Boca Raton. 1996.
REPETTO, M. Toxicología Avanzada. Díaz de Santos. Madrid. 1995.
REPETTO, M.; REPETTO, G. Toxicología Fundamental. 4ª Ed. Díaz de Santos. Madrid. 2009.
WALDRON, K.W.; JOHNSON, I.T.; FENWICK, G.R. Food and Cancer Prevention: Chemical and Biological Aspects. The Royal Society of Chemistry. Cambridge. 1993.
WARE, G.W. Pesticides. Theory and Application. W.H. Freeman & Company. Nueva York. 1983.
WEXLER, P. Toxicology in Antiquity (History of Toxicology and Environmental Health). Ed. Academic Press. 2ª ed. 2018.
WITCZAK, A; SIKORSKI, Z.E. Toxinas y otros compuestos nocivos en los alimentos. Ed. Acribia. Zaragoza. 2021.


COMPLEMENTARY BIBLIOGRAPHY:

APHA.AWWA. WPCF. Métodos normalizados para el análisis de aguas potables y residuales. Díaz de Santos. Madrid. 1992.
FAN, A.M.; CHANG, L.W. Toxicology and risk assessment. Principles, methods, and applications. Ed. Marcel Dekker, Inc., Nueva York. 1996
HILL, M. Nitrates and nitrites in food and water. Ellis Horwood, Nueva York.1991
MELGAR RIOL, M.J., NÓVOA VALIÑAS, M.C., GARCÍA FERNÁNDEZ, M.A., PÉREZ LÓPEZ, M., Atención clínica en intoxicaciones de animales, Ed. USC, editora manuais, Santiago de Compostela, 2012.
Official Methods of Analysis 15ª ed. Ed. Association of Official Analytical Chemists. Arlington. 1990.
REILLY, C. Metal contamination of food. Applied Science Publishers LTD. Londres. 1980.
SHIBAMOTO, T.; BJELDANES, L.F. Introduction to food toxicology. Academic. Press Inc. Nueva York. 1993.
SKOOG, D.A.; WEST, D.M. Análisis Instrumental. Ed. Mc Graw Hill. México.1992.
TU, A.T. Food Poisoning. In handbook of natural toxins. Vol. 7. Marcel Dekker Inc. Nueva York. 1992.
WATSON, D. Safety of chemicals in food. Ed. Ellis Horwood. Nueva York. 1993.
WATSON, D. Natural toxicants in food. CRC Press. Londres. 1998.
WINTER, C.K.; SEIBER, J.N.; NUCKTON, C.F. Chemicals in the Human Food Chain. Ed. Van Nostrand Reinhold. Nueva York. 1990.

Basic competences:

CB1 - That the students have demonstrated knowledge and understanding in a field of study that part of the basis of general secondary education, and is typically at a level which, although it is supported by advanced textbooks, includes some aspects that will knowledge of the forefront of their field of study.

CB2 - That students can apply their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional manner and have competences typically demonstrated through devising and sustaining arguments and solving problems within their field of study.

CB3 - That students have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (usually within their field of study) to inform judgments that include reflection on relevant social, scientific or ethical.

CB4 - That students can communicate information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialist and non-specialist audiences.

CB5 - That students have developed those skills needed to undertake further studies with a high degree of autonomy.


General competences:

CG5 - It communicates effectively, both orally and in writing with people, health professionals or industry and the media, knowing how to use the information and communications technology especially those related to nutrition and lifestyle.

CG6 - Understand, critically evaluate and know how to use and apply sources of information related to nutrition, food, lifestyles and health aspects.

CG11 - Know Microbiology, Parasitology and Food Toxicology.

Transversal competences:

CT1: Capacity for analysis and synthesis.
CT3: Capacity for teamwork (included in CG2)
CT4: Demonstrate ethical commitment (including in CG1)
CT5: Ability to use information technology and communication (included in CG5)
CT7: Capacity for solving problems.

Specific competences:

CE15 - Know Microbiology, Parasitology and Food Toxicology.

- The master classes (30 hours) will be taught by the teachers in charge of the subject, using the appropriate didactic and audiovisual resources, with the help of notes on the blacboard. Student participation will be facilitated.
- The practical classes (12 hours) will consist of 4 practices. The content of this practical part will be linked and related to the theoretical part, so that both learning and skills are acquired and built as an integrated whole.
Each practice will include a brief theoretical introduction and practice scripts detailing the procedures to be developed.
- The interactive seminars (7 hours) will consist of complementary activities of the subject matter of the lectures, which will be taught by the teachers and/or by the students, being supervised by them.
- The students will work in groups related to the topics of the subject, to be presented orally in the classroom.
- The orientation of all the activities and tasks carried out by the students will be made by the teachers in group tutoring sessions (2 hours).
- The Virtual-USC will be used as teaching support.

Student assessment will be done through continuous assessment, performance of work and final exam.
- Final exam: conceptual short questions and/or tests (60%).
- Master class controls (2 controls): 10%
- Evaluation and examination of practical work (20%).
- Evaluation of seminars (10%)
FINAL GRADE: expository controls (10%) + continuous evaluation of practices (20%) + evaluation of seminars (10%) + final test (60%)
The evaluation of the student will be carried out: by means of continuous evaluation (controls of the expository classes, evaluation of the practices, completion of work) and final exam.
Practises assessment (20% of the final score) will be carried out by evaluating the attendance to the practices and the evaluation of the memory of the same (15%), and final exam at the end of the practices (5%).
Competences assessed: CB1, CT3, CG11, CE15.
The completion of work (10% of the final grade) will consist of the preparation and oral presentation of a group work on topics related to the subject, assumptions, etc.
Competences assessed: CB1, CB2, CB3, CB4, CB5, CG5, CG6, CT1, CT3, CT4, CT5, CT7, CG11, CE15.
The final exam will mean 60% of the grade for the subject and will consist of short answer questions and/or test type. Students must obtain a score equal to or greater than 50% of the maximum possible score for this test so that score is taken into account in the final grade for the course.
Competences assessed: CB1, CB5, CG11, CE15.
Attendance at practices, tutorials and seminars is mandatory to pass the subject.

The qualification of the Continuous Assessment (expository controls, practices and monographic works) will be kept for the following courses.

When the students have not passed the continuous assessment, or practices made, or final exam, they will obtain the grade of “Not Presented”.

SUMMARY. Final test, with a weighting of 60% and continuous evaluation, with a weighting of 40%

In cases of fraudulent performance of exercises or tests, the provisions of the “Regulations for evaluating student academic performance and reviewing grades” (Article 16) will apply.

The subject consists of 6 ECTS credits. The total number of hours for student is 150 hours, of which 36% are lectures and 64% are student work hours. The detailed time distribution for student work is as follows:

- Expositive classes: 30 lecture hours/45 h autonomous work
- Seminars: 7 lecture hours/10 h autonomous work
- Practices: 12 hours classroom/18 h autonomous work
- Works: 2 lecture hours/10 h autonomous work
- Group tutorials: 2 h lecture
- Examinations and review: 2 lecture hours/12 h autonomous work

- Attendance at lectures
- Attendance and active participation in practical classes
- Consultation of the recommended bibliography
- Have support of individual tutorials to solve issues
- Personalized study a day
- Study, attention and retention of concepts, ideas, and avoid superfluous data (secondary). Second warnings teacher in class
- Connect and consult with the matter through the USC-virtual