Environmental Health: Science, Policy and Social Justice

In preparation for the first week of class we have selected a few readings for you to prepare for seminar discussions:

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From Maria:

There are about 17 articles posted on Week 1 of Spring quarter Handouts
folder. Of those, some will be used for lecture and the following are
your seminar reading assignments:

2008 Zhao (dietary exposures and non-cancer risk assessment)
2009 Xing (cancer risk assessment)
2008 Fu (non-cancer risk assessment)
2007 Chan (body burden)
2008 Yan (occupational)
2008 Wen (occupational)

I urge you to read them all - some are very short (focus on the
data tables first, and methods second), but be prepared to talk in
detail about a minimum of two articles. Consider the foloowing:
- strengths and weaknesses if any of each article
- how it advances our understanding of the environmental health issue we focus on
- how are the concepts you have learned in class so far applied
- what specific question does the article address
- how is the study designed to answer the question
- how are the data interpreted (do they answer the question of the study?)
- whether conclusions are well supported (do the authors speculate of other conclusions beyond the specific data?)

I hope the above will be a guide as you read the articles. Feel free to
add your own observations to the list (e.g. what statistical methods
are used to analyze the data).

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From Lin:

International Environmental Health Policy, Projects and Social Process:

Spend some time at the website of IPEN -- International POPS (Persistent Organic Pollutants) Elimination Network. http://www.ipen.org

On the main page, review the sections:

New to the Issues?

IPEN Updates and Action. Pay special attention to the SAICM Global Outreach Update.

Also review these sections:

About IPEN

News Centre

Documents -- go to Factsheets, esp. Synergy of Chemical Conventions

Stockholm Convention -- look over International Chemical Conventions Handbook

(read selectively so you get a sense of the different conventions)

IPEN Work Themes -- focus on one of your choice

International Projects -- check out the Global (egg) Sampling project

There's a lot here, so look over
selectively, focusing on your areas of interest. Figure on spending an
hour or two (or more!) on this. Come to Tuesday afternoon seminar with
some notes on what you've learned and your lingering questions. Key
question for us all:

"What are the key strategic efforts that are being made and what seems to be working?"

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