GEOE543 MEDICAL GEOLOGY
| Course Code: | 5640543 |
| METU Credit (Theoretical-Laboratory hours/week): | 3 (3.00 - 0.00) |
| ECTS Credit: | 8.0 |
| Department: | Geological Engineering |
| Language of Instruction: | English |
| Level of Study: | Masters |
| Course Coordinator: | Assoc.Prof.Dr. FATMA TOKSOY KÖKSAL |
| Offered Semester: | Fall or Spring Semesters. |
Course Objectives
By the end of the course the students will comprehend advanced concepts in
- relationship between geologic materials such as rocks and minerals and human health
- identification of geochemical anomalies in soils, sediments, and water that may impact on health
- identfication of the environmental causes of known health problems and, in collaboration with biomedical/public health researchers, seek solutions to prevent or minimize these problems.
- evaluation of the beneficial health affects of geologic materials and process.
- reassurance of the public when there are unwarranted environmental health concerns deriving from geologic materials or processes.
- linking between developed and developing countries to find solutions for environmental health problems.
Course Content
Relations between minerals, health, and the geologic environment; methods for mineral characterization in the biological field; surface thermodynamic properties of silicates and their interactions with biological materials; geological environment and health, toxicity of environment pollutants, pollutant metal sources.
Course Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course the students will be able to understand
- toxic levels of trace essential and non-essential elements
- the exposure to natural dusts and to radioactivity; naturally occurring organic compounds in drinking water; volcanic emissions, etc.
- some aspects of industrial pollution and occupational health problems
- significance of geological materials and methods to humankind
Program Outcomes Matrix
| Contribution | |||||
| # | Program Outcomes | No | Yes | ||
| 1 | specialize with advanced knowledge in a selection of major topics, including applied geology, engineering geology, rock mechanics, soil mechanics, hydrogeology, structural geology, paleontology, mineralogy, petrology, sedimentology, remote sensing and geographic information systems, earthquakes, mass wasting processes, their recognition and underlying fundamental principles; | ✔ | |||
| 2 | have advanced ability in management and communication skills, including problem definition, project design, decision processes, teamwork, written and oral reports, scientific publications to formulate and solve a Geological Engineering problem; | ✔ | |||
| 3 | be able to systematically acquire new scientific knowledge to design and improve socio-economical-technical systems; | ✔ | |||
| 4 | be able to conduct scientific research in the field of geological engineering; | ✔ | |||
| 5 | be able to apply critical reasoning in their professional careers; | ✔ | |||
| 6 | appreciate the academic ethics; | ✔ | |||
| 7 | well prepared to live and work in a diverse global environment. | ✔ | |||