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Health Impacts of Chemicals in Consumer Products
  • Level Professional
  • Duration 17 hours
  • Course by University of Michigan
  • Offered by

About

This course focuses on assessing health impacts of chemicals in products and of fine particulate emitted along the product life cycle. We first develop the assessment framework to assess exposure and health impacts of chemicals in products. We then detail the application of mass-balance approaches to the case of parabens in personal care products. Participants then learn to assess the human health impacts of chemicals in products using the USEtox model (UN-Environment toxicity model) and discuss the level of protection offered by existing regulations about chemicals in products contrasting US and Europe. We extend the assessment to risks and impacts 5000+ chemical-household product combinations identifying the products and chemicals of concern in e.g. home maintenance and personal care products and looking at children as a sensitive population and at the magnitude of the risks associated with exposures to chemicals in toys. We also introduce a Life Cycle-based approach to Chemical Alternatives Assessment (CAA) combining both quantified exposure and hazards and discuss the applicability domain of CAA compared to Risk Assessment (RA) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). We finally determine exposure to and effect of fine particulates on human health along the product and chemical supply chain and life cycle. This course concludes the course series by providing cutting-edge progress on the overall exposome and compares the health impacts of multiple environmental exposures on health.

Modules

Lesson 0: Welcome to the Course!

    • 2 Videos
    • 2 Readings
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2 Videos

  • Meet Your Instructors
  • Welcome to the Course

2 Readings

  • Syllabus
  • Pre-Course Survey

LESSON 1 Introduction to Chemicals in products

    • 4 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 2 Assignment
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2 Assignment

  • Knowledge check 1 - Chemical assessment framework
  • Knowledge check 2 - Which method for which problem?

4 Videos

  • Assessment Framework - Part A Importance of exposure
  • Assessment Framework - Part B Needs and assessment framework
  • Which method for which problem? When to use Risk Assessment (RA), Chemical Alternatives Assessment (CAA) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)? use RA, CAA, and LCA - Part A
  • Which method for which problem? Description of RA, CAA, and LCA - Part B

1 Readings

  • Week 1 Slides

LESSON 2a Impacts of chemicals in personal care products - exposures

    • 3 Videos
    • 1 Discussion
    • 2 Assignment
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2 Assignment

  • Knowledge check 3 - Parabens in Personal Care Products
  • Activity 1 Heat maps to determine exposures to PCPs

1 Discussions

  • Activity 1 Reflection

3 Videos

  • Personal Care Products (PCPs): Part A1a Defining product intake fraction (PiF) and compartment of entry
  • PCPs - Parabens: Part A1b Mass balance calculation of the PiF
  • Impacts of chemicals in personal care products - Parabens exposures

LESSON 2b Impacts of chemicals in personal care products - impacts and risks

    • 2 Videos
    • 1 Discussion
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Activity 2 Risks and impacts of hydroquinone in face cream and shampoo

1 Discussions

  • Activity 2 Reflection

2 Videos

  • Parabens - impacts and risks
  • Impacts of chemicals in PCPs - Overview human health impacts & risks of formaldehyde in PCP

LESSON 3: The USEtox nearfield exposure , impact and risk tool - PCP interface

    • 7 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 3 Assignment
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3 Assignment

  • Knowledge check 4: risk and impact metrics
  • Activity 3 USEtox - hydroquinone in body lotion
  • Week 1 assessment

7 Videos

  • Introduction to USEtox near-field - formaldehyde in shampoo
  • USEtox –The Product Interfaces – Exposures, risks and damages metrics
  • USEtox – The UNEP-SETAC toxicity model The Personal Care Product Interface – Exposures, risks and damages
  • User input data for the Personal Care Product Interface - USEtox – The UNEP-SETAC toxicity model
  • [Optional] USEtox transfers and product intake fractions (optional for the general version of USEtox without using product interface)
  • [Optional]USEtox dose and risks: the Personal Care Product interface (optional for the general version of USEtox without using product interface)
  • [Optional] USEtox impacts (optional for the general version of USEtox without using product interface)

1 Readings

  • Download USEtox

LESSON 1: Chemicals of concern in personal care and household products - human health impacts and use in LCIA

    • 5 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 2 Discussion
    • 3 Assignment
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3 Assignment

  • Knowledge check 5 - Chemicals in PCPs should we care
  • Knowledge check 6 - Household products
  • Activity 4 household products and diagonal plots

2 Discussions

  • Activity 4 Reflection
  • Activity 5 Ecosystem impacts of household products

5 Videos

  • Impacts of PCPs - Should we care - PCP in history and regulations
  • Impacts of chemicals in products - Should we care - PCPs chemicals of concern and mitigation strategies
  • Impacts and risks of chemicals in household products - Exposure & impacts per chemical-product combination
  • Impacts and risks of chemicals in household products - Household products and chemicals of concern: impacts
  • Impacts and risks of chemicals in household products - Household products and chemicals of concern: risks

1 Readings

  • Week 2 Slides

LESSON 2: Chemicals of concern in toys

    • 4 Videos
    • 1 Discussion
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Knowledge check 7: Plasticizers in toys

1 Discussions

  • Activity 6 Toy story in the press

4 Videos

  • Chemicals in toys Part A Amounts of chemicals
  • Chemicals in toys - Part B Exposure
  • Chemicals in toys - Part C Risks and chemicals of high concern
  • Risks of chemicals in toys - Mouthing and chemicals of concern in toys and buildings

LESSON 3: The USEtox tool - Toy interface

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Discussion
    • 2 Assignment
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2 Assignment

  • Activity 7: Plasticizers in toys
  • Week 2 assessment

1 Discussions

  • Activity 7 Reflection

1 Videos

  • The Toy Interface - Exposures, risks and damages

LESSON 1 Life Cycle Based Alternatives Assessment applied to chemicals in buildings

    • 5 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
    • 4 Assignment
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4 Assignment

  • Knowledge Check 8: CAA
  • Knowledge Check 9: Framework for a Life Cycle Based alternatives Assessment
  • Knowledge Check 10: LCAA - Flooring Case Study
  • Activity 8: CAA of Plasticizers in vinyl flooring

1 Discussions

  • Activity 8 Reflection

5 Videos

  • Introduction to Chemical Alternatives Assessment (CAA)
  • CAA - steps and needs for life cycle based substitution
  • Framework for a Life Cycle Based alternatives Assessment
  • LCAA - Flooring case study
  • USEtox –The Building Materials Interface – Exposures, risks and damages

1 Readings

  • Week 3 Slides

LESSON 2 : Impacts of fine particulates on human health

    • 5 Videos
    • 2 Assignment
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2 Assignment

  • Knowledge Check 11: Impacts of fine particulates
  • Activity 9 Using an air pollutant calculator

5 Videos

  • Impacts of fine particulate and chemicals in products
  • Impacts of fine particulates on human health - Framework
  • Impacts of fine particulates on human health - Exposure
  • Impacts of fine particulates on human health - exposure-response
  • Impacts of fine particulates on human health - impacts of a computer & IO

Lesson 3: Exposome, Products and Health

    • 3 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
    • 2 Assignment
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2 Assignment

  • Knowledge Check 12: Global trade and exposome
  • Week 3 Assessment

1 Discussions

  • Activity 10 Chemical management

3 Videos

  • Exposome, Products, and Health - Part A
  • Exposome, Products, and Health - Part B
  • Summary - Health Impacts of Chemicals in Consumer Products

1 Readings

  • Post-Course Survey

Series Wrap Up

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • End Of Series Wrap Up

Auto Summary

This professional-level course, "Health Impacts of Chemicals in Consumer Products," explores the health effects of chemicals and fine particulates in various products. Led by Coursera, it covers exposure assessment, the USEtox model, regulatory protections, and risks in household items, especially for sensitive populations like children. Learners will also delve into Chemical Alternatives Assessment (CAA) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). With a comprehensive 1020-minute duration, this course is ideal for health and fitness enthusiasts, offering both starter and professional subscription options.

Olivier Jolliet
Instructor

Olivier Jolliet