Developments in Environmental Toxicology: Interview with two pioneers

Editors

Cornelis A.M. van Gestel, Frank G.A.J. Van Belleghem, Nico W. van den Brink, Steven T.J. Droge, Timo Hamers, Joop L.M. Hermens, Michiel H.S. Kraak, Ansje J. Löhr, John R. Parsons, Ad M.J. Ragas, Nico M. van Straalen, and Martina G. Vijver

Preface

This open online textbook on Environmental Toxicology aims at covering the field in its full width, including aspects of environmental chemistry, ecotoxicology, toxicology and risk assessment. With that, it will contribute to improving the quality, continuity and transparency of the education in environmental toxicology. We also want to make sure that fundamental insights on fate and effects of chemicals gained in the past are combined with recent approaches of effect assessment and molecular analysis of mechanisms causing toxicity.

The book consists of six chapters, with each chapter being divided into several sub-chapters to enable covering all aspects relevant to the topic. All chapters are designed in a modular way, which each module having clear training goals and being flagged with a number of keywords. Most modules have an average length of 1000-2000 words, a limited number of references, and 3-5 figures and/or tables. A few modules are enlighted with short clips, animations or movies to allow better illustration of the theory. The introduction chapter of the book, for instance, contains a short interview with two key experts reflecting on the development of the field over the past 30 years.

The book contains tools for self-study and training, like a (limited) number of questions at the end of each module. For the future we foresee the addition of separate exercises and other tools that may help the student in understanding the theory.

The development of this open online textbook was carried out by a project team that included a team of editors and some supporting staff. The team of editors consisted of environmental toxicologists and chemists from six Dutch universities. They drafted the outline of the book, assigned leaders for each chapter, and identified authors for each module. Each module is authored by 1-2 members of the project team. When a topic required expertise not present among the project team, an external expert was asked to write a module (see List of authors).

To guarantee quality of the book, each module was reviewed by at least one of the members of the project team but also by an international reviewer from outside the project team (see List of reviewers). An advisory board and a steering committee were involved in supervising the project, as well as educational advisors, while the project team served as an editorial board.

The supporting staff included an expert from the university library of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, who advised on the choice of and working with online publication formats, copyright issues, options for including links to other freely available online materials, etc. We also had support from a designer and a professional drawer, who both contributed to the development of the book.

The publication of this book on an open online publication platform allowing free access to anyone, and facilitates its embedding in Learning Management Systems like Canvas and Blackboard often used in university teaching, so giving students easy access.

The modular composition of the book will allow teachers to design their ‘own’ book, by selecting those modules relevant for the class to teach. This will support flexible use of the book.

The publication as an open online book will allow continuous updating of the book, so to stay on top of new developments in the field. As it stands, about 100 modules have been finalized, another 30 modules are already available in drafs that currently are in the process of reviewing, and some more modules are still in preparation. In spite of this large number of modules, which do provide a good basis for teaching at the BSc level, we do realize the book still is not complete. More advance modules that would facilitate teachign at the MSc and higher level as well as widening the number of topics seems desirable, but such was not possible within the current project. We therefore will continu working on the book, but we also welcome any suggestions for extending the book, and we invite colleagues in environmental toxicology and chemistry to take the initiative to write modules on topics still missing.

The preparation of this book was sponsored by the Netherlands Ministry of Education, Culture and Science through SURF, but could not have been realized without the help of many colleagues who assisted in the writing and reviewing the different modules (see Acknowledgement).

Amsterdam, September 2019