Environmental Health Laboratory Techniques

At the end of this course, students should be able to: 1. explain the terms Laboratory, Environmental Health Laboratory, Instrumentation, SOPs, safety, sample, sample collection, media, environmental media, reagents and many others; 2. discuss the principles, purpose and aims of EHLs; 3. outline the importance and functions of Environmental Health laboratory; 4. discuss the construction and organisation of EHLs; 5. distinguish between general purpose laboratory and specific EHLs; 6. list the safety precautions in handling of laboratory equipment; 7. discuss the SOPs in field and laboratory testing; 8. outline the principle and procedures in the preparation of standard solutions and reagents in EHLs; 9. outline the importance of documentation and storage of laboratory equipment and reagents; 10. what is laboratory assessment and chemical hygiene? ; 11. outline the steps in sample collection, preservation, transportation and analysis for water, air, food, soil, objects, fomites and body fluids; 12. discuss the application of EHLs in forensics and crime investigation; 13. outline steps in sample collection from crime scene; 14. compare quality assurance and quality control in EHLs; 15. what is a laboratory log book? ; 16. why is record keeping and reporting important in EHLs; 17. inspect water treatment plant, waste water treatment plant, solid waste management facilities, public health laboratories, markets, selected industries, and many others; 18. discuss the need for professional accreditations of EHLs by EHORECON; 19. outline the roles of EHL in disease control and prevention; 20. discuss accident and emergency management from chemical spills, swallow, fire, falls, exhaustion in EHL; and 21. explain the content and use of Laboratory safety manual.

Introduction to Environmental Health laboratory. Importance and functions of Environmental Health laboratory (EHL). Construction and organisation of EHL. General laboratory, specific EHLs, environmental health biology, Environmental Health chemistry, environmental health physics, arbovirus laboratory. Safety precautions in the laboratory – safety manuals. Instrumentation: Microscopes, autoclaves, incubators, sterilizers, fridge/ freezers, hot air oven, lasers, gas chromatography, High-powered liquid chromatography, Atomic Absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) UV-visible spectrophotometer and many others, colorimeter, audiometer, dosimeter, cryostat, Polymerase Chain Reaction and many others. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in field and laboratory practice. Preparation of standard solutions and reagents. Documentation and storage of laboratory equipment and reagents. Laboratory assessment and chemical hygiene. Sample collection, preservation, transportation and analysis for water, air, food, soil, objects, fomites and body fluids and body fluids. Application of EHLs in forensics. Sample collection and analysis from crime scene. Quality assurance and quality control. Concept of laboratory log book, record keeping and reporting. Field trip to various environmental facilities such as water treatment plant, waste water treatment plant, solid waste management facilities, public health laboratories, markets, selected industries, and many others. professional accreditations of EHL. Role of EHLs in disease control. Accident and emergency management: -chemical spills, swallow, fire, falls, exhaustion and many others.