Call for nominations SETAC Europe Young Scientist LCA Award

The SETAC Europe Young Scientist LCA Award recognizes exceptional achievements by a young scientist in the field of life-cycle assessment, e.g. an extraordinary PhD thesis that provides a significant contribution to LCA development and implementation.

 

This award is dedicated for one researcher or a group.

 

The award will be sponsored by Springer-Verlag. It is possible to share an award as achievements are frequently due to a team effort.

 

In order to be qualified:

·         a demonstrable outstanding contribution to the field of the nominee must be provided,

·         a nominee(s) should be younger than 35 years,

·         a nomination must be done by candidate/groups themselves or by other individuals/groups,

·         an application must be submitted till the 21^st of February 2010 by email on: maud.collee@setac.org – no applications by post or fax will be accepted.

 

Required documents:

·         a letter outlining the eligibility of the nominee(s) for the award,

·         Curriculum vitae of the nominee(s),

·         a supporting letter explaining why the candidate/group should be considered for the award.

 

The Curriculum vitae and letter should be a maximum of 6 pages. Sufficient information should be provided to facilitate an objective evaluation of the nominee(s), hence evidence of the attributes of the nominee(s) and the conduct of activities embracing the elements of the award shown above must be provided.

 

Correct form of submitted documents:

·         sent together in a zipped file of separate .doc files or in single .pdf file,

·         an application packet contains all of the requested materials to be considered for an award,

·         the documents’ titles include nominee’s name, e.g. Last name_first name_name of material.

 

Selection Process (in chronological order):

1.    nominations will be evaluated independently by a sub-committee of the SETAC Europe LCA Steering Committee,

2.    the full committee will discuss the outcome to determine the recipient,

3.    the successful nominee will be informed of the decision by 21^st of March 2010,

4.    the unsuccessful candidates will also be informed, afterwards.

 

Springer-Verlag publishers sponsor:

·         a subscription (one year) of Int. J. LCA (printed + online edition) for the awarded "young researcher",  

·         a short presentation (about one printed page) of the award winner in the journal.

 

The award will be presented at the SETAC Europe 20^th Annual Meeting in Seville, Spain, 23-27 May 2010.

Please distribute this announcement to whom it might concern.

SETAC Europe LCA Steering Committee

New SETAC Sustainability Forum

Based on enthusiastic participation in a Sustainability task force meeting in New Orleans, we have constituted a new discussion forum titled "Sustainability within SETAC" on the SETAC Communities site. The focus will be on how and where SETAC, as a scientific organization, and we, as individual professionals, can contribute to the emerging practices for sustainable development.

Any organizational level outcomes or recommendations from this discussion will be provided to the society leadership for consideration in the long range planning process. Activities on an individual level will be shared among forum participants so we can begin taking actions between now and the Portland meeting. A session on this topic will be proposed to share experiences.

If you are interested in joining the new forum, please add it to your profile.  Then log in to the Communities site where a summary of the discussions in New Orleans is posted.  In relation to the discussion points and questions embedded in the meeting summary, read over the meeting discussion notes and  provide comments, clarifications, and suggested action steps for 2010 on this forum (preferably referenced to specific points in the meeting summary) so we can begin a dialogue.  We would hope to implement some actions in the short term and interact with the Society leadership on longer range topics.
 
The SETAC Sustainability Core Team --
 
Bruce Vigon, Scientific Affairs Manager, SETAC North America, Phone: 850-469-1500  x106, Email: bruce.vigon@setac.org
Emma LaVoie, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Annie Weisbrod, Procter & Gamble
George Cobb, Texas Tech University

ET&C and IEAM Page Charge Benefit Starts with 1 January Submissions

ET&C and IEAM Corresponding Authors who are SETAC members-in-good-standing* will be able to publish the 1^st six journal pages free, beginning with papers submitted 1 Jan 2010. This member benefit results from SETAC's new publishing agreement with Wiley-Blackwell, as do several other benefits to the Society and its members:

• Corresponding authors can send a PDF offprint directly from the publisher to as many as 10 co-authors and colleagues anywhere in the world, free
• More than 3500 institutions across Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East will receive free or low-cost access to journal content through OARE, INASP, and AGORA
• IEAM will be bundled with ET&C for existing institutional subscribers, increasing its base by more than 400 institutions
• Members will receive complimentary 1-year online access to Wiley's Encyclopedia of Life Sciences and 25% discount on nearly 2,000 books in the Wiley-Blackwell life sciences and environmental division

* Member-in-good-standing means continuous membership for 2 years prior to submission of the paper. Corresponding authors who are not members-in-good-standing will pay page charges at the rate of $50 per page for the first 6 pages and $150 for each additional page. Papers from workshops are subject to nonmember page charges.

New chemical pollutants? Research finds fluorochemicals in water samples

Another contaminant found in Canadian groundwater samples may join the list of environmental substances that could be harmful to humans and the environment, according to recent study results published in the September 2009 issue of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.
 
The newest potential threat to human health and the environment is fluorochemicals known as perfluorinated phosphoric acids (PFPAs), which were found in water samples taken for study in the past decade from Canadian creeks, rivers and, waste treatment effluents.
 
PFPAs were found at 24 of 30 sites used in the research, which is outlined in the article, “Perfluorinated Phosphonic Acids in Canadian Surface Waters and Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluent: Discovery of a New Class of Perfluorinated Acids,” by Jessica C. D’eon, Patrick W. Crozier, Vasile I. Furdui, Eric J. Reiner, E. Laurence Libelo, and Scott A. Mabury.
 
PFPAs are used commercially as leveling and wetting agents and to defoam additives used in pesticide formulations. Similar fluorochemicals have been used for industrial purposes since the 1950s but were not identified as widespread environmental contaminants until 2001. As noted in the article, PFPAs lack hydrogen atoms and may resist degradation, like other fluorochemicals such as PFCAs and PFSAs—perfluorinated carboxylic and sulfonic acids—that once were used commercially and now are regulated in the United States and Canada.
 
“From the analysis of Canadian surface waters, low-level PFPA contamination clearly is widespread,” according to the authors. PFPAs had not previously been identified as contaminants of potential concern (i.e., as possible pollutants), although the U.S. has acted to limit their use in food crop pesticides because of health concerns and a lack of research on their implications.
 
“These regulatory decisions were based on uncertainty regarding the environmental fate of PFPAs,” the authors write. “To our knowledge, no environmental evidence has been available before the present study.”
 
The study shows that researchers still do not have a clear understanding of the extent and significance of fluorochemical contamination of the environment and the authors conclude that additional research on PFPAs is necessary.
 
Click here to read the entire article or visit http://www2.allenpress.com/pdf/entc-28-10-2101-2107.pdf

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry is a publication of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. It is interdisciplinary in scope and integrates the fields of environmental toxicology; environmental, analytical, and molecular chemistry; ecology; physiology; biochemistry; microbiology; genetics; genomics; environmental engineering; chemical, environmental, and biological modeling; epidemiology; and earth sciences. Emphasis is given to papers that enhance capabilities for the prediction, measurement, and assessment of the fate and effects of chemicals in the environment. For more information about the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, please visit http://www.setac.org.

SETAC North America elects George Cobb as Vice President

George Cobb, professor of Environmental Toxicology at The Institute of Environmental and Human Health, has been elected Vice President of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry of North America.

Cobb will serve as Vice President beginning at the SETAC North America 30th Annual Meeting in November 2009 and then as President beginning in November 2010. Cobb’s duties while in these offices will also include service within SETAC’s global governing body, the SETAC World Council.

SETAC is a not-for-profit, worldwide professional society founded in 1979 consisting of individuals and institutions from an array of scientific fields including environmental toxicology and chemistry, biology, ecology, earth sciences, atmospheric sciences, health sciences, hazard and risk assessment, environmental engineering and life-cycle assessment. For more information on the Society, visit setac.org.

31 August Deadline: Session proposals for SETAC Asia/Pacific 2010

On behalf of the Organizing Committee, we are soliciting session proposals to be considered for inclusion in the SETAC Asia/Pacific 2010 Annual Meeting which will be held in Guangzhou, China from June 4 to 7, 2010. The theme of the conference is “Balance between economic growth and environmental protection: Sustainability through Better Science.”

The deadline for session proposals submission is 31 August 2009. You are encouraged to submit a session proposal at http://210.77.94.215/setac/setac_csp.php. Feel free to visit our annual meeting website for more detailed information.

As a token of our appreciation, all session chairs will be provided with up to 4 days of free room at Marriott China Hotel where the conference will be held; this program is gracefully sponsored by the State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry.

The SETAC Asia/Pacific 2010 conference will be held back to back with the 6th International Conference on Marine Pollution and Ecotoxicology, which will be held from 31 May 2010 to 3 June 2010 at the City University of Hong Kong. It takes less than two hours to get from Hong Kong to Guangzhou by train. Please visit their website for more information. Participants registering for both meetings will enjoy a discount of US$ 50 registration fee for each meeting.

We will certainly do our best to provide an interesting agenda and a friendly atmosphere for the meeting, however, the conference can not be successful without your participation. We sincerely extend our invitation to all interested scientists and look forward to receiving your session proposals by the end of this month.

Long-range transport of insecticide residues linked to amphibian population declines

Two pesticides used in highly populated agricultural areas of California appear to be killing frogs that live and breed in the Sierra Nevada, according to results from a study published in the August 2009 issue of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.

The study examined how two insecticides—chlorpyrifos and endosulfan—used in the fertile Central Valley of California affect amphibians that breed in the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the east. Toxicity was measured to larval Pacific treefrogs (Pseudacris regilla) and foothill yellow-legged frogs (Rana boylii), which are among the amphibians with declining populations that often live and breed in meadows surrounding the Sierra Nevada. Winds blow insecticide residues into the mountains, and they fall as rain or snow. In these regions, insecticides have longer half-lives because of cooler temperatures and can be spread by melting snow to areas where amphibians live and breed.

As outlined in the article, “Toxicity of Two Insecticides to California, USA, Anurans and Its Relevance to Declining Amphibian Populations” by Donald W. Sparling and Gary M. Fellers, the study used laboratory testing to examine how the insecticides affected the two frogs at environmentally realistic concentrations. During testing, tadpoles were observed at various stages of development to see how the insecticides affected their growth and health.

Endosulfan was more toxic than chlorpyrifos to both species, according to the research, and tadpoles of both species developed abnormalities when exposed to high endosulfan concentrations. Endosulfan also affected the growth and development rates in both species. The researchers say this affects the amphibians’ behavior and increases their vulnerability to predators and hydrological events such as floods and droughts.

The study also shows that chlorpyrifos and endosulfan are highly toxic to both amphibians, with the yellow-legged frogs more sensitive than the Pacific treefrogs to these insecticides.

“The difference in sensitivity is important, because P. regilla populations are still comparatively stable in California, even in montane areas, whereas R. boylii is one of the species that has declined in recent years,” according to Sparling and Fellers.

The yellow-legged frogs, which rely more on standing water during reproduction, have seen higher population declines compared with other species.

“Concentrations of insecticides in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California may have the ability to inflict serious damage on native amphibians,” Sparling and Fellers write. “The present study adds to the increasing evidence that pesticides are very harmful to amphibians living in areas that are miles from sources of pesticide application.”

To read the entire article, visit http://www.allenpress.com/pdf/ENTC_28.8_1696_1703.pdf

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry is a publication of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. It is interdisciplinary in scope and integrates the fields of environmental toxicology; environmental, analytical, and molecular chemistry; ecology; physiology; biochemistry; microbiology; genetics; genomics; environmental engineering; chemical, environmental, and biological modeling; epidemiology; and earth sciences. Emphasis is given to papers that enhance capabilities for the prediction, measurement, and assessment of the fate and effects of chemicals in the environment. For more information about the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, please visit www.setac.org.

Investments justified in sustainable building projects

In a recent issue of Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management, researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology discussed metrics they developed to help the building industry make better decisions when it comes to funding “green” projects.

Although sustainable technology proponents agree that there are long-term financial benefits to investing in green buildings, until now there have been no standardized data or methods available to make a sound business case. The researchers developed life cycle, science-based metrics that address the environmental and economic concerns of investors, society, and other stakeholders.

In this case study, the authors present short- and long-term costs associated with a hypothetical structure created according to typical tall building specifications. Understanding the economic costs associated with buildings is easier than understanding environmental costs. Therefore, they broadened the scope of current evaluation methods, such as life cycle assessments. The idea is to apply the new metrics developed to all types of building design proposals so that informed decisions can be made.

This research is important because it helps resolve the conflict between sustainability and economic development that often arises. Sustainability is about meeting present and future needs in terms of economics, the environment, and society as a whole. As concerns about climate change and access to natural resources continue to rise, it is especially important to find ways to both maintain economic stability and reduce the effects of carbon emissions and the amount of energy used.

Conventional building methods involve lower construction costs and promise greater returns to investors in the short run. However, when true life cycle costs are taken into account, the long-term economic––and environmental––return on investment for funding sustainable buildings is considerably higher. The advantages of sustainable building go beyond reduced energy costs and include other benefits, such as water efficiency, increased property values, and improved employee productivity.

As the building industry adopts this new integrated approach in the decision-making process, it will be able to make more accurate and credible business cases for growing the sustainable building market.

To read the entire study, Multidisciplinary Life Cycle Metrics and Tools for Green Buildings [2009, Vol. 5(3):390–398] visit http://www.allenpress.com/pdf/IEAM_5.3_390_398.pdf

Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management is published quarterly by the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) and focuses on the application of science in environmental decision-making, regulation, and management, including aspects of policy and law and the development of scientifically sound approaches to environmental problem solving.

Fuel spills irrevocably affect Antarctic soils

Fertilization-based remediation methods may not provide a sustainable solution for restoring polar ecosystems contaminated by fuel spills containing petroleum hydrocarbons (PHC). It appears the fertilizers do not return these ecosystems to their pre-impact state, according to a new report published in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.
 
In Antarctica, ice-free coastal oases are important not only as habitats for numerous organisms, but also as primary sites for research stations. However, activity at these research stations is the primary source of PHCs, the most common type of contamination in polar areas. In this study, the authors determined sensitive indicators of PHC, with an eye toward the influence of liquid water content on the long-term effects of PHC contamination.
 
During the austral summer of 2005–2006, nine soil samples were taken at each of 32 different locations at the site of a 1999 diesel spill at Casey Station in Antarctica. The nine samples were taken during the normal daily freeze, thaw, and refreeze cycles. Toxicity was assessed through analysis of nitrification, denitrification, basal respiration, substrate-induced respiration, metabolic quotient, microbial community composition, and bacterial biomass. Community composition was the most sensitive indicator of PHC contamination, followed by nitrification, microbial biomass, and soil respiration. Although the sensitivities of these seven variables to PHC did not change with percent liquid water, ecotoxicity data increased in variability at low liquid water contents.
 
PHC contamination results in a decrease in potential nitrification and an increase in potential soil respiration. Polar regions are already nitrogen-deficient; thus PHC contamination places even more strain on the soil ecosystem. This helps explain the shift in the microbial community composition. But it also points to the possibility that fertilization-based remediation methods only temporarily reduce PHC ecotoxicity.
 
To read the entire article, “Influence of Liquid Water and Soil Temperature on Petroleum Hydrocarbon Toxicity in Antarctic Soil” (Vol. 28(7):1409-1415, 2009), visit http://www.allenpress.com/pdf/ENTC_28.7_1409_1415.pdf.
 
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry is interdisciplinary in scope and integrates the fields of environmental toxicology; environmental, analytical, and molecular chemistry; ecology; physiology; biochemistry; microbiology; genetics; genomics; environmental engineering; chemical, environmental, and biological modeling; epidemiology; and earth sciences. ET&C seeks to publish papers describing original experimental or theoretical work that significantly advances understanding in the areas of environmental toxicology, environmental chemistry, and hazard/risk assessment.

REVISED ADVERTISEMENT: SETAC Europe Ambassador!

Ex SETAC Europe Executive Director Dr. Bart Bosveld has taken a new challenge as Secretary/Director of the Dutch Board for the Authorisation of Plant Protection Products and Biocides. While congratulating and wishing him well, SETAC Europe is looking for candidates for the position of


SETAC Europe Executive Director
(60% time, office based in Brussels)


About SETAC Europe
SETAC Europe is one of the five Geographic units (Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, North America) of the global Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. The global membership of SETAC comprises of some 5000 individuals. SETAC Europe has 1600 members. SETAC Europe’s primary purpose is to serve as the European regional umbrella organization for its members in Europe.
The Association’s specific objectives are:

• To promote research, education, communication and training in the environmental sciences,
• To promote the application of interdisciplinary environmental sciences in managing chemicals and other stressors,
• To participate in scientific interpretation and communication of exposure to and effects of environmental stressors, ecological risk assessment/ management, and solutions for global environmental problems,
• To provide forums for communication and interactions among professionals on a multi-sector, interdisciplinary, and multinational basis on environmental issues,
• To promote the development of principles and practices for sustainable environments, considering appropriate ecological, economic, and social aspects.

SETAC Europe is governed by a council, elected by the general assembly. SETAC Europe council appoints the Executive Director to manage the daily affairs of the Society. The SETAC Europe executive director reports to the SETAC Europe council but works closely together with the SETAC North America Executive Director and the SETAC World Executive Director to realize the goals shared by the Geographic Units and the global organization.


The job
The SETAC Europe Executive Director acts as the secretary of the SETAC Europe council, the general assembly and the executive committee and he/she manages the business of the Association and represents the Association as needed.

The SETAC Europe Executive Director represents SETAC Europe when communicating to (potential) partners including representatives from national and international governments, NGO’s, scientific societies, industry and academia. SETAC Europe is involved in various collaborating projects, including EU framework programmes where SETAC Europe typically takes the role of coordinator of the dissemination work package. It is the ambition of SETAC Europe to extend these activities and to establish effective collaborations with other organisations with the aim to further the goals of the society.

The Executive Director is non voting member of the SETAC Europe council and SETAC Europe Executive Committee. The Executive Director advises the respective bodies and acts as the “society memory”. The Executive Director shall implement the policies set by SETAC Europe council. As Executive Director you will work with numerous international volunteer expert committees, organising committees etc. Your role is to oversee the interrelationships between the activities of the different groups and to effectively guide these committees to carry out their activities.

The Executive Director manages the SETAC Europe budget (>1M€/year) and is responsible for the resource management of SETAC Europe’s 5 staff members. The main administrative activities of the office include financial administration of the society, membership administration, meeting organisation and a wide range of administrative supporting activities to the council and SETAC committees, production and sales of SETAC publications in Europe; communications to SETAC Europe members and non members and the production of effective outreach materials (brochures, reports, fact sheets, and website) and the coordination of the SETAC Europe award programme.

The ED and the office members are responsible for the organisation and smooth operations of SETAC Europe meetings including the annually organised SETAC Europe Meeting (1500-2000 participants), the SETAC Europe Special Science Symposium (100-150 participants), the LCA Case study Symposium (100-200 participants), and various workshops and seminars organised on an ad hoc basis. The SETAC Europe office acts as the meeting secretariat with duties including venue selection, contract negotiations, abstract handling, production of delegate materials, marketing, meeting registrations and the on site coordination and management of the meeting. For the organisation of these events the SETAC Europe office works closely together with the volunteer organising and scientific committees.


Responsibilities
The SETAC Europe Executive Director is responsible for the finances, personnel and outreach of SETAC Europe. He/she

• Shall be te ambassador of SETAC Europe by increasing the links to (inter)national stakeholders, enabling SETAC Europe to meet its goals and objectives.
• Shall administer the finances of SETAC Europe, including reporting to the SETAC Europe Council on a regular basis, and overseeing and reporting on the annual financial audit of SETAC Europe.
• Shall record resolutions adopted by the General Assembly, the Council and the Executive Committee in a register.
• Shall administer the delivery of SETAC Europe activities and delegated SWC activities in support of SETAC and in co-operation with the Committee Chairs and the SETAC Europe Council and Officers.
• Shall communicate with the office a.o. by regular visits (at least twice a month).
• Shall manage the resource of SETAC Europe personnel.
•  Shall prepare and deliver the annual report (financial status, audit, major activities, etc) to the SETAC Europe Council and the SETAC Europe Membership.
• Shall cooperate with SETAC World and other SETAC Geographic Units and Branches to implement SETAC general society policy.
• Shall increase the financial status of SETAC Europe by increasing the number of sustaining members and acquisition of funded projects for dissemination.
• Shall initiate contacts for new (annual) meetings.
• Shall negotiate contracts with e.g. venues.
• Shall increase the visibility of SETAC within the European Union and other relevant (inter)national bodies.
• Shall be responsible for financial management of SETAC Europe, its meetings and individual projects.
•  Shall ensure best use of SETAC and SETAC Europe resources.

Your Profile
An excellent open-minded Communicator with a Background in Environmental Sciences preferably with a PhD in one of the topics SETAC is engaged in, but with a broad interest and experience and capable to effectively communicate with experts at various levels.

A true motivation to build bridges between academic, industry and governance experts, facilitate the development of shared views on sustainable environment issues, and a strong affiliation to the goals of the society.

You have a large international network and the skills to expand your network and use it effectively to further the goals of the society.

Proven management skills to adequately manage the finances, volunteer groups, and projects.

Other characteristics include:

• Able to be the ambassador of SETAC Europe
• High standing expert in Europe
• Team player, not a boss but a motivator in an open way
• Diplomatic, being a good negotiator, communicative and transparent
• Stress resistant, problem solving, flexible and organised
• Capable and willing to travel frequently (a.o. also to Brussels for contact with the office)
• Preferably a PhD in environmental sciences or comparable level of experience
• Experience with budgeting, acquisition and writing of project proposals
• Good knowledge of MS computer programmes Word, Excel, Outlook and Access
• Fluent in English
• Organisational and management skills

SETAC offers:
An exciting and challenging international working environment in an esteemed organisation with a high international profile and an office based in Brussels.

The possibility of being deeply involved in the most important role of SETAC Europe in improving environmental quality and make things happen.

Salary € 36.000,- to € 48.000,- based on a 0.6 employment


Application
For more information on the position please contact the SETAC Europe Past President Prof. Dr. Paul van den Brink (paul.vandenbrink@wur.nl / Tel +31 317 481615) or the SETAC Europe President Prof. Dr. Jussi Kukkonen (jussi.kukkonen@joensuu.fi / Tel +358 13 251 3575).

You can send your application by 15 July 2009 and by mentioning “application Executive Director” to:

SETAC Europe
Av de la Toison d’Or 67
B-1060 Brussels, Belgium

Or as an attachment by email to: barbara.koelman@setac.org

Selected candidates will be invited for a job interview planned in July 2009 in Brussels. The most successful candidate(s) will be invited for a second interview.

For more information on SETAC see www.setac.org 

 

Potential environmental impact of nanoparticles studied through aluminum in soil

Nanoparticles offer multiple benefits to society in areas such as medicine, energy production and conservation, and pollution clean-up.  Because nanoparticles is a relatively new technology area, we need to understand the dangers nanoparticles pose in the environment before their use becomes widespread. Environmental scientists are developing methods to assess nanoparticle distribution, fate, and toxicity in the environment. Naturally, a key part of the science relates to understanding how nanoparticles change once they interact with the environment.
 
A case study in the June 2009 issue of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry examines changes and transport in aluminum nanoparticles, currently used in energetics, alloys, coatings, and sensors, when they are exposed to relevant environmental conditions. In this study, nanoparticle suspensions were introduced into soil columns, where their concentration, size, agglomeration state, and particle charge were studied. Soil studies are important to understand exposure to plants and soil-dwelling organisms and the potential for nanoparticles to migrate into groundwater. A key finding was that characteristics of the nanoparticle and the environment interact to influence the distribution of the particles in the environment.
 
The present study demonstrated that the characteristics of nanoparticles are dynamic in the environment and that this is an important consideration for the design and interpretation of nanoparticle studies. The major factors influencing the transport of aluminum nanoparticles were agglomeration and surface charge. During this study, aluminum nanoparticles rapidly agglomerated, forming particles well outside the range of nanoparticles (i.e., micron size) especially when exposed to simulated groundwater. The increased size of the particles via agglomeration significantly reduced transport of the particles in soil columns.
 
Surface charges of the particles and the soil were also determining factors in the transport of nanoparticles in soil. Dramatic changes in the surface charge can be caused by changes in nanoparticle coating, surface treatment, and the characteristics of the media it is in. In this study, changing the water used in the soil columns from deionized water to simulated groundwater caused large changes in the surface charge of the aluminum nanoparticles and their ability to move through the soil columns. Typically, when particles have a surface charge similar to the matrix, they will be transported, and when the particle–matrix charges are opposite, the particles will remain in the matrix.
 
Studies like this will foster the development of models to predict the relationship between rates of agglomeration, size of the starting material, and charge of the nanoparticle and the matrix. This information is critical to determine how nanoparticles distribute in the environment and will help to explain uptake and toxicity to organisms in the environment and to man. Finally, identifying those factors that influence distribution in the environment can assist in designing nanoparticles that have limited transport potential and therefore limited impact on the environment.
 
The full text of this article, Nanoparticle Characteristics Affecting Environmental Fate and Transport Through Soil (Vol. 28, No. 6, June 2009) is available at http://www.allenpress.com/pdf/ENTC_28.6_1191-1199_.pdf
 
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry is a publication of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. It is interdisciplinary in scope and integrates the fields of environmental toxicology; environmental, analytical, and molecular chemistry; ecology; physiology; biochemistry; microbiology; genetics; genomics; environmental engineering; chemical, environmental, and biological modeling; epidemiology; and earth sciences. Emphasis is given to papers that enhance capabilities for the prediction, measurement, and assessment of the fate and effects of chemicals in the environment. For more information about the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, please visit www.setac.org.

News from the Student Advisory Council (SAC) of SETAC Europe.

News from the Student Advisory Council (SAC) of SETAC Europe. Watch the video http://yes.sac-online.eu

Blog from ICCM2 Meeting

View the full blog from the Second International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM2) here: http://communities.setac.net/index.php?f=218&sid=58c89ad60ef7b7dc713fc47a71bdc9d1

Summary of SETAC Workshop on Selenium Now Available

PENSACOLA, Fla. (May 14, 2009) – The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry has published the executive summary from a workshop titled “Ecological Assessment of Selenium in the Aquatic Environment,” conducted Feb. 22-28 in Pensacola Beach, Fla. The summary is available in print and online at the Society’s website, http://www.setac.org/node/265.
 
Selenium can be a beneficial chemical, but it can also be toxic, particularly to egg-laying fish, birds, amphibians and reptiles, as documented in several freshwater lakes and reservoirs. Environmental concentrations are increasing globally as a result of mining, power generation, agriculture and animal husbandry, making selenium a recognized contaminant of potential concern in North America, Australia and New Zealand, and likely an unrecognized contaminant in other parts of the world. The executive summary outlines the state of the science and provides globally applicable guidance for assessing and managing the environmental effects of selenium. The contents are based on the deliberations of a multidisciplinary and international group of scientists, managers and policymakers convened to develop consensus on a path forward for the assessment of selenium in the aquatic environment.
 
SETAC will publish the full proceedings from this workshop in 2010. That book will provide full details regarding conclusions and recommendations outlined in the executive summary, including an extensive list of references and case studies.
 
“Ecological Assessment of Selenium in the Aquatic Environment” is one of many SETAC publications that offer timely reviews and new perspectives on current topics relating to broad environmental toxicology and chemistry issues. SETAC publications are based on collaborative efforts of scientists, managers and policy makers, and they undergo extensive prepublication reviews. SETAC assumes an active leadership role in advancing key scientific issues and publishes the peer-reviewed, international journals “Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry” and “Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management.” For more information, visit the Society’s website at www.setac.org.

Long-term health of U.S. waterways examined in paper mill effluent study

The first 8 years of a comprehensive monitoring study to understand the effects of pulp and paper mill effluent discharges in four U.S. streams will be reported in a special section in the April 2009 issue of the journal Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management.
 
The pulp and paper mill effluent study is a voluntary initiative funded by the forest products industry through membership in the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, a nonprofit research organization.  The study is on-going, and expected to continue for several more years as a research program involving 27 scientists representing 8 U.S. universities and research institutions. The work was not conducted in response to any state or federal regulatory requirements.
 
The four waterways included in the study have supported pulp and paper mills for several decades. The waterways are the Codorus Creek in Pennsylvania, the Leaf River in Mississippi, the McKenzie River in Oregon, and the Willamette River, also in Oregon. These streams represent both coldwater and warmwater streams, a variety of mill processing types, and a range of effluent concentrations.
 
Because the impact of pulp and paper mill effluent on river ecology may vary due to natural seasonal or year-to-year differences and human use of the watershed, the study not only aims to address point-source effects from pulp and paper mill discharges, but also aims to understand the larger spatial scale of any impacts at a watershed scale and over a multi-year time period. The ecological data collected from this study will allow the forest products industry to further refine future environmental strategies for pulp and paper companies by examining mill discharges with both short- and long- term changes to aquatic life. Replicating the study in 4 waterways provides a foundation for capturing and understanding variability in the natural environment.
 
“A Long-Term, Multitrophic Level Study to Assess Pulp and Paper Mill Effluent Effects on Aquatic Communities in Four US Receiving Waters: Background and Status,” Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management, Volume 5, No. 2, April 2009.
 
The full text of this article is available at http://www.allenpress.com/pdf/ieam/IEAM_5.2_189-198.pdf
 
Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management is published quarterly by the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) and focuses on the application of science in environmental decision-making, regulation, and management, including aspects of policy and law and the development of scientifically sound approaches to environmental problem solving.

Reduced flame retardant use may be lowering chemical levels in northern fish and birds

Regulations on flame-retardant compounds and elimination of their use may be reducing the levels of these chemicals in fish eggs and seabird eggs in northern areas of the Earth, according to results from two studies published in the May 2009 issue of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.
 
The studies examine tissue levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs) during at least 20-year periods in Canada and Norway. The issue of global distillation—the transport of certain chemicals from warmer to colder areas of the Earth—is a concern in these areas, where the chemicals have not been used in large amounts but have been found in the environment and bodies of people and animals who live there.
 
PBDEs are flame-retardant chemicals used to make electrical equipment, textiles, and other fireproof products.  These chemicals leak from products and have been found in animal cells. Research and health concerns have led to the banning of two types of PBDEs—penta- and octa- mixtures—by the European Union and reductions of their use in the United States and Canada since 2004. More recently, use of deca-PBDE has also been banned in parts of the US as well as the EU.
 
The first study examined trout in Lake Ontario, Canada, from 1979 to 2004, and how flame-retardant levels might affect the food web in that area. Researchers found that PBDE concentrations increased from 1979 to the mid-1990s but then leveled off or decreased through 2004, and that HBCD levels also decreased through that period, although at a slower rate.
 
“Our observations are consistent with the trend patterns previously observed in both Lake Ontario lake trout and herring gull eggs, and these findings have been attributed to the phasing out of the penta- and octa-BDE mixtures,” the researchers write.
 
They also examined the Lake Ontario food web and its influence on chemical levels, and found that “food-web changes may be at least partially responsible for the observed decrease in PDBE concentrations between 1998 and 2004,” although they say more research on this factor is needed.
 
For the second study, a different group of researchers looked at PBDE and HBCD levels in seabird eggs in northern Norway from 1983 to 2003. They also found that PBDE concentrations increased from 1983 to 1993 but then decreased.
 
“A reduction in emissions from European production could explain the decreasing concentrations of PBDEs in the present study,” the authors write, adding that local use and emissions of PBDEs also could have an effect. HBCD levels in seabird eggs increased, possibly because of the compound’s enhanced emissions.
 
“The present study shows that HBCD is present in the Norwegian environment and that levels are increasing in seabird eggs,” according to the article. The researchers say more studies are needed to determine whether these levels are affecting the region’s biology.
 
The full-text article, “Brominated and Chlorinated Flame Retardants in Lake Ontario, Canada, Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush) Between 1979 and 2004 and Possible Influences of Food-Web Changes” (Vol. 28(5) 910-920), is available at http://www.allenpress.com/pdf/ENTC_28.5_910-920.pdf.
 
The full-text article, “Levels and Temporal Trends (1983-2003) of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers and Hexabromocyclododecanes in Seabird Eggs from North Norway”, is available at http://www.allenpress.com/pdf/ENTC_28.5_1096-1103.pdf.
 
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry is a publication of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. It is interdisciplinary in scope and integrates the fields of environmental toxicology; environmental, analytical, and molecular chemistry; ecology; physiology; biochemistry; microbiology; genetics; genomics; environmental engineering; chemical, environmental, and biological modeling; epidemiology; and earth sciences. Emphasis is given to papers that enhance capabilities for the prediction, measurement, and assessment of the fate and effects of chemicals in the environment. For more information about the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, please visit http://www.setac.org.

SETAC Announces Journals Publishing Agreement with Wiley-Blackwell

The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry has finalized an agreement with Wiley-Blackwell to publish the Society’s journals beginning in 2010. Hundreds of academic, government, and private institutional libraries subscribe to SETAC’s peer-reviewed journals, “Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry” and “Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management,” and scientists in business, academia, government and nongovernmental organizations rely on the journals’ peer-reviewed articles to stay current in environmental science.
Mike Mozur, SETAC global executive director, noted that “This step will complement SETAC’s growing involvement in global environmental efforts in support of its commitment to environmental quality through science.” Wiley-Blackwell publishes 750 journals in cooperation with other societies, and its experience, size and global reach, including staff and subscription agents located around the world, will further strengthen SETAC journals as leaders in hazard and risk assessment, environmental toxicology, environmental chemistry and the application of science to environmental decision-making, regulation, policy and management.
“Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry” is in its 28th year of publication, and last year ranked first among 73 toxicology journals in number of citations according to Journal Citation Reports, published by Thomson Reuters. Its founding and current Editor-in-Chief is C. Herb Ward, Foyt Family Chair of Engineering and Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Rice University, Houston, Texas.
“Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management” is celebrating its 5th year of publication, headed by its founding Editor-in-Chief, Richard J. Wenning, Principal with ENVIRON, Emeryville, Calif.

About Wiley
Founded in 1807, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. has been a valued source of information and understanding for 200 years, helping people around the world meet their needs and fulfill their aspirations. Since 1901, Wiley and its acquired companies have published the works of more than 350 Nobel laureates in all categories: Literature, Economics, Physiology or Medicine, Physics, Chemistry and Peace.
Wiley’s core businesses publish scientific, technical, medical and scholarly journals, encyclopedias, books, and online products and services; professional/trade books, subscription products, training materials, and online applications and websites; and educational materials for undergraduate and graduate students and lifelong learners. Wiley's global headquarters are located in Hoboken, New Jersey, with operations in the U.S., Europe, Asia, Canada, and Australia. The Company's Web site can be accessed at www.wiley.com. The Company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbols JWa and JWb.

About SETAC
SETAC is a not-for-profit, worldwide professional society founded in 1979 consisting of individuals and institutions from an array of scientific fields including environmental toxicology and chemistry, biology, ecology, earth sciences, atmospheric sciences, health sciences, hazard and risk assessment, environmental engineering and life-cycle assessment. For more information on the Society, visit setac.org.

Trout seeking cooler waters can be poisoned by metals

When faced with a choice between warmer stream temperatures and low metal exposures or cooler temperatures but increased metal levels in water, trout head toward cooler, more contaminated waters, according to an article in the April 2009 issue of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.

Trout generally avoid waters containing metals, which have a range of effects on their abundance and health, as noted in the article, “Trout Density and Health in a Stream with Variable Water Temperatures and Trace Element Concentrations: Does a Cold-Water Source Attract Trout to Increased Metal Exposure?” by David D. Harper, Aida M. Farag, Christer Hogstrand, and Elizabeth MacConnell.

But the researchers found different trout behavior when they studied the Prickly Pear Creek watershed in Montana, where 125 years of hard-rock mining have left increased levels of metals such as zinc, arsenic, and lead in the creek. Although water quality there has improved since reclamation activities began in 1988, zinc levels in the water still exceed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidelines.

The authors examined trout behavior from June to August 2001 at three sites along Prickly Pear Creek: the first (PP1) was the reference site, upstream from most hard-rock mining activities; the second (PP3) was about 8 km away and downstream of Prickly Pear’s confluence with the metal-contaminated Spring Creek; and the third (PP5) was 15 km downstream from the Spring Creek confluence, where metal concentrations are more diluted because of input from tributary streams.

The researchers found that average water temperatures at the third site, PP5, were the warmest and frequently exceeded 22ºC, with temperatures at PP1 next highest, never exceeding 21ºC. Water temperatures were coolest at PP3, where they did not exceed 18ºC. Metal concentrations in the water were highest at PP3, followed by PP5 and PP1, according to the study.

However, the researchers also found that salmonid biomass was greatest at PP3, where lower water temperatures during summer help improve habitat quality. Most trout samples at this site also had higher concentrations of metals than samples from the other two sites.

Trout generally avoid waters containing dangerous metals—such as those found at PP3—but they also thrive in cooler waters. “When fish are exposed to multiple stressors, they must respond to the most acute threat,” the researchers say, which for trout living in Prickly Pear Creek appears to be higher water temperatures.

“Our results suggest that the preference of trout for cool water temperatures may supersede behaviors to avoid heavy metals,” the authors conclude.

To read the entire article, Trout Density and Health in a Stream with Variable Water Temperatures and Trace Element Concentrations: Does a Cold-Water Source Attract Trout to Increased Metal Exposure? (Vol. 28(4):800-808), visit http://www.allenpress.com/pdf/entc/ENTC_28.4_800_808.pdf

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry is a publication of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. It is interdisciplinary in scope and integrates the fields of environmental toxicology; environmental, analytical, and molecular chemistry; ecology; physiology; biochemistry; microbiology; genetics; genomics; environmental engineering; chemical, environmental, and biological modeling; epidemiology; and earth sciences. Emphasis is given to papers that enhance capabilities for the prediction, measurement, and assessment of the fate and effects of chemicals in the environment. For more information about the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, please visit http://www.setac.org.

Is increased short-term damage from oil spill treatment good for the aquatic environment?

Detergents used to disperse diesel fuel in water after a spill actually increase the toxicity of the oil and make it more harmful to fish and other aquatic habitats in the short-term, even though the detergents may be the best way to treat spills in the long term because they speed dilution and degradation of the fuel, according to an article in the newest issue of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.
 
The study used laboratory simulations of diesel spills and their effects with and without the use of the detergents, known as dispersants. Its results are outlined in the article, “Oil Dispersion Increases the Apparent Bioavailability and Toxicity of Diesel to Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss),” by Allison Schein, Jason A. Scott, Lizzy Mos, and Peter V. Hodson.
 
The oil dispersants are detergents that decrease the surface tension between oil and water. “Dispersion reduces the impact of oil on surface-dwelling animals and enhances biodegradation but also creates a larger reservoir of oil in the water column,” according to the authors. This increases the concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), which pass easily from water into tissues and are toxic to fish early life stages.
 
The researchers found that chemical dispersion of diesel increased the bioavailability and toxicity of the fuel to rainbow trout by 100-fold. Exposure to the dispersed diesel affected the trout in several ways, including a lack of embryo development.
 
Chemical dispersants are not typically used in freshwater, but the researchers say turbulent rivers could mechanically disperse spilled diesel and create similar negative effects in fish, depending on the life stage exposed to the fuel.
 
“The important feature in the expression of diesel toxicity is the extent to which the oil is dispersed in water, whether by mechanical or by chemical means,” according to the researchers. “Diesel toxicity, like that of crude oil, could impair the health and recruitment of fish populations, resulting in long-term reductions in economic returns to fisheries.”
 
They suggest that the risks of diesel spills and use of chemical dispersants should be assessed based on location and timing relative to fish spawning and development.
 
To read the entire article, Oil Dispersion Increases the Apparent Bioavailability and Toxicity of Diesel to Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), by Allison Schein, Jason A. Scott, Lizzy Mos, and Peter V. Hodson (Vol. 28(3):2496–2500, 2009), visit http://www.allenpress.com/pdf/ENTC_28.3_595_602.pdf
 
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry is a publication of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. It is interdisciplinary in scope and integrates the fields of environmental toxicology; environmental, analytical, and molecular chemistry; ecology; physiology; biochemistry; microbiology; genetics; genomics; environmental engineering; chemical, environmental, and biological modeling; epidemiology; and earth sciences. Emphasis is given to papers that enhance capabilities for the prediction, measurement, and assessment of the fate and effects of chemicals in the environment. For more information about the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, please visit http://www.setac.org.

Blog from SAICM Africa Training Workshop

View the full blog here: http://communities.setac.net/viewtopic.php?t=1304

RISKBASE Workshop Assessment Conference Promotes Sustainable Use of European Freshwater Ecosystems

The January 2009 issue of Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management includes technical papers summarizing the progress of work conducted by the European Commission’s Coordination Action RISKBASE program.  The RISKBASE program reviews the outcome of European Commission FP4 - FP6 projects, and other major initiatives, related to integrated risk assessment-based management at the river basin scale.  The purpose of the workshop held in Leipzig, Germany was to review and assess risks associated with sustainable use of Europe’s increasingly threatened freshwater resources.
 
Rapidly escalating environmental pressures have led scientists and policymakers in Europe to take actions to protect and restore surface sources of freshwater throughout Europe.  Climate change, invasive species, and anthropogenic pollution are just some of the challenges facing the European Union.
 
RISKBASE scientists and policymakers participating in the Leipzig workshop report on the range of risk management and water protection frameworks needed to preserve water quality and the ecological integrity of Europe’s rivers for both present and future generations.
 
To read the entire article, European River Basins at Risk, 2009, Vol. 5 (1): 2-4; visit http://www.allenpress.com/pdf/IEAM_5.1_2_4.pdf
 
Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management is published quarterly by the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) and focuses on the application of science in environmental decision making, regulation, and management, including aspects of policy and law and the development of scientifically sound approaches to environmental problem solving.

Feather growth detoxifies mercury, but after fledging or molting, watch out

The level of mercury contamination among bird populations varies with feather growth, which makes them especially vulnerable after feathers stop growing, according to an article in the most recent issue of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.
 
Birds’ feathers serve as a buffer against mercury intoxication when the feathers are growing and supplied with blood, according to research that Anne M. Condon and Daniel A. Cristol outline in the article “Feather Growth Influences Blood Mercury Level of Young Songbirds.” However, when feather growth is complete – soon after fledging in young songbirds or molting in adults – their research found this buffer no longer exists.
 
They studied mercury levels among eastern songbirds living near the mercury-contaminated South River in Virginia, breaking their feather growth into four categories: nestling, when thousands of feathers are growing simultaneously; waning, when feather growth slows; none, when there is no feather growth; and molt, when new feathers grow to replace juvenile feathers.
 
“Blood mercury levels fell once molt began and this elimination route reopened, confirming the influence of feather growth on blood mercury,” write Condon and Cristol.
 
They say young birds may be more sensitive to mercury than older birds, but that sensitivity is less of an issue as long as their feathers are developing. However, after fledging, birds contaminated with mercury may experience mercury toxicity, including death.
 
The authors say the results of their research are important for assessing risks of mercury contamination to bird populations, particularly because mercury contamination of terrestrial systems does not appear to be decreasing. Further research should include testing of mercury levels in birds’ blood and feathers.
 
“This is the first demonstration that the oft-cited phenomenon of elimination into plumage occurs in small birds, in terrestrial birds, and in free-living birds that were followed as individuals,” Condon and Cristol write.
 
To read the entire article, Feather Growth Influences Blood Mercury Level of Young Songbirds (Vol. 28 (2):395-401), visit http://www.allenpress.com/pdf/ENTC_28.2_395_401.pdf
 
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry is a publication of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. It is interdisciplinary in scope and integrates the fields of environmental toxicology; environmental, analytical, and molecular chemistry; ecology; physiology; biochemistry; microbiology; genetics; genomics; environmental engineering; chemical, environmental, and biological modeling; epidemiology; and earth sciences. Emphasis is given to papers that enhance capabilities for the prediction, measurement, and assessment of the fate and effects of chemicals in the environment.

When Food Can Kill: Salmon and Killer Whale Populations

A study published in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry explains the process by which threatened and endangered killer whales in the waters of northwestern North America become contaminated with persistent organic pollutants, particularly polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), that are present in chinook salmon, their primary food source.
 
Two main observations were made. First, nearly 100% of the contaminants in chinook salmon were acquired while they lived in the ocean. Second, southern killer whales are contaminated with higher concentrations of chemicals because 1) they eat more salmon than their northern counterparts and 2) southern salmon have higher levels of contaminants than northern salmon because the southern waters are more contaminated than the northern waters. In fact, PCB concentrations in southern salmon were almost four times those in northern salmon.
 
It is known that salmon can lose as much as 80% of their lipid (fat) stores as they journey back to their natal streams. Salmon stop eating during this time and draw energy from their lipid stores. Thus, they are less nutritious to whales than they would be otherwise. Furthermore, southern salmon were found to have lower lipid content than northern salmon. Whales therefore eat larger amounts of salmon and consequently are exposed to larger amounts of chemicals in the salmon. Southern whales, in particular, consume as much as 50% more salmon to compensate for the fact that their food is, per unit, less nutritious.
 
Salmon paradoxically help killer whales (food) and harm them (contamination). This study is important because it illustrates the increasing amount of damage to fragile ecosystems that occurs as industries continue to dump waste into rivers and oceans.
 
To read the entire review, Persistent Organic Pollutants in Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha): Implications for Resident Killer Whales of British Columbia and Adjacent Waters (Vol. 28(1):148–161), visit http://www.allenpress.com/pdf/ENTC_28.1_148.pdf
 
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry is a publication of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. It is interdisciplinary in scope and integrates the fields of environmental toxicology; environmental, analytical, and molecular chemistry; ecology; physiology; biochemistry; microbiology; genetics; genomics; environmental engineering; chemical, environmental, and biological modeling; epidemiology; and earth sciences. Emphasis is given to papers that enhance capabilities for the prediction, measurement, and assessment of the fate and effects of chemicals in the environment. For more information about the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, please visit http://www.setac.org/

Agricultural Use of Malathion Contributes to Crisis of Amphibian Population Decline

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry has published a study showing that malathion used as an agricultural insecticide and pesticide is responsible for interfering with the normal development of pickerel frog embryos, thus leaving them more susceptible to parasite invasion.

Malathion is present in natural water sources that have been exposed to urban and agricultural runoff. It is the only organophosphate insecticide that may be applied by planes to control mosquito populations, and so it also enters water from the air.

Although direct lethal and sublethal effects of chemical contaminants have been documented, latent and long-term effects have been less well documented. Therefore, researchers sought to fill this knowledge gap and found, as suspected, that tadpole survival rates decreased and malformations and susceptibility to parasite encystment rates increased as a result of exposure to malathion concentrations mimicking those found in actual water sources.

Tadpoles are being exposed to increasing numbers of parasites in waters that are warming as a result of global climate change, and the researchers who performed this study speculate that, as a consequence, those exposed to malathion will have weakened immune systems that render them less able to defend themselves from invasion. Indeed, trematode infection was observed in tadpoles seven weeks after embryonic exposure to low concentrations of malathion.

This study shows that declines in amphibian populations are related to the agricultural application of malathion, which causes various kinds of damage to frog embryos and tadpoles that are, as a consequence, increasingly susceptible to parasite invasion.

To read the entire review, Effects of Malathion on Embryonic Development and Latent Susceptibility to Trematode Parasites in Ranid Tadpoles (Vol. 27(12):2496–2500), visit http://www.allenpress.com/pdf/entc_27.12_2496.pdf.
 
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry is a publication of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. It is interdisciplinary in scope and integrates the fields of environmental toxicology; environmental, analytical, and molecular chemistry; ecology; physiology; biochemistry; microbiology; genetics; genomics; environmental engineering; chemical, environmental, and biological modeling; epidemiology; and earth sciences. Emphasis is given to papers that enhance capabilities for the prediction, measurement, and assessment of the fate and effects of chemicals in the environment.

Bisphenol A in aquarium snails

Marisa cornuarietis is a popular species of aquarium snail, and previous studies during the European Union risk assessment of bisphenol A (BPA) showed them to be the “most sensitive aquatic invertebrate tested.” These results sparked much interest in this species, and a comprehensive research program was launched to document their biology, requirements in captivity, and responses to BPA at different doses.
 
In the culminating study of this effort, available in the most recent issue of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, sensitivity to BPA was measured through fecundity, egg hatchability, and juvenile growth in order to provide biologically meaningful results for the snail’s entire life cycle. Results showed no significant effects of BPA according to any of the criteria tested. There was no significant effect at any dose level on adult egg production or percent hatch. There was a small effect on time to first hatch (the smallest dose [0.1 μg/L] had a shorter hatching time than did the greatest dose [640 μg/L]). BPA concentrations had a small effect on juvenile growth rates, resulting in a decrease in female growth and an increase in male growth rates, and difference in water temperature had a small but measurable effect on fecundity.
 
In contrast, differences among breeding pairs were found to account for the vast majority of effects in all categories (for example, 90% of total variance in egg hatchability was due to differences among breeding pairs, 9% was due to differences among tanks, and 1% was due to BPA).
 
Therefore, in statistically robust, comprehensive studies with good interlaboratory repeatability, Marisa cornuarietis was not found to be any more sensitive to BPA than any other aquatic invertebrate studied. The highest dose used in these studies (≤640 μg/L) still qualifies as a no-observed-effect level for reproduction, egg hatchability, and egg development, though juvenile growth results were less conclusive.

To read the entire study, click here: http://www.allenpress.com/pdf/ENTC_27.11_article.pdf
 
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry is the monthly journal of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) dedicated to furthering scientific knowledge and disseminating information on environmental toxicology and chemistry, including the application of these sciences to risk assessment. For more information, visit www.setac.org.

SETAC Announces North America Award Winners

TAMPA, Fla. (November 20, 2008) – The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry conducted its 29th Annual Meeting in Tampa, Fla. to highlight the current advancements in the environmental sciences and announce the prestigious SETAC North America Award Winners. Five awards were presented to some of the leading scientists in their respective fields.

The 2008 Eugene Kenaga SETAC Membership Award was presented to Leana Van der Vliet for the many contributions and high-quality service she has given to SETAC. The 2008 SETAC/Menzie Environmental Education Award was given to Marcus Eriksen and the Algalita Marine Research Foundation. The award recognizes recipients who have made major contribution in improving environmental science education. Shawna Nations was the recipient of the 2008 SETAC/EA Engineering Jeff Black Award. This award was sponsored by EA Engineering and honors Nations’ work in environmental sciences and her contributions to SETAC.

Andre Simpson was the recipient of the 2008 SETAC/Royal Society of Chemistry Environmental Sciences Award for his accomplishments and outstanding contributions to the environmental sciences. The 2008 SETAC Outstanding Regional Chapter Member Award was given to Doranne Borsay Horowitz of the North Atlantic Chapter of SETAC North America to honor the many contributions she has made at the chapter level

SETAC is a not-for-profit, worldwide professional society founded in 1979 consisting of individuals and institutions from an array of scientific fields including environmental toxicology and chemistry, biology, ecology, earth sciences, atmospheric sciences, health sciences, hazard and risk assessment, environmental engineering and life-cycle assessment. For more information on the Society, visit setac.org.

SETAC Announces World Council Global Award Winners

TAMPA, Fla. (November 20, 2008) – The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry conducted its 29th Annual Meeting in Tampa, Fla. to highlight the current advancements in the environmental sciences and announce the prestigious SETAC World Council Global Award Winners. Five awards were presented to some of the leading scientists in their respective fields.

The 2008 SETAC Herb Ward Exceptional Service Award was presented to Watze de Wolf. de Wolf was selected for his long-lasting, high-quality service to SETAC. The 2008 SETAC Founders Award was given to Gerald T. Ankley. The Founders Award is SETAC’s highest honor, presented to individuals whose career achievements match the goals and values of SETAC. Tham Chung Hoang was the recipient of the 2008 SETAC/ICA Chris Lee Award for Metals Research. This award was sponsored by the International Copper Association and given to Hoang for his leadership and technical contributions to metals research.

Sarah Budischak was the recipient of the 2008 SETAC/ET&C Best Student Paper Award for her work titled, “Effects of malathion on embryonic development and latent susceptibility to trematode parasites in ranid tadpoles.” The 2009 SETAC/Procter & Gamble Fellowship for Doctoral Research in Environmental Science Award was given to Michelle Blickley due to the environmental significance of her work titled, “Investigating the bioavailability and toxicological effects of engineered nanomaterials, quantum dot, in marine teleosts.”   

SETAC is a not-for-profit, worldwide professional society founded in 1979 consisting of individuals and institutions from an array of scientific fields including environmental toxicology and chemistry, biology, ecology, earth sciences, atmospheric sciences, health sciences, hazard and risk assessment, environmental engineering and life-cycle assessment. For more information on the Society, visit setac.org.

2009 SETAC/Procter & Gamble Fellowship for Doctoral Research in Environmental Science

TAMPA, Fla. (November 16, 2008) – The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry is pleased to announce Michelle Blickley as the recipient of the 2009 SETAC/Procter & Gamble Fellowship for Doctoral Research in Environmental Science. Blickley’s research skills, presentations, publications and awards, coupled with the environmental significance of the research project, led to her recognition for this 2009 Fellowship.

Blickley is currently a Ph.D candidate from Duke University working at the Duke University Marine Laboratory. She was selected for her work titled “Investigating the Bioavailability and Toxicological Effects of Engineered Nanomaterials, Quantum Dot, in Marine Teleosts.” This research, carried out under the direction of Dr. Patricia McClellan-Green at North Carolina State University and Professor Daniel Rittschof of the Duke University Marine Laboratory, focuses on newly emerging technologies and their biological costs upon entering the marine environment. With the increased production of nanomaterials, scientists and government regulatory agencies are trying to determine their impact on both humans and our environment. Blickley’s research is being used to evaluate future control, production, and evaluation of nanomaterials.

For 25 years, The Procter & Gamble Company has provided support for this doctoral fellowship, amounting to $425,000 since its inception. As recipient of the 2009 award, Blickley will receive $15,000 for one year, and will be assigned a mentor from Proctor & Gamble and a SETAC liaison who will discuss her research progress and help her develop links to professionals conducting similar research in business, academia and government. Finally, Blickley will receive invitations to present her research at a Proctor & Gamble Technical Center and at SETAC meetings.

SETAC is a not-for-profit, worldwide professional society founded in 1979 consisting of individuals and institutions from an array of scientific fields including environmental toxicology and chemistry, biology, ecology, earth sciences, atmospheric sciences, health sciences, hazard and risk assessment, environmental engineering and life-cycle assessment. For more information on the Society, visit setac.org.

2008 SETAC/EA Engineering Jeff Black Award

TAMPA, Fla. (November 16, 2008) – The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry is pleased to announce Shawna Nations as the recipient of the 2008 SETAC/EA Engineering Jeff Black Award. This award is in recognition of Nations’ work in environmental science and her contributions to SETAC.

Nations is currently working on her master’s degree at Texas Tech University under the instruction of George Cobb where she has demonstrated exceptional skills as both a leader and researcher. She leads an effort to obtain aquatic toxicity information needed for the effective regulation of nanoparticles and collaborates regularly with students at two other universities to ensure their day-to-day procedures are compatible. In addition to her dedication to research and education, Nations also is an active member of SETAC. She presented at the SETAC North America 28th Annual Meeting in Milwaukee and the SETAC South Central Meeting in Houston. Her presentation in Houston won the best platform presentation and earned a $600 travel award to the SETAC North America 29th Annual Meeting in Tampa. She has served as president of the Llano Estacado Student Chapter of SETAC and has led many events while holding that office.   

EA Engineering contributed $1,000 to the 2008 award, which was matched by the Society.  This award is given to a SETAC member who is a student or an entering student pursuing a master's degree in a field of study encompassed by the Society.

SETAC is a not-for-profit, worldwide professional society founded in 1979 consisting of individuals and institutions from an array of scientific fields including environmental toxicology and chemistry, biology, ecology, earth sciences, atmospheric sciences, health sciences, hazard and risk assessment, environmental engineering and life-cycle assessment. For more information on the Society, visit setac.org.

2008 SETAC Founders Award

TAMPA, Fla. (November 16, 2008) – The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry is pleased to announce Gerald T. Ankley as the winner of the 2008 SETAC Founders Award. The Founders Award is SETAC’s highest honor and is presented to individuals whose career achievements match the goals and values of SETAC.

Ankley has made significant contributions to a variety of areas within the field of ecotoxicology, including assessment of complex effluent toxicity, determination of the toxicity and bioavailability of sediment-associated contaminants, direct and indirect impacts of ultraviolet radiation on animals and evaluation of the effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals on fish and wildlife. His most recent work has focused on predictive tools and approaches (e.g., genomics, systems biology and population models) for assessing ecological risks of chemicals. He has served as an expert consultant to several international groups, including the World Health Organization and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Ankley has authored 20 book chapters and more than 200 papers in top peer-reviewed journals, approximately 25 of which have received Scientific and Technological Achievement Awards from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Based on 10-year running averages, and among thousands of authors publishing in the field, Ankley is consistently in the top 25 authors in the combined fields of ecology and environmental science. Ankley is currently a research toxicologist with the EPA, as well as an adjunct professor at Michigan Technological University, the University of Minnesota and the University of Minnesota-Duluth.

Ankley’s outstanding contributions to the field of environmental toxicology and his dedication to a productive and diverse career in environmental sciences make him a deserving winner of the 2008 SETAC Founders Award.

SETAC is a not-for-profit, worldwide professional society founded in 1979 consisting of individuals and institutions from an array of scientific fields including environmental toxicology and chemistry, biology, ecology, earth sciences, atmospheric sciences, health sciences, hazard and risk assessment, environmental engineering and life-cycle assessment. For more information on the Society, visit setac.org.

2008 SETAC/ET&C Best Student Paper Award

TAMPA, Fla. (November 16, 2008) – The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry is pleased to announce Sarah Budischak as the recipient of the 2008 SETAC/ET&C Best Student Paper Award. The award is given annually to a SETAC member who served as lead author of a paper reporting non-postdoctoral research performed as a student, and published in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.

Budischak’s paper “Effects of malathion on embryonic development and latent susceptibility to trematode parasites in ranid tadpoles” is considered a critical contribution to the study of conservation of amphibians. The paper provides insights into the complex ways that pollution and diseases can interact. It reports how brief exposure to low concentrations of a common pesticide, during early embryonic development, can have lasting consequences for amphibians. The paper was rigorously reviewed and due to an exception in the reviewer assignment process received an additional review, giving further credence to its merit. Budischak recently completed a master’s of science at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at The University of Montana.

All manuscripts submitted for this award are graded on originality, participation, relevancy and manuscript presentation, along with the student's capability in addressing peer reviewers' comments. The reviewers of Budischak’s paper remarked that this was an innovative and excellent study that should have many applications for environmental quality assessments.

SETAC is a not-for-profit, worldwide professional society founded in 1979 consisting of individuals and institutions from an array of scientific fields including environmental toxicology and chemistry, biology, ecology, earth sciences, atmospheric sciences, health sciences, hazard and risk assessment, environmental engineering and life-cycle assessment. For more information on the Society, visit setac.org.

2008 Eugene Kenaga SETAC Membership Award

TAMPA, Fla. (November 16, 2008) – The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry is pleased to announce Leana Van der Vliet as the recipient of the 2008 Eugene Kenaga SETAC Membership Award. Initiated in 2003, this award was created to honor the many contributions of Eugene Kenaga, the first president of SETAC.

Van der Vliet has been a deeply involved member of the Laurentian Chapter of SETAC for the past nine years. She has been a highly motivational force at the regional chapter level and has increased membership in her region. She re-started the SETAC Laurentian Chapter activities in Ottawa with a monthly pub-night speaker series. This event became popular, attracting a variety of speakers and sometimes more than 50 members a night. Since becoming a member of SETAC, she has moved from a student member to the office of chapter president and now past-president. She continues to promote and be deeply involved in SETAC by bringing fresh ideas and implementing new technologies to create interest in the Society.

The Eugene Kenaga SETAC Membership Award is given each year to recognize a member of SETAC for their outstanding work with the Society's membership at either the chapter or continent (North America) level.  The recipient will have contributed toward the enhancement of the services SETAC offers to members through activities such as short courses and workshops, committee representation and meeting or session organization at annual meetings.

SETAC is a not-for-profit, worldwide professional society founded in 1979 consisting of individuals and institutions from an array of scientific fields including environmental toxicology and chemistry, biology, ecology, earth sciences, atmospheric sciences, health sciences, hazard and risk assessment, environmental engineering and life-cycle assessment. For more information on the Society, visit setac.org.

2008 SETAC Herb Ward Exceptional Service Award

TAMPA, Fla. (November 16, 2008) – The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry is pleased to announce Watze de Wolf as the recipient of the 2008 SETAC Herb Ward Exceptional Service Award. The award is given annually to recognize a past or present SETAC member who has demonstrated long-lasting, high-quality service to SETAC.

de Wolf has been an exemplary leader within the Society for nearly 12 years. During his involvement with SETAC, de Wolf has played several roles: SETAC Europe Council member from 1996-1998 and from 2002-2005, SETAC Europe Treasurer from 2003-2005, and in 2003 he took the global stage by becoming a SETAC World Council Member, leading to his 2005 SETAC presidency. He is a steering committee member for the first SETAC Europe Special Science Symposium, he chairs the SETAC advisory group on nanomaterials and he is a certified toxicologist who works for the DuPont Coordination Center in Brussels, Belgium.

For nearly a year beginning in May 2002, de Wolf acted as executive director of SETAC Europe, following the unanticipated vacancy of that position. During his tenure in SETAC’s Brussels office, de Wolf, with the support of his employer, was able to lead the SETAC Europe office to many successes, including laying the foundation for the development of the Society in Belgium. Clearly, his dedication to SETAC and his love of the environmental sciences have contributed to SETAC’s growth. His exceptional leadership and personal sacrifices on behalf of the Society make him a worthy recipient of this prestigious award.

SETAC is a not-for-profit, worldwide professional society founded in 1979 consisting of individuals and institutions from an array of scientific fields including environmental toxicology and chemistry, biology, ecology, earth sciences, atmospheric sciences, health sciences, hazard and risk assessment, environmental engineering and life-cycle assessment. For more information on the Society, visit setac.org.

2008 Royal Society of Chemistry Environment Sciences Award

TAMPA, Fla. (November 16, 2008) – The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry is pleased to announce André Simpson as the recipient of the 2008 SETAC/Royal Society of Chemistry Environmental Sciences Award. This award recognizes early- to mid-career scientists who have accomplished and published outstanding contributions that have advanced the understanding or development of environmental systems, technologies, methodologies or other relevant research in the environmental sciences.

Simpson has published more than 50 reference articles since his first journal publication in 2000, contributed to 10 book chapters and been published frequently in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. Simpson is most known for his research with hyphenated nuclear magnetic resonance techniques, especially dealing with structure, interactions and reactivity of natural organic matter. In 2004, he co-founded the Environmental Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Centre at the University of Toronto–Scarborough, a first of its kind in Canada. He was recently ranked in the “Ten to Watch for 2008” by The Toronto Star. It is through Simpson’s research in the environmental sciences that he is most qualified for this award.

This award is offered jointly by SETAC and the Royal Society of Chemistry. As recipient of this award, Simpson will receive $1,000, a waiver for conference registration fees for that year, a one year subscription to the RSC’s Journal of Environmental Monitoring, and a one year subscription to SETAC’s Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.

SETAC is a not-for-profit, worldwide professional society founded in 1979 consisting of individuals and institutions from an array of scientific fields including environmental toxicology and chemistry, biology, ecology, earth sciences, atmospheric sciences, health sciences, hazard and risk assessment, environmental engineering and life-cycle assessment. For more information on the Society, visit setac.org.

2008 SETAC Outstanding Regional Chapter Member Award

TAMPA, Fla. (November 16, 2008) – The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry is pleased to announce Doranne Borsay Horowitz of the North Atlantic Chapter of SETAC North America as the recipient of the 2008 SETAC Outstanding Regional Chapter Member Award. This award was created in 2007 by SETAC to honor the many contributions that members make at the chapter level.

Borsay Horowitz has embodied the goal of this award with her longstanding dedication to the North Atlantic Chapter. With a deep understanding of the inner workings of the Chapter, she has both enhanced services to members and increased the Chapter’s membership. In her time with the North Atlantic Chapter, she established and maintains the chapter website, facilitates and encourages expansion of the chapter’s membership and helps with event organization and administration. In addition, Borsay Horowitz has long held the office of chapter treasurer, has chaired scientific sessions and workshops for the chapter, and is a member of the SETAC Internet Committee.

This award was created to honor the recipient’s improvements of the services a regional chapter offers to its members, from leadership at the chapter level to growth of the chapter membership to participation on the SETAC North America Student Advisory Council. It is clear that Borsay Horowitz’s dedication and commitment make her deserving of this award.

SETAC is a not-for-profit, worldwide professional society founded in 1979 consisting of individuals and institutions from an array of scientific fields including environmental toxicology and chemistry, biology, ecology, earth sciences, atmospheric sciences, health sciences, hazard and risk assessment, environmental engineering and life-cycle assessment. For more information on the Society, visit setac.org.

2008 SETAC / Menzie Environmental Education Award

TAMPA, Fla. (November 16, 2008) – The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry is pleased to announce Marcus Eriksen and the Algalita Marine Research Foundation as the recipients of the 2008 SETAC/Menzie Environmental Education Award. This award recognizes an individual, group, organization or corporation that has made a major contribution in improving environmental science education.
 
Eriksen and AMRF have played significant roles in contributing to environmental education and the awareness of hazards caused by plastic pollution and helping to curb the improper disposal of plastic waste. They have also assisted the University of Hawaii–Hilo in offering new undergraduate courses. For middle and high school students, they developed Watershed Wonders, which provides a series of hands-on activities regarding watershed ecology and human impact. The team then produced Journey of the Fluke, a unique curriculum on wetland pollution featuring a boat constructed of recycled plastic trash. During the summer of 2008, Eriksen embarked on a public awareness campaign to bring attention to plastic marine debris by building a raft constructed from 15,000 plastic bottles, derelict sailboat masts and fishing nets, and the fuselage of a Cessna aircraft, traveling 2,600 miles from California to Hawaii. Eriksen and AMRF have prepared several fact sheets and brochures, given assembly presentations to more than 100,000 children in Southern California schools and established the Plastics are Forever program, which engages students in research and community service.

The recipient of the SETAC/Menzie Environmental Education Award must make significant advancements to environmental awareness education for youth, either through educating other instructors or by working with community groups and K-12 programs. Eriksen and AMRF have demonstrated these actions and continue to promote environmental education by the way of their innovative teaching.

SETAC is a not-for-profit, worldwide professional society founded in 1979 consisting of individuals and institutions from an array of scientific fields including environmental toxicology and chemistry, biology, ecology, earth sciences, atmospheric sciences, health sciences, hazard and risk assessment, environmental engineering and life-cycle assessment. For more information on the Society, visit setac.org.

2008 SETAC/ICA Chris Lee Award for Metals Research

TAMPA, Fla. (November 16, 2008) – The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry is pleased to announce Tham C. Hoang as the recipient of the 2008 SETAC/ICA Chris Lee Award for Metals Research. This award, sponsored by the International Copper Association, recognizes the leadership and technical contributions by Chris Lee, a long-time SETAC member and leader in metals research.

Much of Hoang’s research has focused on the effects of episodic metal exposures to aquatic organisms and the fate, uptake and depuration, and food chain transfer and toxicity of copper. His current research is in response to the $8 billion Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan in South Florida. Under the CERP, copper-enriched agricultural land is being acquired, which presents a problem because of copper’s toxicity to aquatic organisms. Through studying the desorption, transport and ultimate fate of copper from flooded agricultural soils, Hoang has determined the important physical–chemical factors that affect copper bioavailability and toxicity in soil–water systems. Hoang’s research is being used in the risk assessment of copper to the endangered Everglades Snail Kite and other aquatic organisms.

The SETAC/ICA Chris Lee Award provides up to $5,000 to a graduate student or recent graduate whose research has focused on the fate or effects of metals in the environment. Funding is provided by the ICA toward the recipient's ongoing research.

SETAC is a not-for-profit, worldwide professional society founded in 1979 consisting of individuals and institutions from an array of scientific fields including environmental toxicology and chemistry, biology, ecology, earth sciences, atmospheric sciences, health sciences, hazard and risk assessment, environmental engineering and life-cycle assessment. For more information on the Society, visit setac.org.

Better assessment decisions made possible by theory of practice and risk-based approach

Three reports published in the journal Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management present a theory of practice, a general explanation of risk-based environmental quality criteria, and a specific example of the application of these criteria.
 
Suter and Cormier, the main authors of these three articles, argue in the first one that current environmental theories are too narrowly focused and that an explicit theory of scientific practice that informs decisions is needed. Such a theory will be more integrated and more focused on making decisions that resolve environmental problems. Because this theory of practice is not currently in use, decisions tend to address single issues (environmental protection, wealth optimization, etc.) rather than all issues simultaneously. The authors present 19 principles derived from three axioms as the basis of the theory, and they encourage assessors to consider applying these principles to their own practices as a way to make decisions that accommodate multiple goals and constraints.
 
In the second article, the authors explain how the conventional framework for risk assessment may be modified to represent criterion assessment. Conventional risk assessment involves estimating effects, and criterion assessment involves deriving criteria and goals, but their relationship is not well understood. The point of clarifying the similarities and differences between the two assessments is to give assessors more flexibility when it comes to addressing problems.
 
To illustrate how the ideas presented in the second article could be applied to a real-life situation, in the third article the authors use criterion assessment as a model to estimate an upper threshold for acceptable exposures with regard to water quality. Because some effects of contaminants do not lend themselves to conventional toxicity testing, this broader method of criterion assessment is needed. Using the Framework for Developing Suspended and Bedded Sediments Water Quality Criteria as a guide, the authors work through planning, analysis, and synthesis phases to arrive at a final criterion that will protect the resource of interest, water in this case.
 
Following a specific theory of practice and taking a risk-based approach to identifying criteria will help assessors provide information to other stakeholders that is credible, useful, and comprehensive.
 
To read each entire study, visit: http://www.allenpress.com/pdf/IEAM_4.4_Theory-of-practic.pdf, http://www.allenpress.com/pdf/IEAM_4.4_Using-field-data.pdf, and http://www.allenpress.com/pdf/IEAM_4.4_What-is-meant.pdf
 
Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management is published quarterly by the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry and focuses on the application of science in environmental decision-making, regulation, and management, including aspects of policy and law and the development of scientifically sound approaches to environmental problem solving.

SETAC North America Takes New Turns in Tampa

SETAC North America Takes New Turns in Tampa

PENSACOLA, Fla. (Oct. 24, 2008) – The warm sandy beaches won’t be the only attraction at the SETAC North America 29th Annual Meeting. Here are just a few of the many things SETAC is doing to make the meeting the main attraction:

• Closing Session: SETAC North America takes a page from SETAC Europe’s book by offering its first ever Closing Session. The Thursday afternoon session will feature session summaries, concluding remarks and highlights, as well as an overview of the state of the science. Awards for the best student platform and poster presentations are also on the agenda, as is an introduction to next year’s meeting in New Orleans.
• Win a Hobie kayak: If you attend the Closing Session, you can enter the drawing to win a new Hobie Kayak. Tickets will be handed out at the door, and the prize will be shipped to the winner’s location.
• $5 Books: Every year we offer the meeting discount of 10% on all SETAC books, but this year we’re doing more. More than fifty titles will sell at the bargain basement price of $5.
• Veterinary Medicines in the Environment is SETAC’s newest book, from editors Mark Crane, Alistair Boxall and Katie Barrett and their fellow Pellston workshop participants. This insightful book pairs well with Human Pharmaceuticals: Assessing the Impacts on Aquatic Ecosystems (2005).
• Book signing: Time Magazine Senior Correspondent Michael Grunwald will sign copies of his award-winning book The Swamp: The Everglades, Florida, and the Politics of Paradise, immediately following his plenary speech on Monday. Meet the author and get your autographed copy ($15) in the SETAC Store.
• Green Armada clean-up: Volunteer to pick up debris from the Hillsborough River on Sunday from 11AM to 2PM. Help SETAC and this nationally recognized grassroots effort leave Tampa cleaner than we found it. To help please RSVP at:
  (http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspxsm=xGY68HF2fbr2z_2bgkegkUbQ_3d_3d).

SETAC is a not-for-profit, worldwide professional society founded in 1979 consisting of individuals and institutions from an array of scientific fields including environmental toxicology and chemistry, biology, ecology, earth sciences, atmospheric sciences, health sciences, hazard and risk assessment, environmental engineering and life-cycle assessment. For more information on the Society, visit setac.org.

Plenary Speakers to Spotlight Saving Ecosystem Health at SETAC Meeting

Pensacola, Fla. (October 14, 2008) – The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry promises cutting-edge presentations from 1600 scientists, including experts from academia, business and government at its 29th Annual Meeting in North America, Nov. 16–20 in Tampa, Fla.

This year’s focus on environmental stewardship not only complements Tampa’s geography but expands to cover regional, national and international hot topics. The three plenary speakers scheduled reflect that range. Monday, Michael Grunwald, Senior Correspondent for Time magazine and author of The Swamp: The Everglades, Florida, and the Politics of Paradise, will share his views on the past and the future of this unique environment. Tuesday afternoon sessions kick off with Louis J. Guillette, Jr., distinguished Professor of Zoology and Associate Dean for Research at the University of Florida. Dr. Guillette will speak about the effects of contaminants on the ecosystem, especially as they pertain to alligators. Karen Kidd, Canada Research Chair and professor at the University of New Brunswick, will discuss the effects of pharmaceutical estrogen on wild fish and their prey. 
In addition to the plenary speakers, 11 concurrent presentation sessions will offer new research on subjects such as Hurricane Katrina’s impact, the pros and cons of biofuels, and the effects of pesticides on urban environments. Presenters will come from more than 30 countries, and attendees will number close to 2,500, including an estimated 600 students. Meetings continuing the Society’s contribution to the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management are scheduled throughout the conference.

SETAC is a not-for-profit, worldwide professional society founded in 1979 consisting of individuals and institutions from an array of scientific fields including environmental toxicology and chemistry, biology, ecology, earth sciences, atmospheric sciences, health sciences, hazard and risk assessment, environmental engineering and life-cycle assessment. For more information on the Society, visit setac.org.

SETAC Well Represented at Stockholm Convention POPs Review

PENSACOLA, Fla. (October 23, 2008) – Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry members Derek Muir, Rolf Altenburger, Marco Vighi, Ricardo Barra, Ivan Houlobek and Henk Bouwman were participants in the 4th meeting of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, conducted Oct. 13–17 in Geneva.

SETAC President Muir presented the recommendations of the Pellston Workshop on Science-Based Guidance for the Evaluation and Identification of PBTs and POPs. Professors Altenburger and Vighi gave an invited presentation on toxic interactions of pollutants. According to Muir, “The presentations were well received and generated many questions, particularly about toxic interactions.”

The POPRC comprises 31 international government-designated experts, assisted by observers from nongovernmental organizations and other parties to the Convention. These experts review chemicals with POPs characteristics and recommend them for listing under the Convention, administered by the United Nations Environment Programme. The goals of the 4th POPRC meeting were to review risk management documents on octabromodiphenyl ether, a flame retardant used in textiles; pentachlorobenzene, found in herbicides and fungicides; and alpha and beta hexachlorocyclohexane, byproducts of pesticide production. These four compounds have been recommended for global phase-out and bans.

The POPRC also reviewed a risk profile document on short chain chlorinated paraffins, widely used flame retardants and plasticizers, and they approved preparation of a risk profile document on the insecticide endosulfan. The discussion on endosulfan was led by committee member Ricardo Barra, president of SETAC Latin America. Other POPRC members who are also long-time SETAC members are Ivan Houlobek from the Czech Republic and Henk Bouwman from the Republic of South Africa.

Participants at the meeting were given an electronic version of the Executive Summary of the SETAC PBT–POPs workshop, now available online at http://www.setac.org/sites/default/files/ExecutiveSummary.pdf. Papers from the workshop are expected to be published in Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management in 2009. Further details about the POPRC and the Stockholm Convention can be found at http://www.iisd.ca/chemical/pops/poprc4/13oct.html and http://chm.pops.int.

SETAC is a not-for-profit, worldwide professional society founded in 1979 consisting of individuals and institutions from an array of scientific fields including environmental toxicology and chemistry, biology, ecology, earth sciences, atmospheric sciences, health sciences, hazard and risk assessment, environmental engineering and life-cycle assessment. For more information on the Society, visit setac.org.

Pesticide levels in lake trout

Biomagnification is the increase in concentration of a substance, such as the pesticide dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT), in successively higher levels of a food chain resulting in top predators having increased tissue concentrations relative to other organisms. The lake-to-lake variability in concentrations of pesticides and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls, which may be found in paints, adhesives, coolants, and sealants, among other things) has so far been difficult to explain.
 
A new study in the latest issue of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry examined the biomagnification of pesticides and other contaminants in North American lakes. Stable isotope ratios were used to measure the trophic level (position in the food chain) because of the predictable fractionation of nitrogen isotopes from prey to predator.
 
Significant biomagnification of some PCBs isomers and several organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) was found in the lakes studied. Lake trout represented the largest sampling pool, and they also showed the highest concentrations of certain PCBs and OCPs as a result of their trophic status. Lower concentrations were found in invertebrates, including snails, mussels, mayflies, and zooplankton. The chemical with the highest biomagnification factor was DDE, which has been linked to cancer in humans and eggshell thinning in eagles, resulting in crushed eggs when parent eagles attempt to incubate the eggs. Not surprisingly, the highest DDE levels occurred in lakes next to large agricultural drainage basins.
 
Overall, a positive relationship between hydrophobicity (K_ow) and biomagnification rate was observed, but biomagnification of selected PCBs and OCPs were variable across the 17 lakes in this study.  Some compounds were observed to biomagnify in some lakes, but not in others.  This variability suggests that factors other than the physical and chemical properties of the contaminants were influencing biomagnifications.  Biomagnification was greatest in larger lakes and lakes with higher phosphate and DOC and at greater latitudes and longitudes.  Unfortunately, due to the relationship between latitude and longitude and water chemistry, it was not possible to separate the influence of lake chemistry from location. 
 
To read the entire study, click here: http://www.allenpress.com/pdf/i1552-8618-27-10-2169.pdf
 
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry is the monthly journal of the Society of Environmental and Toxicology and Chemistry. For more information about the society, visit setac.org.

Workshop Evaluates the use of ERA and NRDA Under CERCLA

GREGSON, Mont. – A technical workshop conducted by the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry examining the nexus between ecological risk assessment and natural resource damage assessment recently concluded in Gregson, Mont. More than 30 participants from industry, government, non-profit and the Yakama Nation were asked to identify any impediments to using environmental data for both ERA and NRDA under the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act.
 
Findings from this workshop indicate that there appears to be no scientific, statutory or regulatory impediments to using environmental data for both ERA and NRDA. It was also found that there are few if any legal impediments to the coordination among organizations charged with implementing the two processes; in fact, the statute and regulations encourage this coordination. The workshop also found that there are several technical improvements that can be made to both processes that would enhance the utilization of common environmental data sets for both purposes.
 
Results from this workshop are expected to be published by SETAC in a series of peer-reviewed papers in 2009.
 
SETAC is a not-for-profit, worldwide professional society founded in 1979 consisting of individuals and institutions from an array of scientific fields including environmental toxicology and chemistry, biology, ecology, earth sciences, atmospheric sciences, health sciences and environmental engineering. For more information on the society, visit setac.org

Nanomaterials: An Environmental Pandora’s Box?

Thanks to emerging technologies and other advances, nano-enabled products and materials are appearing more often in our environment. But these products may hold unknown risks or dangers to ecosystems and the people who use them because of multilayered interactions involving nanotechnology and nanoparticles. A special open-access issue of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry examines these issues.
 
The term nanoparticle refers to the size of a solid particle. The chemistry of nanoparticles is diverse. Research shows that these particles differ dramatically in their environmental properties and toxicities.
 
Colloidal nanoparticles in bulk form are used commercially as sunscreens, cosmetics, and protective coatings. The estimated economic impact of nanoparticles in industrial, consumer, and medical products will be $292 billion by 2010 and $1 trillion by 2015.
 
Findings indicate that many nonparticles are not exceptionally toxic to standard test organisms, however additional research is needed to ensure appropriate methods are being used and the most highly exposed and sensitive organisms are being tested.
 
“Nanotechnology will be critical to solving global problems facing the environment and its inhabitants; however, the broad scope of the health and safety research as well as the pace at which data are needed to protect human health and the environment exceed current research efforts,” writes Sally S. Tinkle in the introductory column for this special issue of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.
 
Articles in this special issue of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, published by the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, highlight these key findings:
 
·         Nanoparticles can be toxic either due to metals associated with their structure or by themselves.
·         Ingestion of nanoparticles by terrestrial insects can affect metabolic processes.
·         Oxidative stress can affect fish health when antioxidant defenses are insufficient.
·         Absorption onto algal cell walls can cause toxicity.
·         Growth of some garden vegetables—for example, the tomato—can be affected while others—onion and cucumber—are not.
·         Metals in quantum dots can be transferred to higher trophic levels.
·         Different and possibly particle-specific approaches will be needed to fully determine environmental consequences.
 
Scientists and members of groups like the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry are working to develop methods and generate data that will allow for the evaluation of the risk of nanoparticles in the environment. With these evaluations, people will be able to enjoy the benefits of nanoparticles—in fields such as medicine, renewable energy, improved fuels and combustion, and other consumer products—while ensuring the compatibility of these technologies with the environment.
 
This special issue of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry is the largest and most comprehensive set of nanotechnology papers to date. Open access to the articles in this issue will be available for six months at http://www.setacjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-toc&issn=1552-8618&volume=27&issue=9
 

Industrial Contaminants Linked to Severe Fish Kills on the Shenandoah River

The Shenandoah River is a major tributary to the Potomac River, and it is an important source of drinking water for people in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia; however, severe fish kill events have been documented in this river and its tributaries since 2004. Theories abound as to the cause of the fish kills, and new proteomics analysis has helped to better explain the mortality rates.
 
A new study in the journal of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry uses proteomics, the study of proteins expressed by a specific genome, to analyze the cause(s) of these events. Current environmental stressors include eutrophication, increasing temperature, and chemical contamination, and this watershed hosts many industries, such as rayon producers, the nation’s top turkey-producing county, and pharmaceutical manufacturers, which together dispense at least 23 significant types of industrial contaminants.
 
Proteomics results from analysis of fish currently living in the river system show a particular impact on the immune system; metabolism, circulation, and respiration also have been affected. Because of the geographic extent, targets (mature adult fish), and variable responses, the fish appear to be affected by long-term exposure to sublethal toxic substances. In a four-month period in 2005, an 80% mortality of adult smallmouth bass and redbreast sunfish was observed.
 
Immunoglobulin proteins, which provide evidence of previous immune system challenges from sources such as bacteria and parasites, are elevated in all areas of the river tested (mainstem, North Fork, and South Fork), and higher leucocyte numbers in the mainstem and North Fork indicate either more vigorous immune systems or a response to greater immune system challenges. Judging by visible lesions and previous fish kill events, the latter is more likely. Fish from the South Fork locality show many of the same results as fish from the other two areas, but fish from the South Fork also show a complete absence of p40phox, which assists in respiratory burst responses and ultimately in cell metabolism and antioxidant defenses.
 
The combination of proteins that have been enhanced or suppressed suggests certain culprits, including arsenic exposure resulting from the poultry industry and fertilizer/herbicides from agricultural applications.
 
The study is “Utilization of protein expression profiles as indicators of environmental impairment of smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) from the Shenandoah River, Virginia, USA” by. The article appears in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Volume 27, Issue 8, 2008, published by Allen Press.
 
Full text of the article is available at HERE

Hormesis Deserves the Respect and Attention of Toxicologists

A comprehensive review published in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry argues that toxicologists can positively affect public health and reduce the economic costs of drug treatment by increasing their knowledge of hormesis and applying its principles to their discipline.
 
Hormesis is an adaptive reparative process that organisms and biological systems undergo when exposed to stress, toxicity, or disruptions in homeostasis. During toxicity testing, the health of organisms actually improved when they were exposed to low levels of some chemicals. Hormesis has not been taken seriously, mainly because of its historical link to homeopathy. Furthermore, hormesis research is demanding in terms of resources and time.
 
However, this review answers many questions about hormesis and contends that it is worthy of scientific research rather than disinterest, and that its use is applicable to many disciplines including toxicology, pharmacology, and risk assessment.
 
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s interest in cancer endpoints has also led to the reemergence of hormesis in the mainstream scientific community. The observation of hormesis in disease incidence and tumor formation (toxicological endpoints) and pain and seizure modulation (pharmacological endpoints) is also driving increased attention.
 
Data on hormesis from toxicological studies can lead to improved risk assessment protocols and practices that serve the scientific community and translate into public health and economic benefits.
 
The review is “Hormesis: Why It Is Important to Toxicology and Toxicologists” Edward J. Calabrese. The article appears in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Volume 27, Issue 7, 2008, published by Allen Press.
 
Full text of the article is available at http://www.allenpress.com/pdf/ENTC-27.7-final-article.pdf
 
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry is a publication of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. It is interdisciplinary in scope and integrates the fields of environmental toxicology; environmental, analytical, and molecular chemistry; ecology; physiology; biochemistry; microbiology; genetics; genomics; environmental engineering; chemical, environmental, and biological modeling; epidemiology; and earth sciences. Emphasis is given to papers that enhance capabilities for the prediction, measurement, and assessment of the fate and effects of chemicals in the environment. To learn more about the Society, please visit setac.org

Ecological Risk Assessment has Evolving Role in Environmental Decisions

As concerns about the environment and a push for “green living" continue to grow, the scientific community is taking a broad look at the use of ecological risk assessment, also known as ERA.

ERA is the topic of four articles in the July 2008 issue of Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management, published by the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.

ERA is a combination of risk assessment, a concept that originated with the insurance industry, and ecological assessment, a component of environmental management. Since the 1980s, ERA has been institutionalized through its use by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency offices.

In the article “Ecological Risk Assessment in the United States Environmental Protection Agency: A Historical Overview,” Glenn W. Suter II writes that as ERA incorporates more complex and demanding methods, it also must make ecological risks more compelling to the environmental decision makers: humans.

“Although ecological receptors are commonly more sensitive and more exposed than humans, human health risks dominate rule making, remedial actions, and other regulatory decisions,” Suter says.

Another article, “Limitations of the Current Practices Used to Perform Ecological Risk Assessment” by Larry Kapustka, outlines two types of general limitations to ERA: inherent and contrived. Inherent limitations are natural constraints that can affect how studies are designed and interpreted, Kapustka writes, whereas contrived limitations are created through policy or precedent.

To overcome these limitations, Kapustka suggests researchers should “strive to align our policies and practices with the state of the science.” One way this could be done is by encouraging the use of risk assessments as part of the environmental management decision process.

In the third article, “The Strengths of the Ecological Risk Assessment Process: Linking Science to Decision Making,” Lawrence Barnthouse examines three ERA case studies and identifies three critical challenges to its future success.

“The greatest threats to ERA relate more to institutions and people than to scientific uncertainty,” Barnthouse writes. The three challenges are (1) science-lag, because “an ERA that is state-of-the-science today may be obsolete tomorrow,” he says; (2) unrecognized value judgments, which reflect the fact that everyone involved has different viewpoints so no risk assessment is entirely objective; and (3) mediocrity-creep, a product of substandard risk assessments.

To grow and succeed, Barnthouse says, ERA “should serve as a systematic approach to organizing scientific information to support environmental decision making.”

The fourth article, “Enhancing the Ecological Risk Assessment Process,” is the result of a workshop and report created by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Science Advisory Board’s Ecological Processes and Effects Committee.

The committee did a survey and analysis of ERA in decision making and found it is most effective when clear management goals are included in problem formulation, translated into information needs, and developed in collaboration with decision makers, assessors, scientists, and stakeholders.

It suggests improving ERA by using analyses that appropriately consider the chemical, physical, biological, and socioeconomic contexts of decisions.

“Together, these and other changes would advance the evolving practice of ERA,” the committee writes.

The four Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management articles and their authors are:

• “Ecological Risk Assessment in the United States Environmental Protection Agency: A Historical Overview” by Glenn W. Suter II. To read the entire article, visit: http://www.allenpress.com/pdf/i1551-3793-4-3-285.pdf
• “Limitations of the Current Practices Used to Perform Ecological Risk Assessment” by Larry Kapustka. To read the entire article, visit: http://www.allenpress.com/pdf/i1551-3793-4-3-290.pdf
• “The Strengths of the Ecological Risk Assessment Process: Linking Science to Decision Making” by Lawrence Barnthouse. To read the entire article, visit: http://www.allenpress.com/pdf/i1551-3793-4-3-299.pdf
• “Enhancing the Ecological Risk Assessment Process” by the Ecological Processes and Effects Committee of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Science Advisory Board.  To read the entire article, visit: http://www.allenpress.com/pdf/i1551-3793-4-3-306.pdf

Mercury Levels Lower in Farmed Salmon than Wild Salmon

Much of the farmed salmon imported to the United States comes from British Columbia, Canada. Long-lived species higher up in the food chain, such as tuna, often have high levels of methylmercury, which can increase cancer risk. A new study published in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry has found that levels of mercury and trace metals in both wild and farmed salmon from British Columbia are significantly below health guidelines.

Mercury levels tested in both farmed and wild salmon were well below consumption guidelines set by Health Canada. Maximum concentrations of other metals were also well below guidelines. Farmed salmon did not have significantly higher concentrations of arsenic, cobalt, copper, or cadmium than wild salmon. In fact, mercury concentrations in the flesh of wild salmon were threefold higher, probably because farmed fish have such rapid growth cycles, resulting in growth dilution. No differences were found between pre- and postprocessing levels for farmed fish.
 
Mercury and other metal concentrations in commercial feed were found to be significantly higher than in salmon flesh. This holds true for all 18 trace elements tested except for mercury, which showed similar levels in feed and fish flesh due to higher dietary uptake and slow elimination from salmon.
 
Compared to other foodstuffs, total mercury was found to be slightly higher in wild or farmed salmon than in chicken, beef, or pork but comparable to fruit, vegetables, honey, and eggs. Levels of other trace elements were lower in salmon than in other foodstuffs, and average dietary intake of mercury and trace metals from salmon remains low (0.05%–32%) compared to meat, poultry, fruit, and vegetables (68%–99%). Salmon also showed a moderate surplus of selenium, which is beneficial because of its ability to detoxify and counteract mercury toxicity.
 
The evidence supports weekly consumption of salmon as a healthy source of omega-3 fatty acids for heart and other health benefits as recommended by the American Heart Association.
 
To read the entire study, “Mercury and Other Trace Elements in Farmed and Wild Salmon from British Columbia, Canada” ( Barry C. Kelly, Michael G. Ikonomou, David A. Higgs, Janice Oakes, and Cory Dubetz), Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry , Vol. 27(6):1361–1370, click here.

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry is the monthly journal of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC).

Contrary Results Found For Sediment Effect Concentrations For Polychlorinated Biphenyls

In contrast to a previous study, results of a new critical evaluation indicate that sediment effect concentrations (SECs) are questionable “consensus” values. The researchers of the new study conclude that the SECs for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) should be used only in the screening-level evaluations that typically precede more direct assessments of sediment toxicity at individual study sites. The study is published in the latest issue of Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management.

In 2000, a set of SECs was published for evaluating the toxicity of PCBs in freshwater, estuarine, and marine sediments. According to the developers, these consensus-based SECs reconcile existing sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) that have been developed using various approaches, reflect causal rather than correlative effects, and can be used to determine the spatial extent of injury to sediment-dwelling organisms.

In the present study, a critical evaluation of those consensus-based SECs was based on the original documents and databases used to develop the underlying SQGs as well as the original documents and data sets used to determine the predictive ability of the SECs. Results indicated that the SECs were simple mathematical constructs that share the same limitations as their underlying SQGs. The SECs were questionable “consensus” values because many of their underlying SQGs were dissimilar, misclassified, or redundant with other SQGs.

On the basis of this critical evaluation, researchers D. Scott Becker and Thomas Ginn concluded that the SECs for PCBs should be used only in the screening-level evaluations that typically precede more direct assessments of sediment toxicity at individual study sites, and should not be used to predict sediment toxicity. Contrary to the conclusions of the SEC developers, Becker and Ginn found that the SECs do not reconcile existing SQGs, do not reflect causal effects, and should not be used to determine the spatial extent of injury to sediment-dwelling organisms.

To read the entire study, Critical Evaluation of the Sediment Effect Concentrations for Polychlorinated Biphenyls (D Scott Becker and Thomas C Ginn), click here

Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management is the quarterly journal of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC).

Amphibian Populations Harmed by Ozone Exposure

Amphibian Populations Harmed by Ozone Exposure

A new study has found that elevated ozone found in lower layers of the atmosphere could be yet another contributing factor to the ongoing decline and disappearance of many populations of amphibians. The study is published in the latest issue of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (Vol. 27.5 pg 1209-1216) .

Declines of many amphibian populations over the past two decades have received significant attention from biologists, in part because amphibians are viewed as monitors or sentinels of pollution and other anthropogenic changes to the environment. Their importance as potential indicators of environmental health is well recognized for watersheds but is more problematic for air quality.

Ozone (O 3) is a common air pollutant in many urban settings. Consequently, in adjacent wildlife habitats, O 3 levels can frequently exceed U.S. federally recommended levels. It is a highly reactive gas that can be elevated at ground levels by a chemical reaction between oxides of nitrogen and volatile organic compounds in the presence of sunlight.

In studying the feeding and escape/exploratory behavior of toads after acute and chronic exposure to O 3, the researchers concluded that O 3 affects many aspects of toad behavior and physiology in a manner consistent with the extensive literature on humans and other mammals. The study results indicate that exposure to oxidant air pollution might be a contributing factor to declines in amphibian populations.

To read the entire study, “Ozone Exposure Affects Feeding and Locomotor Behavior of Adult Bufo marinus” ( Michael R. Dohm, William J. Mautz, Rogelio E. Doratt, and Julien R. Stevens), click here.  Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry is the monthly journal of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC).

Guidance on the Application of Extrapolation Methods in Ecological Exposure and Effects Characterization of Chemicals

Applying extrapolation methods in ecotoxicological effect characterization of chemicals:  click here for a FREE book excerpt

Pesticides Applied to Golf Courses May Cause Toxicity to Nearby Aquatic Organisms

A new study indicates that some pesticides applied to golf courses in the Precambrian Shield of central Ontario may have an impact on aquatic organisms in adjacent watersheds. The study is published in the latest issue of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry .

Golf courses affect the environment by altering the habitat through the release of nutrients and pesticides. The Precambrian Shield region of central Ontario, Canada, a major recreational area, is especially susceptible to the impacts of golf courses as a result of the geology and hydrology of the region.   The Shield area is characterized by many lakes, rivers, and streams. Golf courses in this area typically place turf on top of a sand base which allows chemicals used on the courses to migrate into surrounding bodies of water.

The study set out to determine (1) whether organic substances that are toxic to early life stages of fish are transported from golf courses in the Precambrian Shield and (2) whether toxic compounds occur in watersheds of golf courses at times that coincide with the application of pesticides to golf courses and other conditions conducive to surface runoff. To do so, two golf courses in the Muskoka region of central Ontario were monitored from May to November of 2002. Passive samplers (i.e., semipermeable membrane devices [SPMDs]) were deployed within the golf course watersheds at monthly intervals. After the SPMDs were retrieved they were tested for toxicity using the fish species, Japanese medaka.
 
A range of herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides accumulated in the SPMDs, the researchers noted. Elevated toxicity occurred in the SPMDs that were deployed during periods of maximum fungicide application. Overall, no single compound or class of compounds in the SPMD extracts was wholly responsible for the observed toxicity to the early life stages of medaka.
 
The present study indicated that the compounds accumulated in the passive sampling devices were toxic to early life stages of the fish species.   It cannot be stated definitively, however, that the contaminants discharged from the golf courses were a toxic hazard to other fish and aquatic organisms. Aquatic organisms’ sensitivity to toxins, stream flow, and other factors affect the degree of hazard.

Several beneficial management practices can be employed to decrease the potential that pesticides can leach from golf courses into the surrounding aquatic environment—restraint in the use of pesticides being the key to reducing the impacts. Golf courses often require intensive applications of chemicals for turf maintenance, both because high-quality turf conditions are expected by the users and because the turf must withstand low mowing and heavy traffic. The researchers suggested that educating golfers to lower their cosmetic standards may be the best management strategy.
 
To read the article, Detecting the Transport of Toxic Pesticides from Golf Courses into Watersheds in the Precambrian Shield Region of Ontario, Canada (Tracy L. Metcalfe, Peter J. Dillon, and Chris D. Metcalfe ), click here.

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry is the monthly journal of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC).

Yangtze River Porpoise in Danger of Becoming Extinct

The Yangtze River porpoise, the only freshwater finless porpoise in existence, is in danger of becoming extinct.  A study published in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry has found concentrations of man-made chemicals in tissue samples from the endangered mammal which may be the cause of an encroaching extinction.

The Yangtze finless porpoise occurs only in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and in the Poyang and Dongting lakes in southeast China. The population of this porpoise has been decreasing by approximately 7.3% each year over the last several decades. In the early 1990s, the population was surveyed at nearly 2,700.  A 2006 survey estimated a maximum total population of 1,500. The porpoise is projected to become extinct in 24 to 94 years, unless conservation measures are taken.

The present study is the first to investigate the impacts of contaminants on the river porpoise population. The researchers collected five stranded Yangtze finless porpoises between 1998 and 2004 and sampled organs to study accumulated levels and preliminary effects of several contaminants including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and polychlorinated dibenzo- p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs).

The findings indicate that chemical contamination may be a contributing factor in the decline of the porpoise. Dongting Lake receives approximately 800 million tons of wastewater per year. A portion of this is chemical waste from local agriculture and industry.  Other contributing factors to porpoise decline include fishing, transportation and dam construction.

Study results also indicated that there may be a greater hazard to finless porpoise calves than to adults from these contaminants because calves may experience greater exposure at a developmentally critical age. The results suggested that reducing environmental contamination may contribute greatly to protecting this highly endangered species.

To read the entire study, click here.

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry is the monthly journal of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC).

Caddisflies Abandon Protective Cases when Exposed to Esfenvalerate

[Esfenvalerate-Induced Case-Abandonment in the Larvae of the Caddisfly; Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry], 2008; Vol. 27(2):407-413

As animal architects, caddisflies defend themselves from predators and environmental extremes through the construction of a protective enclosure. A new study explores the unexpected negative effects on caddisflies of accidental exposure to the agricultural insecticide esfenvalerate, including case abandonment and decreased chance of survival. The study is published in the latest issue of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.

Synthetic pyrethroids, like esfenvalerate, affect nerve activity. For instance, they can cause twitching, muscle spasms, and burning or itching sensations in nontarget aquatic organisms. Synthetic pyrethroid use is increasing in both agricultural and urban settings. This study validates concerns that such use may pose an unexpected risk to nontarget aquatic organisms.

The researchers found that exposure to sublethal concentrations of this chemical induced behavioral responses including case abandonment by caddisflies. Once deprived of a case, a caddisfly larva can rebuild an entirely new case, but this is an energetically costly process. Adults reared from larvae that were forced to rebuild cases had small wings and bodies when compared with adults reared from larvae that did not need to rebuild.

The study’s researchers found that less than 20 percent of exposed insects rebuilt their cases. Cases that were rebuilt were disorganized and were weaker than cases built by unexposed larvae. Larvae living in rebuilt cases and larvae without cases were significantly more susceptible to predation than those in original cases. Overall, the researchers concluded that small behavioral responses had profound consequences for the survival of the caddisflies and thus could have effects on stream ecosystems of which these animal architects are an important component.

To read the entire article, click here.

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry is the monthly journal of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC).

SETAC North America Announces New Board Members

The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry is pleased to announce the newly elected members of the SETAC North America Board of Directors representing the government and business worlds. The three elected members working in the government sector are Mary Reiley, Marc Greenberg and Miguel Mora, and the two new members from the business world are Annie Weisbrod and Pat Guiney.

Mary Reiley has been an active member of SETAC since joining in 1991. Her professional expertise is in science policy for environmental regulation implementation with a technical foundation in Biology and Environmental Biology. Reiley has worked for the United States Environmental Protection Agency for 22 years and has been fortunate that her experience has cut across nearly every EPA program and engaged many other agencies, academics and industry scientists. Reiley’s current role as a Senior Research Coordinator of technical experts, research scientists and science policy experts helps to define the research needed to inform regulatory and policy decision making and actions taken by EPA.

Marc Greenberg has been a member of SETAC since he joined as a master’s student in 1991. Greenberg is an Environmental Scientist and Toxicologist on the EPA's Environmental Response Team where he supports various projects within the Superfund program. His experience includes extensive research in both mammalian and aquatic toxicology with technical expertise in contaminated sediments, toxicokinetics, bioavailability and the role of dynamic environmental conditions on in situ effects. His primary areas of focus are the assessment and management of contaminated sediment sites and the evaluation of ground water-surface water interactions and their relevance to exposure and risk.

Miguel Mora works as a Wildlife Research Biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey and his area of expertise is wildlife ecotoxicology. Mora has been a member of SETAC since 1983, attended his first SETAC meeting in Toronto in 1989 and has attended every SETAC meeting in North America since then. Mora was interested in serving on the Board of Directors because he felt that his experience can contribute to the growth and global expansion of its membership, particularly from Latin America. As a board member, he wants to encourage SETAC to seek more opportunities for training and attracting students and professionals to become members.

Annie Weisbrod has been an active member of the SETAC community and in leadership positions for 13 years, beginning as a student. Weisbrod joined SETAC in 1994 as a Ph.D. student at North Carolina State University, Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology. In 1995, she was elected as the student member to the Carolinas SETAC Regional Chapter Board of Directors. While still a student, she was elected as a regular Carolinas Board member and became President in 1998. During that period, Weisbrod aided in a survey of hundreds of members on what they wanted from the regional chapter while advertising the chapter more broadly and increasing the attendance at and the impact of regional chapter meetings. She also formed the Research Triangle Park SETAC Student Chapter, involving around 50 active students at more than three universities.

Pat Guiney is a Charter Member of SETAC and takes special pride that he’s attended every SETAC North America Annual Meeting since its inception in 1980. Guiney is an environmental toxicologist, with more than 29 years of broad-based experience and leadership in chemical and site hazard ecological risk assessment. He received a master’s degree in Pharmacology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and holds a doctorate in Environmental Toxicology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Guiney’s research expertise involves the distribution, toxicity and fate of toxic, bioaccumulative and persistent substances (i.e., dioxins, PCBs, perfluorochemicals) at multiple levels of biological organization (molecular and biochemical to field studies).

SETAC would also like to congratulate Tom La Point and Charlie Menzie for their new positions within SETAC. The two newest appointees to the SETAC World Council, La Point represents North America’s academic membership and Menzie represents North America’s business members.

Each board and representative position is volunteer-based and extremely important to the continued success of SETAC. The members of each board are responsible for making important decisions that determine the future direction of SETAC.

SETAC is a not-for-profit worldwide professional society of individuals and institutions dedicated to the study, analysis, and solution of environmental problems, the management and regulation of natural resources, environmental education, and research and development.

SETAC Supports Cefic Innovative Science Award for Ecotoxicology

As partner to the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic)’s Innovative Science Award, part of the Long-range Research Initiative (LRI), SETAC welcomed the €100,000 grant being awarded to 30-year old German scientist Dr Roman Ashauer for his innovative research in the field of aquatic research and ecotoxicology.

Winner Dr Roman Ashauer from the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology received the grant for his work on ‘Improving the definition of water quality criteria: linking organism recovery times to mechanism of action and acute-to-chronic ratios’.

"Though the two runners-up were also of excellent quality, the jury’s decision was unanimous“, SETAC Europe’s Executive Director Bart Bosveld said adding that “the winning project is convincing because of its clarity, realistic approach, and its focus on innovation.”
The Innovative Science Award is open to scientists at the start of their careers in toxicology or eco-toxicology. By supporting this award in cooperation with Cefic, SETAC aims to offer a brilliant future to a young scientist.

2007 SETAC/ET&C Best Student Paper Award

The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry is delighted to announce Jonathan Roland as the recipient of the 2007 SETAC/ET&C Best Student Paper Award. The award is given annually to a SETAC member who served as lead author of a paper reporting non-postdoctoral research performed as a student, and published in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.

Roland’s paper, Using Mummichog (Fundulus Heteroclitus) Arrays to Monitor the Effectiveness of Remediation at a Superfund Site in Charleston, South Carolina, USA, was selected with a good degree of confidence: it was rated the best paper in all four groups in which it was evaluated. Roland investigated the suitability of a highly innovative approach (a DNA microarray for mummichogs) to monitor the effectiveness of site remediation. He is a student at the University of Texas El-Paso and hopes to soon earn his doctorate.

All manuscripts submitted are graded on originality, participation, relevancy and manuscript presentation, along with the student's capability in addressing peer reviewers' comments. All reviewers remarked that this was an innovative and excellent study that should have many applications for environmental quality assessments.

SETAC is a not-for-profit worldwide professional society of individuals and institutions dedicated to the study, analysis, and solution of environmental problems, the management and regulation of natural resources, environmental education, and research and development. Its membership numbers more than 5000 from 92 countries, and the Society publishes two renowned journals, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry and Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management. -AED

2007 SETAC/EA Engineering Jeff Black Award

The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry is delighted to announce Laura Dobbins as the recipient of the 2007 SETAC/EA Engineering Jeff Black Award. This award is in recognition of Dobbins’ life in science and her contributions to SETAC.

Dobbins is currently working on her master’s degree at Baylor University with Dr. Bryan Brooks in the Baylor Ecotoxicology and Aquatic Research (BEAR) laboratory. There she has demonstrated exceptional quality and potential as a researcher by largely developing her graduate research project on her own in addition to learning advanced probabilistic risk assessment techniques and applying them to a thoroughly researched data set on estrogenic compounds. Dobbins is initiating studies on the potential estrogenicity of parabens, a class of antimicrobial agents present in thousands of food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products. Dobbins has authored or co-authored nine professional presentations at state, regional or national professional meetings, which include a platform presentation award at the 2007 South Central SETAC meeting, in Nacogdoches, Texas.

EA Engineering will contribute $1,000 to the 2007 award, which will be matched by the Society.  This award is given to a SETAC member who is a student or entering student pursuing a master's degree in a field of study encompassed by the Society.

SETAC is a not-for-profit worldwide professional society of individuals and institutions dedicated to the study, analysis, and solution of environmental problems, the management and regulation of natural resources, environmental education, and research and development. Its membership numbers more than 5000 from 92 countries, and the Society publishes two renowned journals, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry and Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management. -AED

2007 SETAC/Weston Solution Environmental Chemistry Award

The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry is delighted to announce Charles Wong as the recipient of the 2007 SETAC/Weston Solution Environmental Chemistry Award. This honor is awarded annually to pay tribute to the founder of Roy F. Weston, Inc.

Wong has developed techniques to separate PCB atropisomers (rotational enantiomers) and has become the world’s leader in the analytical and environmental chemistry of chiral PCBs. His groundbreaking research provided the first hard evidence that PCBs do not just passively bioaccumulate in the lower food chain, but they undergo metabolic transformations as well. Wong’s work has shown that chiral PCBs are metabolized in fish and macroinvertebrates. Prior to his work, it was thought that these organisms had little metabolic capability to transform PCBs.

The award is intended to encourage the advancement of environmental problem solving and to support the professional development of young scientists.  The award is given to a scientist under the age of 40 for contributions made to the field of environmental chemistry.
SETAC is a not-for-profit worldwide professional society of individuals and institutions dedicated to the study, analysis, and solution of environmental problems, the management and regulation of natural resources, environmental education, and research and development. Its membership numbers more than 5000 from 92 countries, and the Society publishes two renowned journals, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry and Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management -AED

2007 SETAC Government Service Award

The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry is delighted to announce Barnett Rattner as the recipient of the 2007 SETAC Government Service Award. The award recognizes outstanding dedication and service by a scientist or scientific organization toward promoting the collective application of environmental toxicology and chemistry to risk assessment in a government function.

Dr. Rattner is a wildlife toxicologist with the U.S. Geological Survey Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and an Adjunct Professor of the University of Maryland. He has made significant technical contributions to the fields of avian toxicology and environmental contaminant monitoring. Dr. Rattner developed protocols evaluating the environmental safety of metal substitutes for lead used in hunting and has represented the Department of the Interior on various national and international advisory bodies, including the Toxic Substances Control Act Interagency Testing Committee and the Interagency Coordinating Committee for the Validation of Alternative Methods. Dr. Rattner also created the Contaminants Exposure and Effects-Terrestrial Vertebrates database used in ecological risk assessments and has served for many years as Terrestrial Editor the SETAC journal, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.

The recipient must promote the implementation of programs that can be used for the advancement of ecologically acceptable practices and standards. The recipient should also provide a forum for communication among experts in government, business, academia and other areas involved in the protection of the welfare of the general public.
SETAC is a not-for-profit worldwide professional society of individuals and institutions dedicated to the study, analysis, and solution of environmental problems, the management and regulation of natural resources, environmental education, and research and development. Its membership numbers more than 5000 from 92 countries, and the Society publishes two renowned journals, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry and Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management -AED

2007 SETAC Founders Award

The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry is delighted to announce John Sumpter as the winner of the 2007 SETAC Founders Award. The Founders Award is SETAC’s highest honor and is presented to individuals whose career achievements match the goals and values of SETAC.

Sumpter is Director of the Institute for the Environment at Brunel University West London, UK. He is a pioneer of research into endocrine disruption in aquatic species. In particular, his research into the characterization and effects of chemicals expressing endocrine activity that leads to intersex in aquatic organisms has been widely acknowledged. Sumpter has collaborated extensively with both industry and government researchers to gain insight into the risks of anthropogenic substances in aquatic systems and has been engaged in the development of solutions to these issues. His research is valued highly internationally, and he has been ranked in the top ten of most-cited Environmental Scientists for nearly ten years, during two of which he was ranked No.1.

Sumpter’s outstanding contributions to the environmental sciences, his dedication to educational activities in passing on his knowledge to others, combined with the extensive publication of his work make Sumpter a deserving winner of the 2007 SETAC Founders Award.

SETAC is a not-for-profit worldwide professional society of individuals and institutions dedicated to the study, analysis, and solution of environmental problems, the management and regulation of natural resources, environmental education, and research and development. Its membership numbers more than 5000 from 92 countries, and the Society publishes two renowned journals, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry and Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management. -AED

2007 SETAC/Herb Ward Exceptional Service Award

The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry is delighted to announce Fred Heimbach as the recipient of the 2007 SETAC Herb Ward Exceptional Service Award. The award is given annually to recognize a past or present SETAC member who has demonstrated long-lasting, high-quality service to SETAC.

Heimbach is an environmental scientist with an outstanding record of support for SETAC. Over the past 15 years, he has been selflessly engaged in a wide range of SETAC activities, both as an ecotoxicologist and, more often than not, as treasurer of the organizing committees of numerous SETAC Europe technical workshops. These timely workshops significantly raised the profile of SETAC and established it as a key organization that has influenced the development of environmental assessments of pesticides in the European Union through workshop proceedings and guidance documents. Heimbach has also served on the Council of SETAC Europe and was President of SETAC Europe in 2006. A demonstration of Fred's personal dedication to serving those less fortunate than himself is his commitment to the success of the Africa Branch of SETAC Europe. Heimbach is a passionate supporter of the development of SETAC in less developed regions and, using the experience and knowledge gained through his personal involvement in the development of a self-sustaining African community in Tanzania, is actively engaged in ensuring that the SETAC Africa Branch has the resources and the support of SETAC to help it grow and flourish.

Heimbach’s longstanding involvement with SETAC and his leadership in the field of environmental science led to his selection for the award. His years at SETAC have proven his commitment to environmental quality and demonstrated his ability to actively support the expansion of SETAC in less developed parts of the world.

SETAC is a not-for-profit worldwide professional society of individuals and institutions dedicated to the study, analysis, and solution of environmental problems, the management and regulation of natural resources, environmental education, and research and development. Its membership numbers more than 5000 from 92 countries, and the Society publishes two renowned journals, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry and Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management -AED

2007 SETAC/ICA Chris Lee Award for Metals Research

The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry is delighted to announce Martin Tsz-Ki Tsui as the recipient of the 2007 SETAC/ICA Chris Lee Award for Metals Research. This award, sponsored by the International Copper Association, recognizes the leadership and technical contributions by the late Chris Lee, a long-time SETAC member and leader in metals research.

Tsz-Ki Tsui's research addresses questions related to the environmental controls of mercury transfer in watersheds and aquatic ecosystems. The research focuses specifically on the mechanisms that control transfer of mercury into terrestrial and aquatic food webs. Mercury deposition is recognized as an important factor in determining concentrations in aquatic biota but perhaps of greater importance is its ecosystem cycling. Aquatic ecosystems and organisms within them do not concentrate mercury in the same way, and very little is known about mercury transfer in lotic food webs. By developing a mechanistic understanding of mercury transfer from dissolved organic and inorganic forms through food webs, Tsz-Ki Tsui’s research may improve the ability to predict which ecosystems are most at risk, and what environmental conditions may attenuate or increase rates of transfer into humans and important wildlife species.

The SETAC/ICA Chris Lee Award provides up to $5,000 (USD) to a graduate student or recent graduate who has focused on research related to the fate and/or effects of metals in the environment. Funding is provided by the ICA toward the recipient's ongoing research.

SETAC is a not-for-profit worldwide professional society of individuals and institutions dedicated to the study, analysis, and solution of environmental problems, the management and regulation of natural resources, environmental education, and research and development. Its membership numbers more than 5000 from 92 countries, and the Society publishes two renowned journals, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry and Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management. -AED

2007 SETAC Eugene Kenaga Award

The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry is delighted to announce James Oris as the recipient of the 2007 SETAC Eugene Kenaga Award. Initiated in 2003, this award was created to honor the many contributions of Eugene "Gene" Kenaga, the first president of SETAC.

Oris has extensive and long-term SETAC service, primarily at the national and global levels and has also been a key person developing membership at local and national levels. He has been involved and chaired several SETAC committees, co-chaired the national meeting, been a member of the internet committee and the awards committee to name a few. Oris’s commitment to SETAC has been long-term and very important to the continued success of SETAC.

The SETAC Eugene Kenaga award is given each year to recognize a member of SETAC for their outstanding work with the Society's membership at either the chapter or continental (North America) level.  The recipient will have contributed toward the enhancement of the services SETAC offers to members through activities such as short courses and workshops, committee representation and meeting/session organization at annual meetings.

SETAC is a not-for-profit worldwide professional society of individuals and institutions dedicated to the study, analysis, and solution of environmental problems, the management and regulation of natural resources, environmental education, and research and development. Its membership numbers more than 5000 from 92 countries, and the Society publishes two renowned journals, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry and Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management. -AED

SETAC North America Announces Gregory Schiefer as new Executive Director

SETAC North America has announced longtime employee Gregory Schiefer as its new Executive Director. Schiefer takes over the position with more than 10 years of SETAC experience and more than 25 years of environmental work experience.

Schiefer grew up with an interest in the sciences and began his collegiate career at Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio, where he received his bachelor's degree in Biology. During his time at Bowling Green, Schiefer was inducted into the honor society of Phi Kappa Phi and earned the Beta Beta Beta Outstanding Student Award for the 1975-1976 academic school year. Schiefer started his masters program at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque and worked as a lab assistant in the biology department. In 1981, the University of New Mexico awarded him with his Masters Degree in Biology with a specialty in Microbial Ecology.

Schiefer began his professional career after college as the Task Manager and then Program Manager for Life Systems Inc., located in Cleveland, Ohio. His duties there included managing workshops and meetings, preparation of Drinking Water Criteria Documents, and conducting peer reviews for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Schiefer also managed the preparation of environmental and human health risk assessments for various clients that included EPA regions 4, 6 and 8.

In 1994, Schiefer was appointed the Assistant Executive Director of SETAC. He has planned and conducted more than 40 SETAC Pellston/Technical Workshops and has assisted in the planning and organization of 14 SETAC North America meetings, 1 SETAC Europe meeting and 1 SETAC World Congress. Schiefer has aided in providing management and oversight in the Pensacola office of operations for 13 years where he is now Executive Director. He has several technical reports and publications under his name and has become a valuable leader of the SETAC organization throughout his time with the Society.

Jane Staveley, President of the SETAC North America Board of Directors and Principal of Environmental Sciences with ARCADIS, is excited about Schiefer's new position. She says, "Greg has been an integral part of the SETAC family for over 10 years. His dedication to SETAC coupled with his knowledge of both the operational and technical aspects of the society have been invaluable. His attention to member services, problem-solving skills, innovative ideas and tireless work on behalf of SETAC North America (and all of SETAC) are truly appreciated by the members. I look forward to working with Greg in his new role, as does the rest of the volunteer leadership in SNA."

Schiefer has a 19-year-old son and a 25-year-old daughter. He enjoys fishing and kayaking in the inshore areas around Pensacola all year round. He is an active member of the Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives and has received several accolades from former members of SETAC's volunteer leadership worldwide.

SETAC is a non-for-profit worldwide professional society consisting of individuals and institutions dedicated to the study, analysis, and solution of environmental problems, the management and regulation of natural resources, environmental education, and research and development. For more information, visit www.setac.org.