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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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 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.
