Toxicology Consulting and Human Health Risk Assessment

Mammalian Toxicology and Product Safety Evaluation, Sample Projects

Evaluated potential toxicity of drinking water affected by leaching from PEX piping.

Summarized potential for adverse effects associated with use of human growth hormone in adults.

Evaluated recent literature related to potential toxicity of mineral-based nanomaterials (zinc oxide and titanium dioxide) used in sunscreen.

Drafted literature review on methane, ethane, ethene, propane, propene, butane and butene for a community with an ongoing natural gas leak. Topics included risk to humans, livestock and pets, and plants/crops.

Contributed to information sheets prepared for the public and for local veterinarians related to copper supplementation and copper and molybdenum toxicity in cattle, horses, and sheep.

Prepared the toxicology section (molybdenum toxicity to wildlife) for a tailings facility closure wildlife report.

Evaluated the quality, usefulness, and implications of mammalian and wildlife toxicology portions of the registration package for a new pesticide; summarized the database; and conveyed the information to product management, registration, and marketing staff.

Managed the evaluation of both public and proprietary reports on the potential non-cholinesterase neurotoxicity of a pesticide, and designed an approach to convey the results to customers and to the public.

Evaluated the in vitro and short-term in vivo toxicity of an experimental plant growth regulator, contributing to a cost/benefit-based decision about whether to abandon further development of the product.

Evaluated interspecies differences in the magnitude of peroxisome proliferation induced by an experimental product; reviewed the published literature on peroxisome proliferation and carcinogenicity; recommended a modified series of in vivo toxicity studies for product registration; and participated in negotiations with U.S. and Canadian agencies related to approval for the registration approach.

Reviewed the published literature on the reproductive and developmental toxicity of an inert ingredient; compared an accidental exposure scenario with dose-response data; and recommended revisions to the product's label and Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS).

Evaluated the risks posed by different formulations of a pesticide to agricultural workers (mixer/loader/applicators).

Reviewed the incidence of reversible eye and skin injury caused by inadequately shielded mercury vapor lamps and prepared advisory materials for public health professionals and facility maintenance staff.

Used structure-activity relationship information to evaluate human health risk associated with de minimus levels of a food packaging component leaching into food.

Implemented initial screening of hundreds of constituents that can be found in hydraulic fracturing fluids, considering potential toxicity to humans, irrigated plants, livestock, and aquatic organisms. Helped analytical chemists identify component that might require special analytical methods to achieve risk-based detection limits.