Recent News At risk from atrazine? 2 Oct 2018December 8, 2018 [This post was originally published in Envirobites] Atrazine is one of the most widely used herbicides in the United States (see figure). Atrazine is applied in agricultural lands, roadsides, and…
Recent News The science behind the pesticide that was almost banned 5 Sep 2018December 8, 2018 [This post was originally published in Envirobites] Last year, there was considerable news coverage on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) decision to not ban chlorpyrifos, a pesticide which is believed…
Special Topics Mapping the sensitivity of multiple species 3 Aug 2018January 26, 2019 Coffee, chocolates and alcohol..how I cherish them. But a dog probably doesn't feel the same -- all these three items are poisonous to them! And this difference is the basis…
Special Topics Why we need a science-based approach to help the monarch butterflies 5 Jul 2018January 21, 2019 [This post was originally published in Students of SETAC Outreach] I will start by acknowledging this: I am lucky to be working with monarch butterflies. Not only are they fascinating…
Recent News The impact of three insecticides on endangered species 15 Jun 2018December 8, 2018 [This post was originally published in Envirobites] According to the U.S. Endangered Species Act, all federal agencies must ensure that their actions do not harm the existence of endangered or…
Recent News The environmental impact of the world’s most famous weed killer 11 May 2018December 8, 2018 [This post was originally published in Envirobites] Weed killers are sprayed (see figures 1 and 2) to control land weeds on agricultural fields, residential lawns and golf courses. They are…
Special Topics Biological scaling 15 Apr 2018January 21, 2019 Did you know that deer with relatively larger antlers are more aggressive? That smaller animals have relatively greater metabolic rates? Welcome to the concept of allometry (or biological scaling), which…
Special Topics Genetic resistance 24 Mar 2018January 27, 2019 When you hear the term genetic resistance, what enters your mind? Probably antibiotic resistant bacteria which are one of the biggest emerging concerns for health professionals. Or you probably heard…
Basics of Toxicology Tracking pollutants 11 Mar 2018January 21, 2019 Imagine you are Sherlock Holmes. You have a case to solve. You need to find out if a population of species is exposed to pollutant(s). You cannot pick out individuals…
Basics of Toxicology How pollutants harm us 4 Mar 2018January 21, 2019 If you read the news regularly, you will know that journalists love talking about how x, y and z chemicals are bad for humans and/or the environment. These articles talk…
Basics of Toxicology Testing for toxicity 3 Mar 2018January 26, 2019 Before I explain how scientists test the toxicity of a chemical, it is important to reiterate a concept: the dose makes the poison. For the most, there is a relationship…
Basics of Toxicology How pollutants move through us 3 Feb 2018January 21, 2019 First, let's learn a new term -- xenobiotic. A xenobiotic is a compound that is foreign to an organism, i.e., it does not play a role in the organism's normal…
