Special Topics Why we need a science-based approach to help the monarch butterflies 5 Jul 2018November 3, 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 2018November 3, 2019 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 2018November 3, 2019 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 2018November 3, 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 2018November 3, 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 2018November 3, 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). What can you do? …
Basics of Toxicology How pollutants harm us 4 Mar 2018November 3, 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 2018November 3, 2019 Before I explain why and 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…
Basics of Toxicology How pollutants move through us 3 Feb 2018November 3, 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…
Basics of Toxicology How pollutants move through the environment 28 Jan 2018November 3, 2019 Toxicologists love chemical structures because structures tell a lot about a chemical, just like genes tell a lot about a person. And chemicals, like people, are also shaped by the…
Basics of Toxicology Major environmental pollutants 21 Jan 2018November 3, 2019 I am using the term pollutant here rather than chemical because many chemicals, like water and oxygen, are considered quite safe. Pollutants, on the other hand, are substances that are…
Special Topics Environmental toxicology laws in the U.S. 13 Jan 2018November 3, 2019 Many environmental toxicology laws (and laws pertaining to it) were passed in the United States in the last 100 years. I have listed the major ones with a short description…
