Kim A. Anderson Laboratory

Current research objectives are focused in the area of environmental forensic chemistry of persistent, bioaccumulative toxic chemicals and address the application of analytical chemistry concepts in the interpretation, distribution, speciation and bioavailability of chemicals in the environment under the onus of potential regulatory or litigation action.

Environmental Chemistry & Toxicology:

Research efforts are focused primarily on determining the transformations and fate of bioavailable contaminants in compromised eco-systems in Oregon. Bioaccumulation, bioavailability and partitioning are keys to truly understanding risk. Bioavailability of contaminants is the accessibility for biological assimilation and possible toxicity. Federal and state regulatory agencies typically rely on analytical methods that entail vigorous extraction of matrices. The relevancy of such methods to the toxicity is often not considered, thus decisions are based on data that is often not relevant for prediction of potential exposures and risk. The evidence is compelling that the quantities recovered by vigorous extraction/digestion fail to predict bioavailability of the compounds. Bioavailable contaminant levels, speciation of contaminants, and transformations must be understood before the mechanisms of ecosystem compromise can be discerned. Our research program is concerned primarily with persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic chemicals in the environment. We conduct field studies to determine and establish persistent bioaccumulative toxic chemical source(s) and processes. We develop and evaluate methods for the determination of persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic chemicals to elucidate source(s) and processes. We develop chemical profiles at compromised field sites to elucidate historical sources and fate and transport processes of contaminants. Future objectives include the study of episodic inputs into a system and the effects on bioavailable levels.

Chemical Profiling & Food Safety:

Our second research focus is to develop chemical profiling techniques to determine adulteration and geographic authenticity of foods. Often similar bioavailable techniques are used in the food authenticity analyses. Research on the determination of geographic origin of commodities and food products is becoming an increasingly active research area. The increasing demands on the agri-food industry from free-trade, globalization and changing technology only further the drive to determine authenticity of foods. We currently are focused on raw agricultural commodities. We are developing and evaluating methods for the determination of geographic-marker-chemicals to elucidate geographic sources of commodities.