Greetings,

We are in the midst of a very busy field season; with the heavy metal rich fertilizer project and our Portland Harbor project is keeping everyone hopping. There have been some personnel changes over the last year. Jen Basil left for a laboratory position closer to home, good luck Jen. Dr. Wendy Hillwalker was promoted to Research Associate; congratulations Wendy. Dr. Amanda Ackerman, will be joining the program as a post-doctoral Research Associate in September; welcome Amanda.

There never seems to be a dull moment at the FSES Lab. Just the way we like it! Best wishes to all for an enjoyable summer. If you want to know more about any of the projects, check out the following internet sites:
http://oregoninvests.css.orst.edu
http://emt.oregonstate.edu/fses/

Also, please feel free to contact me anytime.

~FSES Director

FOOD SAFETY
Food Quality Assurance

"Chemical Profiling to Determine Geographic Authenticity of Raw Agricultural Commodities"

Globalization has shifted the world market for fresh fruit, making availability year round commonplace. The world fruit and vegetable trade has increased markedly since the 1980's with sales reaching a record high of $70 billion dollars in 2001. Food traceability studies are important for three primary reasons: to improve supply management, facilitate trace back for food safety and quality, and differentiate and market foods with subtle quality attributes. Knowledge of the geographic growing region is not only paramount in upholding accountability in the food production industries, but also is important to consumers. In February 2001, the Consumer Right-to-Know act (S. 280) was passed, requiring country of origin labels on perishable agricultural commodities.

This act came about largely from public concern about potentially harmful substances in consumables and polls show that a majority of consumers prefer country of origin labels. We have continued our efforts to provide sound scientific geochemical profiling methods to determine country of origin. Currently, Angie Perez, is investigating chemical profiling methods for pears, blueberries and strawberries between Oregon and South American crops.

FOOD SAFETY

Organophosphate (OP) pesticides, like azinophos methyl (gluthion), are used on apples. The OP degradation products (metabolites) are not toxic. Some human risk assessments measure the metabolite in urine assuming that the amount measured was the parent OP. In a collaborative project with Dr. Jeff Jenkins, we are investigating whether the formation of the metabolite occurs on the apple after OP applications. Pictured is Gene Johnson, Senior Research Assoc. & Nita Birdsong, OSU BioResource Toxicology student, working on OP extraction of apples.

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

Bioavailable

HEAVY METALS IN SOIL AMENDMENTS & FERTILIZERS

Background levels of metals in Oregon soils that receive fertilizer treatments are not well understood. The effects of fertilizer use and the long-term effects on biota uptake, surface and ground waters are also not well understood for Oregon soils. In addition, to understanding background levels, bioaccumulation, bioavailability and partitioning are keys to truly understanding risk. Bioavailability of metals is the accessibility for biological assimilation and possible toxicity. Federal 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. US EPA has allowed certain regions to develop site specific criteria based on bioavailable levels of priority pollutants. Our approach is to use methods that determine the bioavailable portion of metals released to soils from amendments.

Bioavailable Contaminants- Willamette River

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

Doolalai Sethajintanin, Environmental & Molecular Toxicology graduate student, pictured above taking some of the last samples needed for her thesis work. Doolalai will be defending her PhD thesis work later this summer. Her work has focused on organochlorine contaminants, such as DDT and PCB, in Portland Harbor and their bioavailability as influenced by seasonal changes.

PORTLAND HARBOR, WILLAMETTE RIVER

Bioavailable Contaminants

We are continuing our studies at Portland Harbor and the McCormick & Baxter Superfund Sites. We plan to deploy sampling units several times this year, starting in August. From our previous studies we have found that there are significant spatial and temporal differences in contaminant concentrations. We are also developing techniques to better evaluate eco-systems based on the bioavailable contaminant concentration.

Angie Perez, OSU Environmental & Molecular Toxicology graduate student, helping with the potato harvest in Klamath. Thanks also to Ken Rykbost and Brian Charlton for help setting up this field at Klamath for the heavy metal rich fertilizer study.