EMT News Archive

In the News

A person shops at a home improvement store in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

“Over the past two decades, the knowledge of PFAS health effects has really exploded,” Jamie DeWitt, a professor of environmental molecular toxicology at Oregon State University, told Stateline.


microplastics on a finger
“We know that micro- and nano-plastics as well as microfibers, which are shed from synthetic clothes, can make their way to remote corners of the world, as well as to be ingested by and transported within the bodies of living organisms, including us,

field of rubber tires.  Photo: Civil Eats

Auto tires shed dangerous microplastics and harmful chemicals. New research suggests that both can make their way into crops.


hand holding a glass of water.  photo: vitapix / Getty Images

Jamie DeWitt, director of the Environmental Health Sciences Center at Oregon State University, said that although the new limits don’t end the problem of PFAS in drinking water, they represent significant progress.


Researcher Sara Hutton, a doctoral graduate of OSU, extracts RNA for qPCR to test gene expression of genes effected by pyrethroid exposure in the different generations of inland silverside fish. (Credit: Sara Hutton / Oregon State University)

Although pesticides can rid your home of cockroaches or farm fields of unwanted insects, they also can harm fish and potentially even people, according to a new study from Oregon State University.


This undated photo provided by the Hawaii Wildlife Fund shows microplastics at the beach at Kamilo Point in Naalehu, Hawaii. (Megan Lamson, Hawaii Wildlife Fund via AP)

American drinking water has some of the highest concentrations of microscopic plastic waste of anywhere in the world, a group of environmental experts told the Senate.


Oscar-winning actress Reese Witherspoon has whipped up a storm - after scooping snow to make a coffee-caramel drink.

Staci Simonich, professor of environmental and toxicology at OSU, told the BBC that snow is safe to eat as long as it is from "a non-urban area" and that people wait "until the first few centimeters fallen".


Refugio Sanchez scoops potatoes at the head of a conveyor system that delivers tons of potatoes to waiting trucks at the Amstad storage facility in Hermiston, Oregon. Photo by Lynn Ketchum.

“The organic potato industry cannot depend on traditional chemical anti-sprouting treatments since synthetic chemicals are banned in certified organic,” said Valtcho Jeliazkov of OSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences.


To pinpoint nanomaterials that show toxic effects in biological systems, researchers rely on the petite but powerful zebrafish.


A biomedical research program at Oregon State University has received a grant from the National Institutes of Health to modernize their lab. 


Dr. Jamie DeWitt

Following an exhaustive national search, Oregon State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences has named Dr. Jamie DeWitt as the director of the Environmental Health Sciences Center (EHSC).


Studying what the whales eat, and what they poop, shows just how ubiquitous microparticle pollution has become.


Susanne Brander Headshot - woman with short red hair.

How do emerging pollutants such as microplastics and pesticides affect aquatic ecosystems? Ecotoxicologist Susanne M. Brander joins the podcast today to discuss her work on this poignant topic of research…


Sara Hutton, a third-year doctoral candidate at Oregon State University, uses a microscope to look at fish embryos that have been exposed to microplastics. (Karl Maasdam/InvestigateWest)

Plastic doesn’t decompose but degrades into smaller pieces that will remain in the environment for thousands of years


Susanne Brander Headshot - woman with short red hair.

Groundbreaking microplastics research is underway at Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science Center, located in Newport on the Oregon Coast. 


Micro-sized tire particles generated from tire tread using a cryomill in the lab of Oregon State University Professor Stacey Harper. Credit: Saskia Madlener.

Small particles from tires inhibited the growth and caused adverse behavioral changes in organisms found in freshwater and coastal estuary ecosystems, two new Oregon State University studies found.


Robyn Tanguay, a distinguished professor in the College of Agricultural Sciences, is the recipient of the eight-year grant in the field of predictive toxicology from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.


Dr. Stacey Harper and Dr. Susanne Brander highlighted in this KVAL article:


KGW8 News:
"The scientists will be looking at whether the chemicals or a certain combination of chemicals cause things like autism, cancer, or neuro-degenerative diseases...."


EMT Researchers featured in this KGW8 article:
"CORVALLIS, Ore. - Whether you live in Oregon or a remote community in Africa, you are being exposed to the same chemicals, according to a new study from Oregon State University..."


Dr Susanne Brander's work highlighted in this Surfrider Foundation article.


Kaci Buhl and the Pesticide Safety Education Program featured in The Oregonian.


The National Pesticide Information Center was the subject of a story recently broadcast by KVAL: http://kval.com/news/local/national-...


Hello Everyone - If you have not already received an issue, I am pleased to share with you that multiple EMT faculty and programs are highlighted in articles appearing in the Current (Summer 2016) issue:  ...


Dr. Kim A. Anderson’s research group's work on Personal Passive Samplers is featured on the cover of Chemical and Engineering News (C&EN): (Volume 94 Issue 16| pp. 30-34 Issue Date: April 18, 2016.


Your driveway could be making you sick. A new study by Oregon State University found products used to seal driveway surfaces could increase your risk of cancer.


Patrick Iversen

A drug developed in Corvallis and Perth, Australia, to treat a genetic disorder may also represent a promising advance in personalized medicine. Eteplirsen targets Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which leads to muscle degeneration and weakness.


Stacey Harper

Insecticides show more toxicity inside tiny pellets

Packaging certain insecticides inside tiny plastic pellets may amplify their toxicity in the environment, a new study suggests.


Dr. Jennifer Field's has been posted on the GoMRI website as a featured article.


Anderson Lab

A recent field study in Ohio resulted in a number of articles highlighting the work of the Anderson lab's work using silicon wristbands to measure exposure to environmental chemicals.


Dr. William Bisson

Dr. William Bisson's leadership work on the Halifax project was highlighted by AAAS Science News in EurekAlert.


On May 20, 2015, Dr. Staci Simonich and Dr. Kim Anderson presented to the Oregon State Air Toxics Science Advisory Committee


TEAM Tox Outreach Activities at McNary High School

Blair Paulik and Jamie Minick, both PhD students in Dr. Kim Anderson’s lab, traveled to McNary High School on April 10th to teach students about environmental pollution.


Researchers for the first time have developed a method to track through the human body the movement of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, as extraordinarily tiny amounts of these potential carcinogens are biologically processed and...


Dr. Pat Iversen spoke about Ebola treatments at a well-attended Corvallis Science Pub at the Old World Deli

Dr. Pat Iversen, a professor in the department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, recently spoke about Ebola treatments at a well-attended Corvallis Science Pub at the Old World Deli on Monday, December 5.


OSU's Integrated Plant Protection Center helps growers minimze use of chemicals


Dave Stone spoke to the Portland Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation on the risk of waterborne diseases on October 14 at the reen Dragon Bistro:...


Dr. Dave Williams awarded PANWAT Achievement Award

Dr. David Williams was recently awarded the PANWAT Achievement Award at the 2014 Pacific Northwest Association of Toxicologist Meeting in Bothell, Washington on September 19.


Stacey Harper named 2014 Savery Outstanding Young Faculty

Dr. Stacey Harper has been named the recipient of the 2014 Savery Outstanding Young Faculty Award in recognition of her exceptional scholarly and teaching accomplishments as an assistant professor.


Enivironmental and Molecular Toxicology department was recently featured in Oregon's Agricultural Progress magazine in an article that explored and explained the research currently being done by EMT labs.


People with questions about using pesticides correctly can now get answers on their smartphones and tablets, thanks to expanded online services offered by the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC).


Dr. Dave Stone

Over the past  year (2013-14), Dr. Dave  Stone, Associate Professor in Environmental and Molecular Toxicology was appointed to a National Academies panel to examine how the State of California assesses pesticide risk.


Dr. Jennifer Field's upcoming lecture at the ACS meeting in San Francisco has been selected as one of the "Can't Miss Talks" on the program.


Derik Haggarded was awarded the "Best Poster" award at the Collaborative Aquatic Models and 21st Century Toxicology" which was held May 5 - 6 in raleigh, North Caroline on the North Carolina State University campus.


The UC Davis superfund Research Center recently invited EMT trainees to attend UC Davis Picnic Day to display posters and participate in outreach activites.


Joey Pryor

Environmental Health Sciences Center recently profiled Joey Pryor, a senior undergraduate student in Stacey Harper's lab.


Lead author Paul Jepson of the Integrated Plant Protection Center at OSU states “we were shocked to find such widespread use of highly toxic organophosphate pesticides, but by carefully studying and quantifying their use, we provide a basis for...


A drug that lots of post-menopausal women take to prevent and treat osteoporosis keeps making news and the latest comes from Oregon State University researchers.


A team of NIEHS-funded researchers met with citizens of Carroll County, Ohio, Jan. 9 marking one of the first steps in the new one-year, community-engaged pilot study of fracking and air quality.


Researchers led by Oregon State University Superfund Research Program grantee Robyn Tanguay, Ph.D., used high-throughput screening to analyze 1,060 unique compounds for 22 possible effects on zebrafish embryos.


Researchers at Oregon State University (OSU) have discovered novel breakdown products that form when specific high molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) chemically interact with nitrogen.


Toxicological Sciences

Dr. Tanguay and his co-authors Lisa Truong, David Reif, Lindsey St.


Scientists-in-training learn to effectively communicate research to TOX507the public

More than 45 mostly graduate-level students attended the first offering of the course, Communicating Science and Risk Beyond Academia – or TOX 507/607 – this fall to learn to explain their scientific research from experts across Oregon State.


Joey Pryor was awarded $1,000 from the University Honors College Excellence Fund  to support his research on "Comparative toxicological  assessment of PAMAM and thiophosphoryl dendrimers using embryonic zebrafish" in Dr. Harper's Lab.


Staci Simonich Receives OSU Impact Award for Outstanding Scholarship

The OSU Impact Award for Outstanding Scholarship recognizes OSU faculty who have demonstrated outstanding scholarship in a specific project or activity resulting in substantial impact beyond the university setting.


Amy Jahr has been awarded an Undergraduate Research, Innovation, Scholarship & Creativity award fro the OSU Research Office to support her summer 2013 research project entitled "Dectection of Fluorescently Labeled Lipoprotein and...