Event Details
When:
-
Location:
Online: Zoom
Price:
Free
Brought to you by:
Institute of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, The Foundation for WWU & Alumni
Description
Check out this video to watch the When Toxic Substances Are the Problem...
Dr. Paul Sandifer explains that most disaster response efforts focus on reducing or eliminating deaths, acute injuries, exposures to infectious diseases and toxic substances, and economic losses. These aspects, along with the geographic scope, tend to receive widespread and sometimes sensationalized coverage in national and international media. However, less widely recognized and studied are the chronic health effects that may develop over long periods following a catastrophic event, particularly psychosocial and mental health effects.
In his presentation, Dr. Sandifer provides a brief introduction to the changing disaster landscape and discusses the health effects of two case studies: (1) the Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico and (2) releases of toxic chemicals from train derailments, chemical plant accidents, and flooding. He emphasizes the importance of considering disaster effects through the lenses of individual and community vulnerability and histories of marginalization and discrimination.
Dr. Sandifer concludes the presentation by identifying toxic stress, rather than toxic materials, as the common denominator of long-term and broad-scale disaster health impacts, based on reviews of numerous environmental disasters. He notes that toxic stress is the most ubiquitous and pervasive effect of disasters, resulting in mental and physical disorders that can persist for a long time. While not often recognized, disaster-associated stress can be exacerbated by, and contribute to, a wide range of health problems. Understanding that stress is often at the center of negative health effects of traumatic events is crucial for both short- and long-term treatment and care. Therefore, it is important that the effects of acute and chronic stress be evaluated and periodically assessed among disaster survivors going forward.
Dr. Sandifer briefly discusses one method for assessing toxic stress, known as Allostatic Load. He also highlights that disaster preparedness and response plans, especially at the local community level, should include stress management, but unfortunately, most do not at present. Even in the absence of clinical assessments of stress, community-managed disaster risk reduction programs can help alleviate anxiety and reduce stress by preparing and empowering communities to deal with disasters at least in part on their own.
More information about the speaker series is available, as are all past Toxicology and Societies recordings.
Tile photo information: Train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio and oil burns during a controlled fire in the Gulf of Mexico.
Featuring:
Dr. Paul Sandifer’s education includes a BS in Biology from the College of Charleston and PhD in Marine Science from the University of Virginia. Since 2015, he has worked part-time at the College of Charleston as Founding Director of the Center for Coastal Environmental and Human Health. From 2018-2024 he also was Deputy Director for a multi-institutional Center for Oceans and Human Health and Climate Change Interactions headquartered at the University of South Carolina. Prior to coming to the College, Paul worked in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as Senior Scientist, Science Advisor to the NOAA Administrator, and Chief Science Advisor for the National Ocean Service. Before NOAA, he served with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources as a Marine Scientist, Marine Resources Director, and agency Director. He is broadly experienced in ecological and aquaculture research, natural resource management, science policy, and environmental health science. His most recent work has concentrated on ocean health-human health linkages, human health impacts of disasters, climate impacts in coastal areas, and disaster risk reduction capacity building in environmental justice communities.
Ruth Sofield is a Professor of environmental toxicology and chemistry in the College of the Environment. She received her PhD and MS in Environmental Science and Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines. Ruth's research group focuses on the effects of water and air pollution. Their current projects include the aquatic toxicity of microplastic and tire wear particles, and the use of moss as a biomonitoring tool for particulate matter. Ruth is a member of the Puget Sound Partnership Science Panel and the President of the Pacific Northwest Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.
Tracy Collier received his PhD in Fisheries Sciences from the University of Washington. He has worked for over 45 years as a toxicologist, with more than 35 of those years spent at NOAA's Northwest Fisheries Science Center, where he served as the director of a science division that employed up to 100 people, covering several disciplines, including environmental toxicology, analytical chemistry, harmful algal blooms, and watershed processes. He has over 175 scientific publications, and currently is an affiliate faculty at Western.
Ian Moran is a newly appointed Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences at Western Washington University. He conducted his PhD research at Oregon State University leveraging passive chemical samplers and embryonic zebrafish to investigate the occurrence, movement and toxicity of chemical mixtures at contaminated sites in Oregon and Alaska. As an alumnus of the College of the Environment Ian is excited to be back on campus to teach toxicology courses this year!
Questions and Accommodations
- Your point of contact for this event is The Foundation for WWU & Alumni. Call (360) 650-3353 or email Alumni@wwu.edu.
- Advance notice for disability accommodations and special needs is appreciated. Please mention your needs when registering.
- There will be auto-captions for the Zoom webinar.
The views expressed by our speakers do not necessarily reflect those of Western Washington University.