Do you know what’s in your household cleaning product? A new article in IEAM spotlights chemicals that are common in household cleaning products yet are lacking sufficient data to allow for proper environmental risk assessments. The chemicals of focus in this study are polymers, organic compounds with a wide range of functions including emulsifiers, dispersants, or defoaming agents. Lead author Alison Pecquet joins us to talk about the study. Access the article in the July 2019 issue of IEAM.
About the Guest
Alison Pecquet (nee Willis) is the Principle Scientist and owner of Risk Science Services, LLC providing risk assessment consulting and support. She has over 10 years of experience in human health toxicology and environmental risk assessment in non-profit, academia, and consulting organizations. Projects include broad topic areas and multiple chemicals: such as inhalation dosimetry for diesel particulate matter; hazard assessment of nanoparticles, heavy metals, and phthalates used in consumer products; development of toxicity risk values for pharmaceuticals and anthropogenic chemicals; pesticide toxicity to off-target environmental receptors; phototoxicity of PAHs in aquatic environments; immunotoxicity of PFOA in aquatic species; support for microbial risk assessments; peer-review and peer consultation support; and methods harmonization for pharmaceutical risk assessments; among others. She has worked for a diversity of sponsors and believes the path to best science lies in collaboration across sectors. Her research interests are centered on the integration and harmonization of human and ecological risk assessment in support of protecting human health and the environment.
Mrs. Pecquet earned a Masters degree in Zoology focused on environmental toxicology from Miami University and is currently a PhD candidate in Environmental Genetics and Molecular Toxicology in the College of Medicine, Department of Environmental Health at the University of Cincinnati. She has served as the chair of the Ecological Risk Assessment Specialty Group (ERASG) for the Society of Risk Analysis (SRA) and is involved with the Board of Directors for the Ohio Valley Chapter (OVC) of the Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC).
Articles Referenced in this Podcast
Pecquet A, McAvoy D, Pittinger C, Stanton K. 2019. Polymers Used in US Household Cleaning Products: Assessment of Data Availability for Ecological Risk Assessment. Integr Environ Assess Manag 15: 621-632. doi:10.1002/ieam.4150
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