Scott D. Dyer

Bio: Scott D. Dyer is an academic researcher from Procter & Gamble. The author has contributed to research in topics: Environmental exposure & Water quality. The author has an hindex of 35, co-authored 84 publications receiving 4075 citations. Previous affiliations of Scott D. Dyer include Iowa State University.

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products in the environment: what are the big questions?

Abstract: Background: Over the past 10–15 years, a substantial amount of work has been done by the scientific, regulatory, and business communities to elucidate the effects and risks of pharmaceuticals and p...

Toxicology of Synthetic Pyrethroids in Aquatic Organisms: An Overview

Abstract: The aquatic toxicology of the photostable synthetic pyrethroid insecticides as it affects two important groups of susceptible organisms — fish and aquatic insects — is discussed. The sensitivity of these aquatic species to the pyrethroids is dependent on several factors, including toxicokinetics, target site (nervous system), sensitivity and possible secondary mechanisms of action, as well as chemical and physical properties of the aquatic medium that influence toxicity and bioavailability. Uptake rates and routes of fenvalerate greatly affected the toxicity of fenvalerate to mosquito larvae. LD50 values were determined for cuticular and dietary exposure routes by utilizing radiolabeled fenvalerate at the respective LC50 concentrations in the two media (water and food). Fenvalerate was sixfold more toxic to mosquito larvae by the cuticular route. Technical fenvalerate was more toxic to larvae than was the emulsifiable concentrate formulation. Addition of different concentrations of humic acid to the water reduced the toxicity to the larvae. Review and analysis of relevant literature are integrated into a discussion of the principles and details of aquatic toxicology of the pyrethroids.

Environmental Safety of the Use of Major Surfactant Classes in North America

Abstract: This paper brings together over 250 published and unpublished studies on the environmental properties, fate, and toxicity of the four major, high-volume surfactant classes and relevant feedstocks. The surfactants and feedstocks covered include alcohol sulfate or alcohol sulfate (AS), alcohol ethoxysulfate (AES), linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS), alcohol ethoxylate (AE), and long-chain alcohol (LCOH). These chemicals are used in a wide range of personal care and cleaning products. To date, this is the most comprehensive report on these substance's chemical structures, use, and volume information, physical/chemical properties, environmental fate properties such as biodegradation and sorption, monitoring studies through sewers, wastewater treatment plants and eventual release to the environment, aquatic and sediment toxicity, and bioaccumulation information. These data are used to illustrate the process for conducting both prospective and retrospective risk assessments for large-volume chemicals and categories of chemicals with wide dispersive use. Prospective risk assessments of AS, AES, AE, LAS, and LCOH demonstrate that these substances, although used in very high volume and widely released to the aquatic environment, have no adverse impact on the aquatic or sediment environments at current levels of use. The retrospective risk assessments of these same substances have clearly demonstrated that the conclusions of the prospective risk assessments are valid and confirm that these substances do not pose a risk to the aquatic or sediment environments. This paper also highlights the many years of research that the surfactant and cleaning products industry has supported, as part of their environmental sustainability commitment, to improve environmental tools, approaches, and develop innovative methods appropriate to address environmental properties of personal care and cleaning product chemicals, many of which have become approved international standard methods.

Advancing the quality of environmental microplastic research.

Abstract: Investigations into the environmental fate and effects of microplastics have been gaining momentum Small, insoluble polymeric particles are implicated by scientists in a wide variety of studies that are used to suggest a potential for widespread impacts in freshwater and marine pelagic and sediment environments An exponential growth in scientific publications and an increase in regulatory attention have occurred However, despite these efforts, the environmental hazard of these particles is still unknown To evaluate the hazard of microplastics within a risk assessment context, we need a way to evaluate the quality of experimental studies We performed a thorough review of the quality and focus of environmental microplastic research, to understand the methodologies employed and how this may assist or distract from the ability of environmental risk assessors to evaluate microplastics We provide guidance to improve the reliability and relevance of ecotoxicological studies for regulatory and broader environmental assessments Nine areas of needed improvement are identified and discussed Important data gaps and experimental limitations are highlighted Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:1697-1703 © 2017 SETAC

Crucial role of mechanisms and modes of toxic action for understanding tissue residue toxicity and internal effect concentrations of organic chemicals.

Abstract: This article reviews the mechanistic basis of the tissue residue approach for toxicity assessment (TRA). The tissue residue approach implies that whole-body or organ concentrations (residues) are a better dose metric for describing toxicity to aquatic organisms than is the aqueous concentration typically used in the external medium. Although the benefit of internal concentrations as dose metrics in ecotoxicology has long been recognized, the application of the tissue residue approach remains limited. The main factor responsible for this is the difficulty of measuring internal concentrations. We propose that environmental toxicology can advance if mechanistic considerations are implemented and toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics are explicitly addressed. The variability in ecotoxicological outcomes and species sensitivity is due in part to differences in toxicokinetics, which consist of several processes, including absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME), that influence internal concentrations. Using internal concentrations or tissue residues as the dose metric substantially reduces the variability in toxicity metrics among species and individuals exposed under varying conditions. Total internal concentrations are useful as dose metrics only if they represent a surrogate of the biologically effective dose, the concentration or dose at the target site. If there is no direct proportionality, we advise the implementation of comprehensive toxicokinetic models that include deriving the target dose. Depending on the mechanism of toxicity, the concentration at the target site may or may not be a sufficient descriptor of toxicity. The steady-state concentration of a baseline toxicant associated with the biological membrane is a good descriptor of the toxicodynamics of baseline toxicity. When assessing specific-acting and reactive mechanisms, additional parameters (e.g., reaction rate with the target site and regeneration of the target site) are needed for characterization. For specifically acting compounds, intrinsic potency depends on 1) affinity for, and 2) type of interaction with, a receptor or a target enzyme. These 2 parameters determine the selectivity for the toxic mechanism and the sensitivity, respectively. Implementation of mechanistic information in toxicokinetic–toxicodynamic (TK–TD) models may help explain timedelayed effects, toxicity after pulsed or fluctuating exposure, carryover toxicity after sequential pulses, and mixture toxicity.We believe that this mechanistic understanding of tissue residue toxicity will lead to improved environmental risk assessment.

Heat-shock proteins, molecular chaperones, and the stress response: evolutionary and ecological physiology

Abstract: Molecular chaperones, including the heat-shock proteins (Hsps), are a ubiquitous feature of cells in which these proteins cope with stress-induced denaturation of other proteins. Hsps have received the most attention in model organisms undergoing experimental stress in the laboratory, and the function of Hsps at the molecular and cellular level is becoming well understood in this context. A complementary focus is now emerging on the Hsps of both model and nonmodel organisms undergoing stress in nature, on the roles of Hsps in the stress physiology of whole multicellular eukaryotes and the tissues and organs they comprise, and on the ecological and evolutionary correlates of variation in Hsps and the genes that encode them. This focus discloses that (a) expression of Hsps can occur in nature, (b) all species have hsp genes but they vary in the patterns of their expression, (c) Hsp expression can be correlated with resistance to stress, and (d) species' thresholds for Hsp expression are correlated with levels of stress that they naturally undergo. These conclusions are now well established and may require little additional confirmation; many significant questions remain unanswered concerning both the mechanisms of Hsp-mediated stress tolerance at the organismal level and the evolutionary mechanisms that have diversified the hsp genes.

The evolutionary and ecological role of heat shock proteins

Abstract: Most heat shock proteins (Hsp) function as molecular chaperones that help organisms to cope with stress of both an internal and external nature. Here, we review the recent evidence of the relationship between stress resistance and inducible Hsp expression, including a characterization of factors that induce the heat shock response and a discussion of the associated costs. We report on studies of stress resistance including mild stress, effects of high larval densities, inbreeding and age on Hsp expression, as well as on natural variation in the expression of Hsps. The relationship between Hsps and life history traits is discussed with special emphasis on the ecological and evolutionary relevance of Hsps. It is known that up-regulation of the Hsps is a common cellular response to increased levels of non-native proteins that facilitates correct protein folding/refolding or degradation of non-functional proteins. However, we also suggest that the expression level of Hsp in each species and population is a balance between benefits and costs, i.e. a negative impact on growth, development rate and fertility as a result of overexpression of Hsps. To date, investigations have focused primarily on the Hsp70 family. There is evidence that representatives of this Hsp family and other molecular chaperones play significant roles in relation to stress resistance. Future studies including genomic and proteonomic analyses will increase our understanding of molecular chaperones in stress research.

A review of bioconcentration factor (BCF) and bioaccumulation factor (BAF) assessments for organic chemicals in aquatic organisms

Abstract: Bioaccumulation assessment is important in the scientific evaluation of risks that chemicals may pose to humans and the environment and is a current focus of regulatory effort. The status of bioacc...