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Richard C. Pleus, Ph.D. |
Education
Postdoctoral training, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 1992, Neuropharmacology
Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 1991, Environmental Toxicology
M.S., University of Minnesota, 1983, Environmental Health
B.S., Michigan State University, 1977, Physiology, Honors Graduate
Experience Highlights
25 years experience in human health risk assessments.
Fields of Expertise include: Human Health Risk Assessment; General Toxicology; Respiratory Toxicology; Reproductive/ Developmental, Endocrinological, and Neurological Toxicology and Pharmacology; Risk Communication
Biographical Sketch
RICHARD C. PLEUS, PH.D., Intertox director and toxicologist, is an expert in neurological and reproductive toxicology with over 25 years experience assessing the risk to humans exposed to chemical and biological agents via food, consumer products, therapeutic agents, and the environment. He has a proven ability to communicate risks of toxicants to a variety of audiences—skillfully facilitating both public forums and industry meetings, in litigation support, on expert panels, and as an expert witness. His clients include companies from the nanotechnology, pulp and paper, utility, cement manufacturing, mining, building material, water, and chemical industries; law firms; citizen groups; and governmental agencies both national and international. He continues to be involved in research, publications, and education.
Dr. Pleus’ research focuses on human health risk, including mode-of-action studies aimed at quantifying exposure to critical organ systems, with particular interest in human and laboratory animal nervous system development. His recent work has been focused primarily on emerging contaminants, especially in water, such as endocrine disruptors, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products. Additionally, he has unique experience in developing environmental health and safety (EHS) standards for nanomaterials and assisting in the evaluation of EHS risks from exposure to intentionally and non-intentionally derived nanoparticles. Dr. Pleus focuses his work on the application of academic research results to protect human health and resolve public health issues. He has presented the results of his research at national and international meetings in Australia, France, South Africa, and the Czech Republic.
Dr. Pleus’ contribution to peer reviewed journals and books include his work regarding perchlorate, published in Environmental Health Perspectives and his chapter contribution, Perchlorate Regulation and Regulatory Activity (Chapter IX) to GFS Chemicals book Perchloric Acid and Perchlorate. He has also contributed chapters to Biological Risk Engineering Handbook: Infection Control and Decontamination (Lewis Publishers), chapter 4, Toxicology, and chapter 5, Risk Assessment. Dr. Pleus has served as an expert on a U.S. EPA scientific advisory panel to review human health risks related to pesticide exposures and as an expert on two peer review panels assessing the human health risks of resorcinol. Additionally, he served as a stakeholder advisory committee ember for the WateReuse Foundation, to review the development of indicators and surrogates for chemical contaminant removal during wastewater treatment and reclamation. Dr. Pleus is currently assisting in developing science-based guidelines and standards related to nanotechnology EHS as a participating member of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Technical Advisory Group (TAG) 229, responsible to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) to develop and transmit U.S. positions related to activities for nanotechnology.
Dr. Pleus was an instructor for 10 years at the University of Minnesota where he taught human science classes for both lower and upper level undergraduate students. In addition, he taught courses in physiological psychology and psychopharmacology for Metropolitan State University. He is an adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, as well as a faculty member of the Center for Environmental Toxicology at the University of Nebraska. He is an elected member of the Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health.
Dr. Pleus’ credentials include a B.S. with Honors from Michigan State University, an M.S. in Environmental Health, a Ph.D. in Environmental Toxicology from the University of Minnesota, and postdoctoral research in neuropharmacology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
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Recent Publications
Book Chapters
Pleus R.C. Risk Communication. In Robles H. and Braun F. J., Eds. Toxicology for Environmental Professionals. In Preparation.
Belzer R.B., Bruce G.M., Peterson M.K. and Pleus R.C. 2004. Using Comparative Exposure Analysis to Validate Low-Dose Human Health Risk Assessment: The Case of Perchlorate. In Linkov, I. and Ramadan, A., Eds. Comparative Risk Assessment and Environmental Decision Making. Kluwer. Pgs. 57-74.
Borak J.B. and Pleus R.C. 2003. Toxicology (Chapter 39). In McCunney R.J., Eds. A Practical Approach to Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 3rd Edition. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Publishers. Pgs. 554-570.
Published Articles
Linkov, I., Satterstrom F.K., Steevens J, Ferguson, E., Pleus, R.C. 2007. Mulit-criteria decision analysis and environmental risk assessment for nanomaterials. Jounral of Nanoparticle Research.
Snyder S.A., Pleus R.C., Vanderford B.J., Holady J.C. 2006. Perchlorate and chlorate in dietary supplements and flavor enhancing ingredients. Analytica Chimica Acta 567 (1) 26–32.
Snyder, E.M., Pleus, R.C., Snyder, S.A. 2005. Pharmaceuticals and EDCs in the US water industry- an update. Journal of the American Water Works Association. 97(11): 32-36.
Chow JC, Watson JG, Savage N, Solomon CJ, Cheng Y, McMurry PH, Corey LM, Bruce GM, Pleus RC, Biswas P, Wu C. 2005. Critical Review: Nanoparticles and the Environment. Air & Waste Management Association. 55: 1411-1417
Wahlsten D., Colbourne F. and Pleus R.C. 2003. A robust, efficient and flexible method for staining myelinated axons in blocks of brain tissue. J. of Neurosci. Methods. 123: 207-214.
Greer M.A., Goodman G., Pleus R.C. and Greer S.E. 2002. Health Effects Assessment for Environmental Perchlorate Contamination: The Dose Response for Inhibition of Thyroidal Radioiodine Uptake in Humans. Environm. Health Perspect. 110: 927-937.
Greer M.A., Goodman G., Pleus R.C. and Greer S.E. 2000. Does environmental perchlorate exposure alter human thyroid function? Determination of the dose-response for inhibition of radioiodine uptake. Endocrine J. 47: 148.
Technical Papers
Pleus R.C., Bruce G.M., Peterson M.K., and Dodge D.G. 2004. Comparative Contribution of Perchlorate and Anti-Thyroid Agents in American Diets to Iodide Uptake Inhibition. Paper presented at the 32nd Propellant Development & Characterization Subcommittee (PDCS) and the 21st Safety & Environmental Protection Subcommittee (S&EPS) Joint Meeting, Seattle, WA, July 25-29.
Bruce G.M., Johnson D. and Pleus R.C. 2002. Assessment of the Validity of U.S. EPA’s Interpretation of an Effect of Altered Neurobehavior in Offspring Treated with Perchlorate in utero: A Critical Review of the Argus (1998) and Bekkedal et al. (2000) Studies. Submitted to Eastern Research Group, Inc. for the U.S. EPA/ORD Peer Review Workshop-Perchlorate Environmental Contamination: Toxicological Review and Risk Characterization, March 5-6, Sacramento, CA. February 19.
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Recent Presentations
Conference Presentations & Posters
2007. Linkov, I., Peterson M.K., Corey L.M., and Pleus R.C. Assessing Environmental Risk of Nanomaterials: Approaches and Tools. 2007 NSTI Nanotechnology Conference and Trade Show, Santa Clara, CA, May 20-24.
2007. Snyder, E.M., Bruce, G.M., Pleus, R.C., Snyder, S.A. Incidence and Toxicological Significance of Selected Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) in Drinking Water. To be presented at the World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2007, Tampa, FL. May 15-19.
2006. Snyder, S.A., Pleus, R.C. Human Health Implications from Nanoparticles in Water. Presented at the2nd International Symposium on Environmental Nanotechnology, South Korea. November 3.
2006. Pleus, R.C., Snyder, S.A. Risk Assessment of Pharmaceuticals and Endocrine Disruptors in Drinking Water. Presented at The Western Coalition of Arid States Conference, Tucson, AZ. November 2.
2006. Pleus, R.C., Snyder, S.A. Toxicological Relevance of Pharmaceuticals and Endocrine Disruptors in Drinking Water. Presented to the Orange County Utilities; Water Quality Section Conference, Orlando, FL. October 26.
2006. Pleus, R.C. Perchlorate in 2006: Where are we and where are we going? Invited speaker. Presented at the 2006 Superfund Program Managers Symposium, Scottsdale, AZ. August 13-16.
2006. Corey L.M., Peterson M.K., and Pleus R.C. Nanotechnology Environmental Health and Safety (EHS): Current Knowledge and Future Challenges. Presented at the 9th Annual Force Health Protection Conference, Albuquerque, NM. August 6-11.
2006. Corey L.M., Peterson M.K., and Pleus R.C. Nanotoxicology: Special Considerations for Assessing Risks from Very Small Particles. Presented at the 9th Annual Force Health Protection Conference, Albuquerque, NM, August 6-11.
2006. Corey L.M., Peterson M.K., and Pleus R.C. Developing Nanotechnology Health and Safety Standards. Invited speaker. Presented at the 2006 Micro Nano Breakthrough Conference, Vancouver, WA, July 25, 2006.
2006. Pleus, R.C. Toxicological Revelance of EDCs and Pharmaceuticals. Invited to present at the 2006 AWWA Annual Conference in San Antonio, TX. June 11-15, 2006.
Short Courses
2004. To be presented through Aerotech Technical Institute’s continuing education program, Emerging Contaminants in Indoor Air.
2004. Lecturer for Department of Pharmacology, University of Nebraska Medical Center. Provided lectures on toxicology for medical, pharmacy, graduate and physician assistant students at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Department of Pharmacology.
2003. Lecturer for Department of Pharmacology, University of Nebraska Medical Center and Center for Environmental Toxicology, University of Nebraska. Provided a technical lecture entitled Making Sense of the Perchlorate Action Level Debate?
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Project Highlights
The Greer Study
Dr. Pleus is co-author of Greer et al., 2002 (the “Greer Study”), considered by many to be the most definitive study assessing the potential human health risk from exposure to perchlorate at environmental levels. As part of the effort to facilitate development of an RfD for perchlorate, acting under the guidance of U.S. EPA/NCEA and AFRL, developed a protocol for a clinical study of the dose-response of perchlorate effects on thyroid iodine uptake and perchlorate pharmacokinetics. The study was performed at Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU).
Dr. Monte Greer of OHSU was the principal investigator and Dr. Gay Goodman was the co-investigator. A study report was submitted to U.S. EPA/NCEA in June of 2000, an abstract of this work was presented at the International Thyroid Congress in Kyoto, Japan, and a manuscript was published in 2002.
Advisory Positions
2007. International Advisory Board, USA, International Symposium on Nanotechnology in Environmental Protection and Pollution, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
2007 - present. Project Leader for Technical Report: Guidance on physico-chemical characterization of engineered nanoscale materials for toxicologic assessment. ISO/TC 229.
2006. Counselor to the Central States Chapter of the Society of Toxicology (CS-SOT).
2006. Stakeholder Advisory Committee Member, to review Development of Indicators and Surrogates for Chemical Contaminant Removal During Wastewater Treatment and Reclamation, WateReuse Foundation Project WRF-03-014. May 16-17, in Phoenix, Arizona.
2006. Technical Committee Member for the American National Standards Institute’s (ANSI) Accredited United States Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Technical Committee for nanotechnologies. Washington, D.C. The committee members contribute to the development of U.S. positions on technical and policy matters concerning nanotechnologies before the ISO. The ISO U.S. TAG committee is the Working Group with primary responsibility for development of health, safety, and environment (HSE) standards for nanotechnologies.
Expert Peer Review Panels
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