Barnett Rattner, Ph.D.
Biography
Dr. Barnett Rattner is an ecotoxicologist. He conducts hypothesis-driven laboratory and field investigations, risk assessments and scholarly evaluations on the toxicity of legacy and contemporary pollutants (industrial contaminants, metals, pesticides, petroleum crude oil) to wildlife and the environment. His current focus is on exposure and adverse effects of anticoagulant rodenticides, flame retardants and pharmaceuticals, comparative toxicology, non-target secondary poisoning associated with rodenticides, alternative testing methods, and screening-level risk assessments. Dr. Rattner actively represents the DOI as a member of the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of Alternative Methods, and serves as a special consultant to the Fish and Wildlife Service on issues related to nontoxic shot used in hunting.
Education/Training:
- B.S., University of Maryland, 1972 - Zoology
- M.S., University of Maryland, 1974 - Zoology, Developmental Biology
- Ph.D., University of Maryland, 1977 - Zoology, Environmental Physiology
- National Research Council Postdoctoral Associateship, Naval Medical Research Institute, 1978 - Hyperbaric Physiology
Affiliations:
- Adjunct Full Professor, Department of Environmental Science and Technology, University of Maryland
Areas of Expertise/Interest: Wildlife Toxicology; Risk Assessment; Physiology
Active Projects:
- Development of data and models to evaluate the hazard and risk of anticoagulant rodenticides to non-target raptorial species
- Absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination and toxicity of neonicotinoids in seed-eating birds
- Harmful algal blooms and bird die-offs in the Chesapeake Bay: A potential link?
- Contaminant exposure and potential reproductive effects in ospreys nesting in Chesapeake and Delaware Bay
- Contaminant-related activities and synoptic reviews in support of client agencies in the Department of the Interior
- Technical assistance to the Fish and Wildlife Service on alternative shot
Accomplishments, Awards, and Achievements:
- Authored over 135 publications, co-edited three books (Handbook of Ecotoxicology, Ecotoxicology of Wild Mammals,Anticoagulant Rodenticides and Wildlife), and made over 160 presentations at scientific meetings, workshops and symposia.
- Compiled two widely used internet-accessible ecotoxicological databases (Contaminant Exposure and Effects—Terrestrial Vertebrates database, Biological and Ecotoxicological Characteristics of Terrestrial Vertebrate Species Residing in Estuaries).
- Serves as Terrestrial Editor of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, and as an Editorial Board member of the Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, and Outlooks on Pest Management.
- SETAC Government Service Award 2007
- President, Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry - North America 2012
- President, Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry World Council 2015
- Fellow, Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 2017
- Distinguished Service Award, Department of the Interior 2018
Science and Products
Hazard and Risk of Anticoagulant Rodenticides to Predatory and Scavenging Wildlife
Invasive mammalian predators are the most damaging group of animals affecting global biodiversity. When introduced on remote islands, alien rodent species can devastate local biota and have been linked to approximately 30% of all extinctions. In addition, rodents can also consume and spoil crops, and serve as disease vectors that affect humans. Starting in the 20th century,...
Do pesticide coatings on agricultural seeds pose a threat to earthworms and to the birds that eat them?
Earthworms are a vital part of a healthy, functioning soil ecosystem and are also an important protein-rich food source for wildlife, including many species of birds and mammals. In an agricultural setting, the presence of earthworms can increase crop yields by 25%, but can also expose earthworms to pesticides. Seed treatment is the principal application method for neonicotinoid insecticides,...
Whole Wildlife Toxicology Catalog
Developed in 2008, the Whole Wildlife Toxicology Catalog is a portal to wildlife toxicology-oriented websites and databases. The catalog attempts to compile and provide access to website containing information that should be of value to scientists, regulators, natural resource managers, students and other members of the public. The catalog is updated annually. Please contact Barnett Rattner...
No Evidence of Toxicity to Birds Ingesting Neonicotinoid-Coated Wheat Seeds During Controlled Laboratory Study
Scientists determined what happens to the neonicotinoid insecticide, imidacloprid, on coated wheat seeds once ingested by Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica)—a model species for free-range, seed-eating, upland game birds. Imidacloprid was found to be rapidly adsorbed, metabolized, and excreted, and resulted in no overt signs of toxicity during a controlled laboratory study.
Contaminant-related Activities in Support of Client Agencies in the Department of the Interior
We undertake many research activities in support of the mission of the Department of the Interior. One such activity is to evaluate the potential hazard and risk of environmental contaminants to natural resources.
Contaminant Exposure, Food Web Transfer and Potential Health Effects on Chesapeake Bay and Delaware Bay Waterbirds
Chesapeake and Delaware Bays are the largest estuaries on the east coast of the United States. They support extensive fisheries and provide critical habitat for many species of wildlife. These Bays are surrounded by vast agricultural andindustrialized regions, with urbanized areas, all of which are a source of pollution that can affect natural resources. We have long monitored contaminants...
Long-term Studies Examine Contaminant Exposure and Reproduction of Ospreys Nesting in Two Large United States Estuaries
In a series of studies from 2010 to 2018, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists detected low levels of legacy contaminants and pharmaceuticals in osprey (Pandion haliaetus) and their food chain within the Chesapeake and Delaware River estuaries. Osprey reproductive success increased during the same period and was determined to be adequate to sustain a stable population in both...
Genomic and Behavioral Effects of the Neonicotinoid Imidacloprid in Birds Exposed Through Pesticide-Coated Seeds
The Challenge: Neonicotinoid pesticides act as agonists of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) and are designed to be lethal to insects while theoretically posing little to no threat to vertebrates. The perceived safety of neonicotinoids has led to a sharp increase in their use in the United States and globally, since they were first introduced in 1994. The use of the neonicotinoid...
Assessing Contaminant Hazards Without a Critter—Advancements in Alternatives to Animal Toxicity Testing
During the past two decades, great strides have been made toward the development and use of ecotoxicity testing methods that reduce animal use or replace animals altogether with in vitro tests or in silico models.
Do Neonicotinoid Pesticide Seed Coatings Pose a Hazard to Seed-eating Birds?
Treating or “dressing” of seeds with pesticides is a commonly used method to enhance crop yield in agriculture. Regrettably, such treated seeds can be ingested by wildlife, and depending on the extent of exposure, can cause adverse effects.
Organic Contaminant Levels and the Reproductive Success of Ospreys in Chesapeake Bay
Changes in the regulation and use of some organic chemicals have caused environmental concentrations to stabilize or decline during the past 35 years coincident with a rebound in the osprey (Pandion haliaetus) population of the Chesapeake Bay.
Toxicity of the Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug Diclofenac
One of the hallmarks of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) is the difficulty in predicting potentially toxic effects.Diclofenac is one such NSAID that devastated Asian vulture populations when they fed upon carcasses of livestock treated with the NSAID diclofenac.Because these drugs are widely used, we studied the potential hazard of diclofenac in New World vultures.
Examination of contaminant exposure and reproduction of ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) nesting in Delaware Bay and River in 2015
Data collected as part of a large ecotoxicology study to assess concentrations, geographic gradients and temporal trends in contaminant exposure of ospreys nesting in Delaware River and Bay.
Contaminant Exposure and Effects-Terrestrial Vertebrates Database
The Contaminant Exposure and Effects-Terrestrial Vertebrates database (CEE-TV) contains searchable pollution data (>20,000 records, >275,000 individuals, >500 species of birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles) that reside in estuarine and coastal habitats along the Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific Coasts including Alaska and Hawaii and in the Great Lakes Region.
Whole Wildlife Toxicology Catalog
The Whole Wildlife Toxicology Catalog is a compilation of websites containing toxicological information related to amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals that may be of value to scientists, risk assessors, regulators and natural resource managers.
Pharmaceuticals in water, fish, and ospreys nesting in Delaware River and Bay
Exposure of wildlife to Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) is likely to occur but evidence of hazard and risk is limited. One exposure pathway that has received attention is trophic transfer of APIs in a water-fish-osprey food chain.
Investigation of pharmaceuticals in water, fish, and ospreys nesting in Delaware River and Bay
Exposure of wildlife to Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) is likely to occur but evidence of hazard and risk is limited. One exposure pathway that has received attention is trophic transfer of APIs in a water-fish-osprey food chain. Samples of water, fish plasma and osprey plasma were collected from Delaware River and Bay, and analyzed for 21 APIs. Only 2 of 21 analytes exceeded M
Measuring U.S. Federal Agency progress toward implementation of alternative methods in toxicity testing
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommended to Congress that federal agencies establish a workgroup through ICCVAM to propose metrics for assessing progress on the development and promotion of alternative methods. This document describes the recommendations of the ICCVAM Metrics Workgroup.
Gordon, John D.; Clarke, Carol; Johnson, Matthew; Reinke, Emily N.; Rattner, Barnett A.; Hwang, Steve; Craig, Evisabel; Lowit, Anna; Brown, Paul; Davis-Bruno, Karen L.; Crusan, Annabelle; Fitzpatrick, Suzanne; Kang, Jueichuan; Levis, Robin; Mendrick, Donna L.; Merrill, Jill; Berridge, Brian; Casey, Warren; Kleinstreuer, Nicole; Watson, Harold Challenges in the interpretation of anticoagulant rodenticide residues and toxicity in predatory and scavenging birds
Anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) are part of the near billion-dollar rodenticide industry. Numerous studies have documented the presence of ARs in non-target wildlife, with evidence of repeated exposure to second-generation ARs. While birds are generally less sensitive to ARs than target rodent species, in some locations predatory and scavenging...
Rattner, Barnett A.; Harvey, Joel James Evaluating a rapid field assessment system for anticoagulant rodenticide exposure of raptors
Anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) are commonly used to control rodent pests. However, worldwide, their use is associated with secondary and tertiary poisoning of nontarget species, especially predatory and scavenging birds. No medical device can rapidly test for AR exposure of avian wildlife. Prothrombin time (PT) is a useful biomarker for AR...
Dickson, Ariana J; Belthoff, James R.; Mitchell, Kristen A; Smith, Brian W.; Wallace, Zachary P.; Stuber, Matthew J.; Lockhart, Michael J; Rattner, Barnett A.; Katzner, Todd E. Accidental chlorophacinone exposure of lactating ewes: Clinical follow-up and human health dietary implications
Anticoagulant rodenticides are widely used for rodent control in agricultural and urban settings. Their intense use can sometimes result in accidental exposure and even poisoning of livestock. Can milk, eggs or meat derived from such accidentally exposed animals be consumed by humans? Data on the pharmacokinetics of chlorophacinone in milk of...
Lefebvre, Sébastien; Fourel, Isabelle; Benoit, Etienne; Rattner, Barnett A.; Lattard, Virginie; Moriceau, Meg-Anne; Lefebvre, Sébastien; Fourel, Isabelle; Benoit, Etienne; Rattner, Barnett A.; Lattard, Virginie Moving beyond p<0.05 in ecotoxicology: A guide for practitioners
Statistical inferences play a critical role in ecotoxicology. Historically, Null Hypothesis Significance Testing (NHST) has been the dominant method for inference in ecotoxicology. As a brief and informal definition of the NHST approach, researchers compare (or test) an experimental treatment or observation against a hypothesis of no relationship...
Erickson, Richard A.; Rattner, Barnett A. Uptake, metabolism, and elimination of fungicides from coated wheat seeds in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica)
Pesticides coated to the seed surface potentially pose an ecological risk to granivorous birds that consume incompletely buried or spilled seeds. To assess the toxicokinetics of seeds treated with current-use fungicides, Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) were orally dosed with commercially coated wheat seeds. Quail were exposed to metalaxyl,...
Gross, Michael S.; Thomas G. Bean; Hladik, Michelle; Rattner, Barnett A.; Kuivila, Kathryn Brodifacoum toxicity in American Kestrels (Falco sparverius) with evidence of increased hazard upon subsequent anticoagulant rodenticide exposure
A seminal question in ecotoxicology is the extent to which contaminant exposure evokes prolonged effects on physiological function and fitness. A series of studies were undertaken with American kestrels ingesting environmentally realistic concentrations of the second-generation anticoagulant rodenticide (SGAR) brodifacoum (BROD). Kestrels fed BROD...
Rattner, Barnett A.; Volker, Steven F; Lankton, Julia S.; Bean, Thomas G.; Lazarus, Rebecca S.; Horak, Katherine E. Toxicokinetics of imidacloprid-coated wheat seeds in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) and an evaluation of hazard
Birds are potentially exposed to neonicotinoid insecticides by ingestion of coated seeds during crop planting. Adult male Japanese quail were orally dosed with wheat seeds coated with an imidacloprid (IMI) formulation at either 0.9 mg/kg body weight (BW) or 2.7 mg/kg BW (~3 and 9% of IMI LD50 for Japanese quail, respectively) for 1 or 10 days....
Bean, Thomas G.; Gross, Michael S.; Karouna-Renier, Natalie K.; Henry, Paula F. P.; Schultz, Sandra L.; Hladik, Michelle; Kuivila, Kathryn; Rattner, Barnett A. Use of blood clotting assays to assess potential anticoagulant rodenticide exposure and effects in free-ranging birds of prey
Non-target wildlife, particularly birds of prey, are widely exposed to and acutely poisoned by anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs). An unresolved issue surrounding such exposure, however, is the potential for sublethal effects. In particular, the consequences of AR exposure and resulting coagulopathy on health and survival of...
Hindmarch, Sofi; Rattner, Barnett A.; Elliott, John E. Examination of contaminant exposure and reproduction of ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) nesting in Delaware Bay and River in 2015
A study of ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) nesting in the coastal Inland Bays of Delaware, and the Delaware Bay and Delaware River in 2015 examined spatial and temporal trends in contaminant exposure, food web transfer and reproduction. Concentrations of organochlorine pesticides and metabolites, polychlorinated biphenyls...
Rattner, Barnett A.; Lazarus, Rebecca S.; Bean, Thomas G.; McGowan, Peter C.; Callahan, Carl R.; Erickson, Richard A.; Hale, Robert Environmental contaminants of health-care origin: Exposure and potential effects in wildlife
A diverse range of fauna could be exposed to active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) via diet, dermal absorption or bioconcentration. Low level exposures of free-ranging wildlife to APIs has only been demonstrated for a few pathways (e.g., ingestion of fish in estuaries by piscivorous birds), and many remain hypothetical (e.g., ingestion of...
Bean, Thomas; Rattner, Barnett A. Biomarker responses of Peromyscus leucopus exposed to lead and cadmium in the Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District
Biomarker responses and histopathological lesions have been documented in laboratory mammals exposed to elevated concentrations of lead and cadmium. The exposure of white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) to these metals and the potential associated toxic effects were examined at three contaminated sites in the Southeast Missouri Lead Mining...
Beyer, W. Nelson; Casteel, Stan W.; Friedrichs, Kristen R.; Gramlich, Eric; Houseright, Ruth A.; Nichols, John W.; Karouna-Renier, Natalie K.; Kim, Dae Young; Rangen, Kathleen; Rattner, Barnett A.; Schultz, Sandra L.
Utility and Vulnerability Ranking Programs for Terrestrial Vertebrates
To assist decision makers in risk assessments, two sets of indices have been developed to rank terrestrial vertebrates for their utility in biomonitoring and susceptibility.
Contaminant Exposure and Effects-Terrestrial Vertebrates database (CEE-TV)
The Contaminant Exposure and Effects-Terrestrial Vertebrates database (CEE-TV) contains contaminant exposure and effects information for terrestrial vertebrates (birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles) that reside in estuarine and coastal habitats along the Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific Coasts including Alaska and Hawaii and in the Great Lakes Region.
CEETV FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions for the Contaminant Exposure and Effects-Terrestrial Vertebrates (CEE-TV) Database
Evaluating a Rapid Field Assessment System for Anticoagulant Rodenticide Exposure of Raptors
Anticoagulant rodenticides are commonly used to control rodents; however, there is a risk of poisoning non-target species, especially predatory and scavenging birds.
Ospreys, their fate once up in the air, soar again over Chesapeake
Bay Journal — by Jeremy Cox — March 21, 2019
Ospreys Benefit as Contaminants Decrease in Delaware Estuary
Lower levels of environmental contaminants—including pesticides, flame retardants and other pollutants—were recently found in osprey eggs in the Delaware Estuary compared to those tested from the 1970s through the early 2000s.
Despite Long-Lasting Pollutants, Ospreys Thrive in US’ Largest Estuary
The world's largest breeding population of ospreys is coping well with the long-lasting residues of toxic chemicals that were banned decades ago but remain in the Chesapeake Bay food chain at varying levels, such as the pesticide DDT and insulating chemicals known as PCBs.