Barnett Rattner, Ph.D.
Dr. Barnett Rattner is an ecotoxicologist at the Eastern Ecological Science Center in Laurel, MD.
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 hunt nontoxic shot used in hunt waterfowl.
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:
- 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.
Professional Experience
Ecotoxicologist and Physiologist (research scientist, section leader, deputy branch chief) Department of the Interior, FWS, NBS, and USGS (1978-present)
Adjunct Professor University of Maryland, Department of Animal and Avian Sciences & Department of Environmental Science and Technology (1988-2022)
National Research Council Post-doctoral Research Associate, National Naval Medical Center (1978
Guest Worker, National Institute of Arthritis, Metabolism and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIH (1974-1981)
Instructor and Graduate Teaching Assistant, University of Maryland, Department of Zoology (1972-1977)
Education and Certifications
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 and Memberships*
Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
Society of Toxicology
The Wildlife Society
American Physiological Society
Honors and Awards
Distinguished Service Award, Department of the Interior 2018
Fellow, Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 2017
President, Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry World Council 2015
President, Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry - North America 2012
SETAC Government Service Award 2007
Science and Products
Organic Contaminant Levels and the Reproductive Success of Ospreys in Chesapeake Bay
Toxicity of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers and Other Flame Retardants to Wildlife
Toxicity of the Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug Diclofenac
Contaminant Exposure and Effects—Terrestrial Vertebrates (CEE-TV) Database Summary Findings for Trust Resources in U.S. Coastal Habitats
Evaluating a rapid field assessment system for anticoagulant rodenticide exposure of raptors
Challenges in the interpretation of anticoagulant rodenticide residues and toxicity in predatory and scavenging birds
Accidental chlorophacinone exposure of lactating ewes: Clinical follow-up and human health dietary implications
Moving beyond p<0.05 in ecotoxicology: A guide for practitioners
Uptake, metabolism, and elimination of fungicides from coated wheat seeds in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica)
Brodifacoum toxicity in American Kestrels (Falco sparverius) with evidence of increased hazard upon subsequent anticoagulant rodenticide exposure
Toxicokinetics of imidacloprid-coated wheat seeds in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) and an evaluation of hazard
Use of blood clotting assays to assess potential anticoagulant rodenticide exposure and effects in free-ranging birds of prey
Examination of contaminant exposure and reproduction of ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) nesting in Delaware Bay and River in 2015
Environmental contaminants of health-care origin: Exposure and potential effects in wildlife
Biomarker responses of Peromyscus leucopus exposed to lead and cadmium in the Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District
Anticoagulant rodenticides and wildlife: Concluding remarks
Science and Products
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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 Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers and Other Flame Retardants to Wildlife
Flame retardants are a class of commonly used household and industrial products. Because of widespread use, there is concern that their presence in the environment can potentially pose a hazard and risk to wildlife.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.Contaminant Exposure and Effects—Terrestrial Vertebrates (CEE-TV) Database Summary Findings for Trust Resources in U.S. Coastal Habitats
Scientists and natural resource managers often seek information on the effects various environmental stressors on wildlife.To facilitate this activity, we created a database focused on environmental contaminant exposure and adverse effects in wildlife residing in coastal and estuarine habitat.The Contaminant Exposure and Effects-Terrestrial Vertebrates database is searchable and relatively easy to... - Data
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Filter Total Items: 240
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 exposure, and multiple commercially available point-of-cAuthorsAriana J Dickson, James R. Belthoff, Kristen A Mitchell, Brian W. Smith, Zachary P. Wallace, Matthew J. Stuber, Michael J. Lockhart, Barnett A. Rattner, Todd E. KatznerChallenges 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 birds are exposed by consumption of such poisonedAuthorsBarnett A. Rattner, Joel James HarveyAccidental 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 accidentally exposed ewes were used to estimate the risAuthorsMeg-Anne Moriceau, Sébastien Lefebvre, Isabelle Fourel, Etienne Benoit, Barnett A. Rattner, Virginie LattardMoving 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 or effect (the null hypothesis) using the collectedAuthorsRichard A. Erickson, Barnett A. RattnerUptake, 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, tebuconazole, and fludioxonil at either a low (0.07, 0.AuthorsMichael S. Gross, Thomas G. Bean, Michelle Hladik, Barnett A. Rattner, Kathryn KuivilaBrodifacoum 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 at 0.3, 1.0 or 3.0 µg/g diet wet wt for 7 d exhibiAuthorsBarnett A. Rattner, Steven F Volker, Julia S. Lankton, Thomas G. Bean, Rebecca S. Lazarus, Katherine E. HorakToxicokinetics 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. Quail were euthanized between 1 and 24 h post-exposureAuthorsThomas G. Bean, Michael S. Gross, Natalie K. Karouna-Renier, Paula F. P. Henry, Sandra L. Schultz, Michelle Hladik, Kathryn Kuivila, Barnett A. RattnerUse 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 unintentionally exposed animals, which often encounter a multitude of anthrAuthorsSofi Hindmarch, Barnett A. Rattner, John E. ElliottExamination 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 (PCBs), coplanar PCB toxic equivalents, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) aAuthorsBarnett A. Rattner, Rebecca S. Lazarus, Thomas G. Bean, Peter C. McGowan, Carl R. Callahan, Richard A. Erickson, Robert HaleEnvironmental 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 invertebrates in sludge amended fields by terrestrial veAuthorsThomas Bean, Barnett A. RattnerBiomarker 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 District and at a reference site in MO, USA. Mice from tAuthorsW. Nelson Beyer, Stan W. Casteel, Kristen R. Friedrichs, Eric Gramlich, Ruth A. Houseright, John W. Nichols, Natalie K. Karouna-Renier, Dae Young Kim, Kathleen Rangen, Barnett A. Rattner, Sandra L. SchultzAnticoagulant rodenticides and wildlife: Concluding remarks
Rodents are known to affect human society globally in various adverse ways, resulting in a widespread demand for their continuous control. Anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) have been, and currently remain, the cornerstone of rodent control throughout the world. Although alternative control methods exist, they are generally less effective. ARs work by affecting vitamin K metabolism, thereby preventiAuthorsNico W. van den Brink, John E. Elliott, Richard F. Shore, Barnett A. Rattner - Web Tools
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*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government