PHILIPPE
ROSS, Professor
Environmental
Science & Engineering
Colorado School of Mines
Coolbaugh Hall
Golden, CO 80401-1887
Dr Phil Ross is on Medical Leave this Semester
-For questions regarding Environmental Science and Engineering
Contact the ESE Main Office – CO 206 –
Phone: 303-273-2327
-For questions regarding the BELS Program
Contact Dr Joel Bach – jmbach@mines.edu
Phone:303-273-3473 Fax: 303-273-3413 Email: pross@mines.edu
Education
- Ph.D. Biology (Limnology), Univ. of Waterloo (Woods Hole Oceanogr. Inst.). 1980
- M.Sc. Biology (Limnology), McGill Univ. 1975
- B.Sc. Biology; Psychology, McGill Univ. 1972
Current Affiliations
Primary
- 1998- Colorado School of Mines, Environmental Science & Engineering Division, Professor
Secondary
- 2000- Assistant Director, Center for the Study of Metals in the Environment
- 1999- Expert Advisory Committee, Canadian Network of Toxicology Centres (Chairman, 2002-)
- 1993- Clemson University, Professor, Environ. Toxicol. (TIWET)
Work Experience
Primary
- 1998-2001 Colorado School of Mines, Environmental Science and Engineering, Division Director
- 1991-1997 The Citadel, Dept. of Biology, Professor and Head
- 1985-1991 Illinois Natural History Survey, Associate Aquatic Toxicologist
- 1980-1985 University de Montreal, Dept. de Sciences biol. Assistant Prof. (NSERC-URF)
- 1979-1980 Beak Consultants, Ltd., Ontario. Aquatic Ecologist
- 1978-1979 University of Waterloo, Biology Dept. Lecturer
- 1975-1976 CEGEP Dawson College,
Quebec. Instructor, Biology Department
Secondary
- 1991- 2001 University of Charleston (SC), Graduate Faculty, Marine Biology
- 1992- 2002 Medical University of South Carolina, Graduate Faculty, Marine Biomedicine
- 1995-1997 Charleston Harbor Project SAMP. Coordinator, Water Qual. Focus Group
- 1993-1994 National Indicator Study (NOAA/ISSC). National Scientific Coordinator
- 1988-1993 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Senior Environmental Advisor (ARCS)
- 1985-1991 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Associate Professor
- 1985-1991 IL Hazardous Waste Research & Information Center. Senior Toxicologist
- 1986-1988 Canadian Revenue Department. Expert Scientific Consultant
- 1985-1988 University de Montreal. Adjunct Associate Professor
Research Interests
I am interested in the general area of aquatic ecotoxicology. Specific research areas include contaminated sediments, roadway runoff, pesticide toxicity, population-level effects and metal bioavailability. Pollutants in marine, estuarine and freshwater systems tend to accumulate in bottom sediments, so hazard assessment of sediment-associated contaminants has been a primary focus (Ross & Munawar, 1996; Munawar et al., 1996; Burton et al., 1996). Current sediment projects include research on the fundamental differences between sampling survey designs for status-and-trend analysis (two-dimensional grids) and studies driven by remediation initiatives (three-dimensional matrices). Methods development is also a concern, and recent thesis and dissertation topics have included the use of bioluminescent bacteria in micro-scale toxicity test systems (Ross, 1998; Ross et al., 1999; 2000), and the effect of sediment particle size distributions on toxicity test results (Ringwood et al., 1997). Another ongoing research goal is the improvement of predictive models for the bioavailability of cationic metal species and non-polar organic compounds in sediments.
A major research axis is the impact of non-point source (NPS) contamination on aquatic ecosystems. Mesocosm studies address the effects of sub-lethal does of pesticides on estuarine communities (DeLorenzo, Scott & Ross, 1999; DeLorenzo et al. 1999). A related project is investigating the effects of long-term, pulse-dosed exposure to cholinergic insecticides on the development and maintenance of bone in teleost fish (Karen et al., 1998; 2001a; 2001b).
A recent dissertation study related the toxic effects of suspected endocrine disrupting chemicals to genotype frequencies in the estuarine grass shrimp species Palaemonetes pugio. Another dissertation project is focussed on the effect of sediment metal exposure on metallothionein induction in sediment dwelling invertebrate Lumbriculus variegatus.
A recently launched project is investigating the effects of sediment particle size on heavy metal content, toxicity, bioavailability, and dietary uptake. In support of this goal, this laboratory is one of eight locations in the U. S. and Canada that comprise the Center for the Study of Metals in the Environment.
Areas of Research
1. Differential Sensitivity of Grass Shrimp to Toxicants
3. Unit World Model
4. Metallothionein Induction
