John C. Kissel

John C. Kissel, PhD, MS

Professor, Env. and Occ. Health Sciences (Primary department)
Dr. Kissel is an environmental engineer whose research focuses on human exposure to environmental contaminants. He is a former President and Councilor of the International Society of Exposure Science (ISES) and former chair of the Exposure Assessment Specialty Group of the Society for Risk Analysis. He is also an ad hoc member of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) Science Advisory Panel and served as a member of a National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council committee examining Superfund cleanup of mining wastes in the Coeur d'Alene River Basin of northern Idaho. Dr. Kissel has conducted research funded by US EPA, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and the US Department of Energy.

Contact Information

Office: Suite 100
Box: 354695
4225 Roosevelt Way NE
Seattle, WA 98195-6099
Tel: 206-543-5111
Tel: 206-543-3364
Fax: 206-543-8123

Research Interests

  • Human exposure assessment, environmental risk assessment, hazardous waste management, soil cleanup, water quality
  • KEYWORDS: Aggregate exposure, Biomarkers, Children's health;Consumer products; Dermal exposure; Exposure models; Hazardous waste; Indoor environment; ; Pesticides; Quantitative microbial risk assessment; Reentry standards; Soil contamination; Soil sampling; Solid waste; Superfund sites; Water supply and sanitation

Teaching interests

Hazardous Waste Management and Probabilistic Exposure Assessment, Microbial Risk Assessment and Solid Waste Management; Environmental and Occupational Sampling and Analysis; Environmental Risk and SocietyHazardous Waste Management (ENVH 446) and Probabilistic Exposure Assessment (ENVH 574), Microbial Risk Assessment (ENVH 543) and Solid Waste Management (ENVH 445). soil sampling in ENVH 431 (Environmental and Occupational Sampling and Analysis I) and delivered ENVH 472/572 Environmental Risk and Society in 2012.

Education

PhD, Civil Engineering, Stanford University, 1985
MS, Environmental Engineering, Harvard University, 1974

Projects

Dr. Kissel has a history of research related to human exposure to environmental contaminants. One aspect of this work involves characterization of human dermal contact with soils and sediments. Results of those studies have been incorporated directly into EPA guidance documents, such as the Exposure Factors Handbook, that are used by persons involved in cleanup of Superfund sites or other contaminated lands. Dr. Kissel and his students have also investigated the efficiency of dermal absorption of contaminants from environmental matrices. A second research focus area is evaluation of the predictive capability of regulatory exposure models. Dr. Kissel was awarded an EPA STAR grant to examine correspondence between output from probabilistic aggregate exposure models and observed levels of urinary biomarkers of pesticide exposure. A NIOSH-funded project involving prediction of chemical decontamination of skin by washing began in September 2007. Current activity also includes investigation of chronic SVOC exposures in indoor environments. Recent journal publications are listed below. More details about research and teaching activities can be found on Dr. Kissel's laboratory web site.
Selected Publications

Kissel JC. 2011. The mismeasure of dermal absorption. J Expos Sci Environ Epid. 21(3):302-9.

Bergstrom CM*, Shirai JH, Kissel JC. 2011. Particle size distributions, size concentration relationships, and adherence to hands of selected geologic media derived from mining, smelting, and quarrying activities. Sci Tot Environ 409(20):4247-4256.

Review date: 
4/19/2012