FACULTY
Richard A. Fenske, PhD, MPH, MA, MA, BA
Associate Chair, Env. and Occ. Health Sciences
Professor, Env. and Occ. Health Sciences
Dr. Fenske's work has focused on the evaluation of environmental health risks in special populations, such as children, farm workers, and farm producers. Specialty areas include health risks of pesticide exposures, development of new exposure assessment methods, and investigation of the role of skin exposure for workers and children. His teaching activities include exposure assessment, environmental risk, and public health policy related to pesticides. Dr. Fenske directs the Pacific Northwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center, a regional center devoted to the prevention of injury and illness among operators, workers, and their families in Northwest farming, forestry and fishing. He currently serves as Chair of the Institute of Medicine's Committee to Review the Health Effects of Vietnam Veterans of Exposure to Herbicides (Seventh Biennial Update). He also serves as a member of the Environmental Protection Agency's Science Advisory Board and the EPA Human Studies Review Board.
Contact Information
Box 3572341959 NE Pacific Street
Seattle, WA 98195
Tel: 206-543-0916
rfenske@u.washington.edu
Links
Pacific Northwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center
Education
PhD, Environmental Health, University of California (Berkeley) 1984
MPH, Environmental Health, University of California (Berkeley) 1978
MA, Geography, University of California (Berkeley) 1976
MA, Comparative Religion, Columbia University 1972
BA, History, Stanford University 1970
Projects
1. Children's Exposure to Pesticides
Our group has focused on this topic for more than 15 years, with a particular interest in the children of agricultural workers. Current work focuses on pesticide exposure pathways for children in agricultural communities. We have particular interest in exposure related to pesticide drift, and parental transfer of pesticides from the workplace to the home. We are also exploring methods to improve and validate exposure and dose models for children's exposure to hazardous chemicals.
2. Flourescent Tracer Evaluation of Chemical Exposures
Our laboratory has the expertise to evaluate dermal exposures to chemicals with fluorescent tracers. Current projects include (1) use of the fluorescent tracer technique as a worker education tool among pesticide applicators in Washington State, and (2) development of a user manual and video for this technique.
3. Hazard Characterization in Northwest Farming, Fishing and Forestry
The Pacific Northwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center has a variety of projects aimed at characterizing and reducing risks for workers and their families. Opportunities exist to work on projects that use epidemiologic methods, exposure assessment and control methods, and innovative technologies such as geographic information systems, as well as investigation of relationships between risks, behavior, and economics in farming, fishing and forestry.
4. New Safety Practices to Minimize Pesticide Handler Exposures
We are currently working with orchard managers and pesticide handlers to design and test practical interventions that can reduce pesticide exposures among farmworkers in Washington State. We hope to develop a set of 'best practices' for pesticide handlers and disseminate these practices regionally and nationally.
5. Climate Change and Human Health
Our group is part of a larger University of Washington effort to characterize the impact of climate change in our region. We are working on new models to predict morbidity and mortality associated with heat waves and degraded air quality. Our goal is to assist the state and the region in adapting to new environmental conditions that are likely to affect the public’s health.
