Rick Scroggins

Chief - Biological Methods Section

Current research and/or projects

Risks to Canadians and their environment posed by pollutants or other harmful or dangerous substances are assessed through R&D studies to facilitate the evaluation of risks posed by environmental threats (focusing on soil- and wastewater-related contaminant releases and the risk posed by industrial products)

Publishing of soil toxicity test methods to measure growth and reproduction effects on species of terrestrial plants and invertebrates for the purpose of substance testing and contaminated lands assessment
Preparing national guidance on the soil sampling, collection, handling and preparation for biological testing
Use of sublethal toxicity testing for national and site-specific effluent quality assessment and Investigation of Cause or Solutions studies under the Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM) program for the pulp and paper and mining sectors
Advisor to the ocean disposal and municipal wastewater effluent programs on appropriate use of toxicology methods and data interpretation
Leading a program to develop a new battery of soil toxicity and microbial community testing methodologies for boreal forest and northern Canadian contaminated land assessment and remediation

Professional activities / interests

Environmental toxicology of individual substances and contaminant mixtures

Standardized Canadian biological testing methods and supporting guidance documents

Quality Assurance / Quality Control in toxicology laboratories

Expert witness in Fisheries Act cases

Education and awards

Golden Jubilee Award (October 2002) for outstanding and exemplary service

SETAC Government Service Award (November 2006) for dedication and service by a scientist in the application of environmental toxicology within government

Environment Canada Citation of Excellence (December 1997; December 1999; June 2000; October 2005)

Key publications

Römbke, J., S. Jänsch and R. Scroggins. 2006. Identification of potential organisms of relevance to Canadian boreal forest and northern lands for testing of contaminated soils. Environmental Reviews 14(2): 137-167.

Feisthauer, N., G. Stephenson, J. Princz and R. Scroggins. 2006. Effects of metal-contaminated forest soils from the Canadian Shield to terrestrial organisms. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 25(3): 823-835.

Scroggins R.P., A.I. Borgmann, J.A. Miller and M.J. Moody. 2005. Strategies for monitoring environmental effects monitoring of industrial effluents. pp. 139-163 . In C. Blaise and J.F. Férard (ed.), Small-scale Freshwater Environment Toxicity Test Methods. Springer Press, The Netherlands.

Borgmann, A.I., M.J. Moody and R.P. Scroggins. 2004. The lab-to-field rating scheme: A new method of investigating the relationships between laboratory sublethal toxicity tests and field measurements in Environmental Effects Monitoring studies. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment 10: 683-707.

Scroggins, R.P., W.J. Berry, R.A. Hoke, K. Milligan, D.J. Morrisey and L. Porebski. 2003. Regulatory applications of porewater toxicity testing, pp. 263-283. In R.S. Carr and M.G. Nipper (ed.), Porewater Toxicity Testing: Biological, Chemical and Ecological Considerations. SETAC Press, Pensacola, FL.

Scroggins R.P., J.A. Miller, A.I. Borgmann and J.B. Sprague. 2002. Sublethal toxicity findings by the pulp and paper industry for Cycles 1 and 2 of the Environmental Effects Monitoring program. Water Quality Research Journal of Canada 37(1): 21-48.