Directory

Michael Gochfeld, M.D., Ph.D.

Professor of Environmental and Occupational Medicine
Clinical Research and Occupational Medicine Division
Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute
Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Email: gochfeld@eohsi.rutgers.edu

848-445-0123
Clinic appointments: 848-445-0123

Fax: 732-445-0130

Research Areas

My main area of research has focused on heavy metals exposure and effect. The current emphasis is on the relationship between mercury and selenium exposure and balancing the risks against benefits of fish consumption. Much of this work involves Native American and Alaskan Native communities.

A second area focuses on the environmental consequences of energy options, examining nuclear options in the light of the spent nuclear fuel impasse and the Fukushima disaster vs unintended consequences of renewable energy. This has been developed as an outgrowth of our CRESP work on hazardous waste, risk management, and land use decisions with the U.S. Department of Energy.

A third area focuses on incorporating workplace health and safety equity into the EPA’s “Environmental Justice” paradigm.

Research Highlights

Participation in an EPA Environmental Justice Symposium resulted in exploration of the importance of outliers in risk management and the importance of occupational exposures as part of a comprehensive Environmental Justice paradigm.

The role of selenium in protecting against mercury toxicity has been known for 40 years, but the mechanism(s) of the interaction remain unclear. This study examines whether the Se:Hg molar ratio predicts mercury toxicity from fish consumption.

Scholarly Activities

Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine: Chair of Curriculum Committee

Robert Wood Johnson Medical School: M1 Block Directors Committee

Special Committee on Health, Productivity, and Disability Management, American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

Chair Committee on History of OSHA Permissible Exposure Limits

Publications

CHAPTERS

Gochfeld M. Energy diversity: options and stakeholders. in Stakeholders and Scientists: Achieving Implementable Solutions to Energy and Environmental Issues.(J. Burger, Ed). NY: Springer, 2011-04-25.

Gochfeld M, Laumbach R. Chemical Hazards chapter 11

Laumbach R, Gochfeld M. Toxicology. Chapter 25 in

Occupational and Environmental Health. Ed: Levy BS, Wegman DH, Baron SL, Sokas RK. NY Oxford, 6^th ed. 2011.

Gochfeld M, Burger J. Disproportionate Exposures in Environmental Justice: The Importance of Outliers. Amer J. Public Health in press. 2011

Burger J, Gochfeld M. Environmental Justice Conceptual Model: Evaluation of Chemical Pathways of Exposure in Low-Income, Minority, Native American, and Other Unique Exposure Populations. Amer J. Public Health. In press 2-11

Burger J, Gochfeld M. Mercury and selenium levels in 19 species of saltwater fish from New Jersey as a function of species, size, and season. Sci Total Environ. 2011 Mar 15;409(8):1418-29. Epub 2011 Feb 2.

PMID:21292311

Udasin I, Schechter C, Crowley L, Sotolongo A, Gochfeld M, Luft B, Moline J, Harrison D, Enright P.

Respiratory symptoms were associated with lower spirometry results during the first examination of WTC responders. J Occup Environ Med. 2011 Jan;53(1):49-54. PMID:21187790

Burger J, Gochfeld M. Gender differences in resource use and evaluation of attributes of places of resource use by Native Americans and Caucasians from Western Idaho: relevance to risk evaluations. J Toxicol Environ Health A. 2010;73(24):1655-64. PMID:21058169

Burger J, Powers C, Gochfeld M.

Regulatory requirements and tools for environmental assessment of hazardous wastes: understanding tribal and stakeholder concerns using Department of Energy sites.

J Environ Manage. 2010 Dec;91(12):2707-16. Epub 2010 Aug 16.

PMID:20719428

[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Related citations

Stern AH, Yu CH, Black K, Lin L, Lioy PJ, Gochfeld M, Fan ZH.

Hexavalent chromium in house dust--a comparison between an area with historic contamination from chromate production and background locations.

Sci Total Environ. 2010 Oct 1;408(21):4993-8. Epub 2010 Aug 9.

PMID: 20692023

[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Related citations

Lowenstein JH, Burger J, Jeitner CW, Amato G, Kolokotronis SO, Gochfeld M.

DNA barcodes reveal species-specific mercury levels in tuna sushi that pose a health risk to consumers.

Biol Lett. 2010 Oct 23;6(5):692-5. Epub 2010 Apr 21.

PMID:20410032

[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Burger J, Harris S, Harper B, Gochfeld M.

Ecological information needs for environmental justice.

Risk Anal. 2010 Jun;30(6):893-905. Epub 2010 Apr 8.

PMID:20409031

[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Related citations

10.

Burger J, Clarke J, Gochfeld M.

Information needs for siting new, and evaluating current, nuclear facilities: ecology, fate and transport, and human health.

Environ Monit Assess. 2011 Jan;172(1-4):121-34. Epub 2010 Feb 6.

PMID:20140506

[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Related citations

11.

Gochfeld M. Sex-gender research sensitivity and healthcare disparities.

J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2010 Feb;19(2):189-94.

PMID:20113150

[PubMed - in process]

Related citations

12.

Burger J, Jeitner C, Schneider L, Vogt R, Gochfeld M.Arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, and selenium levels in blood of four species of turtles from the Amazon in Brazil.

J Toxicol Environ Health A. 2010;73(1):33-40.

PMID:19953418

[13.

Gochfeld M, Bogden JD, Louria DB.

Ethics and principles in medical monitoring of populations exposed to environmental hazards.

J Occup Environ Med. 2009 Dec;51(12):1363-6. No abstract available.

PMID: 19952784

[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Burger J, Jeitner C, Donio M, Shukla S, Gochfeld M.

Factors affecting mercury and selenium levels in New Jersey flatfish: low risk to human consumers.

J Toxicol Environ Health A. 2009;72(14):853-60.

PMID:19557613

[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Related citations

15.

Burger J, Gochfeld M, Pletnikoff K.

Collaboration versus communication: The Department of Energy's Amchitka Island and the Aleut Community.

Environ Res. 2009 May;109(4):503-10. Epub 2009 Mar 4.

PMID:19264301

[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Related citations

17.

Burger J, Gochfeld M.

Perceptions of the risks and benefits of fish consumption: individual choices to reduce risk and increase health benefits.

Environ Res. 2009 Apr;109(3):343-9. Epub 2009 Feb 3.

PMID:19193369

[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Related citations

18.

Burger J, Gochfeld M.

Changes in Aleut concerns following the stakeholder-driven Amchitka independent science assessment.

Risk Anal. 2009 Aug;29(8):1156-69.

PMID:19178657

[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Related citations

19.

Special Committee on Health, Productivity, and Disability Management, American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

J Occup Environ Med. 2009 Jan;51(1):114-9. No abstract available..

Healthy workforce/healthy economy: the role of health, productivity, and disability management in addressing the nation's health care crisis: why an emphasis on the health of the workforce is vital to the health of the economy.

Gochfeld, M. & Mohr, S. (2007). Protecting contract workers: case study of the US Department of Energy's nuclear and chemical waste management. American Journal of Public Health. 97(9), 1607-1613.

Gochfeld, M. (2007). Framework for gender differences in human and animal toxicology. Environmental Research, 104(1), 4-21.

Gochfeld, M., Volz, C.D., Burger, J., Jewett, S., Powers, C.W. & Friedlander, B. (2006). Developing health and safety plan for hazardous field work in remote areas. Journal of Occupational Environmental Hygiene, 3(12), 671-683.

Gochfeld, M. & Burger, J. (2005). Good fish/bad fish: a composite benefit-risk by dose curve. Neurotoxicology, 26(4), 511-520.