Associates

The following is a list of our associates:

Dr. Robert F. Willes
Rhona Compton-Taylor

Robert F. Willes, Ph.D.
(Director, Science Programs - Intrinsik Environmental Inc)
With more than 35 years of experience in the field of toxicology and risk assessment, Dr. Robert Willes is a leading authority in the evaluation of the impact of chemicals on humans and aquatic and terrestrial wildlife. Since Cantox's inception in 1985, Dr. Willes has been a Principal and Vice-President, Environmental Sciences. Dr. Willes has made major contributions in the development and application of exposure and risk assessment models for the estimation of exposures of humans and other organisms to chemicals from various sources. These models have been used in a variety of projects, related to accidental spills of chemicals, modernization of industrial facilities, installation of different types of incinerators, proposed landfill sites and remediation of contaminated sites (industrial, residential, agricultural, and military), that require environmental impact assessments and development of risk management criteria.
In addition to his work on issues pertaining to Environmental Risk Assessment, Risk Communication, and Risk Management, he is also currently the Director of Science Programs for Intrinsik Environmental Sciences Inc. leading efforts to expand the capabilities of current science in evaluating health risks.

Rhona Compton-Taylor

Rhona Taylor has worked in the field of toxicology and health risk assessment for over 10 years, 8 of those as a direct employee of Intrinsik Environmental. Ms Taylor completed an honours B.Sc. in Health Studies at the University of Waterloo, Ontario (1995). She has reviewed toxicity studies (animal, clinical and epidemiological) for criteria air pollutants, particulate matter and ozone, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), volatile organic carbons (VOCs), dioxins and furans, as well as chemicals reported in emissions from hazardous waste incineration, tar sands extraction, petroleum refineries, oriented strand board mills, and sawmills. She published a paper on the use of toxic equivalency factors in ecological risk assessment in the journal Human and Ecological Risk Assessment.

Relevant projects recently completed by Ms. Taylor include:

• Critical review and evaluation of published literature on the chemical toxicity, including inhalation effects, of particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) to determine the current state of science regarding PM and uncertainties that remain. The review covered both epidemiology and animal and human inhalation toxicology studies. Studies included various particle types and their effects as well as mechanisms of effects. (2005/2006).
• Critical review and evaluation of published literature for the assessment of the chemical toxicity, including inhalation effects in animals and humans, of PCBs, dioxins, arsenic and hydrogen sulphide (2004/2005);
• Detailed review of the inhalation effects (animals) of ammonia and ammonium particulates (2004/2005).
• Critical review of inhalation studies (animal and clinical) for quality and usefulness in setting an emergency response guideline for hydrogen sulphide (2003/2004).