News Briefs
M. Judith Charles (1952–2004)
UC, DAVIS
We wish to acknowledge the passing on October 4 of our colleague and friend, M. Judith Charles, assistant professor of environmental toxicology at the University of California, Davis. Judi published much of her work on mass spectrometric analysis of environmentally relevant M. Judith Charles chemicals in ES&T. Like many of her generation of environmental scientists, Judi’s education and research were characterized by an expertise in technology that was not an end in itself but was driven by the need to understand or solve a particular
environmental issue. Her contributions included the analysis of novel contaminants in water, the detection of previously unknown atmospheric pollutants, and the quantification of trace concentrations of DNA adducts. For us, however, Judi’s legacy is in how she taught many of us the importance of remembering the human side in our work. She humbled us with her courage, perseverance, and dignity in an often unkind academic world and in her long, fierce battle with breast cancer and its debilitating treatments. She reminded us of life’s true priorities, thus enriching our lives and the lives of others fortunate to have called her a friend. Judi, you are tenured in our memories. —MICHAEL D. AITKEN AND RICHARD M. KAMENS, UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA, CHAPEL HILL
Deca in humans The world’s most widely used polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardant, Deca, may be entering people’s bodies through a different route than other PBDE flame retardants, according to a report released in late September by Northwest Environment Watch, a nonprofit group. The report presents analyses conducted by the California EPA’s Hazardous Materials Laboratory of breast milk from women living in the Pacific Northwest sections of North America. BDE-209, a brominated compound in the Deca flame retardant formulation—the only PBDE formulation that will be used in the United States and Europe after 2005—was found in 24 of the 40 tested samples. The report’s authors speculate that “it is possible that some of the lower-brominated PBDE congeners detected in this study originated as [Deca-BDE],” hinting that the Deca is being broken down by the environment or by the body.
DECEMBER 1, 2004 / ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY ■ 451A
