Past Seminars

Wednesday, May 14, 2025

Biomonitoring: Chemicals in People

Presented by: Jessica Nelson, PhD, MPH and Carin Huset, PhD

Biomonitoring measures levels of chemicals in Minnesotans and whether chemical exposures differ between groups and over time.

Healthy Kids Minnesota – This program uses biomonitoring to measure chemicals in preschool-age kids across the state. Results help inform families, address community concerns, and promote policies that reduce childhood exposures.

Urine Mercury Testing – This key public health tool identifies exposure to the type of mercury commonly found in skin-lightening products. Identifying these exposures allows MDH to support people and families exposed to this kind of mercury and work with them to reduce their exposure.

Wednesday, February 12, 2025 

Phthalates: Environmental Impacts and Human Health Effects

Presented by: 
Dr. Lauren Benning

Join us for a presentation - "Phthalates: Environmental Impacts and Human Health Effects". Dr. Benning will discuss the ongoing problem of phthalates in plastic production, including human and environmental health impacts. She will also review contemporary research in context of changing regulations in the United States and internationally. In particular, she will address the current bill in Minnesota to reduce phthalates use relative to its broader implications.

Wednesday, November 6, 2024 

Diamonds Aren't Forever: The Diamond Shruumz Debacle

Presented by: 
Drs. Chakraborty, Strand, Hoffmann and Bleifuss who are all first- and second-year fellows with the HealthPartners Medical Toxicology Fellowship Program

Join us for a summary of current events and the recall surrounding the "Diamond Shruumz" products. Topics covered include background and news/media on the product, implicated substances, case reports of patient poisonings and an overview of the response and recall of "Diamond Shruumz" products at the federal level.

Wednesday, May 8, 2024 

Public Health Science and Communication Around Freshwater Fish Consumption: Toxicants and Trade-offs 

Presented by: 
Sarah Fossen Johnson, PhD and Angela L.H. Preimesberger, MS

Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has been providing Fish Consumption Guidance to people since the 1970s. Minnesota fish provide important sources of food and represent cultural traditions for many communities. MDH Fish Consumption Guidance strives to balance the many health benefits of eating freshwater caught and store-bought fish with the presence of environmental contaminants. For years, research on the benefits and risks of fish consumption focused on the science of mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The safe-eating guidelines help people limit their exposure to these contaminants while continuing to eat fish for the health, recreational, and cultural benefits. In the last 20 years, another contaminant found in fish has become a concern: perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). PFOS is a type of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS). We will discuss the unique challenges PFAS pose to providing safe-eating guidelines for Minnesotans. 

Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024 

Microplastics in the Environment: Overview and Implications for Human Health 

Presented by: 
Zeke J. McKinney, MD, MHI, MPH, FACOEM (he/him) Program Director, HealthPartners Occupational and Environmental Medicine Residency Affiliate Assistant Professor, University of Minnesota School of Public Health Research Investigator, HealthPartners Institute

An introduction to the ongoing and increasing environmental issue of microplastics, including distribution in the ecosystem, routes of human exposure, human health effects, synergistic exposures with other compounds, the state of the science, and future/developing areas of research.

Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023 

Methemoglobin and nitrite exposures in Minnesota, past and present 

Presented by: 
Regions Hospital Emergency Medicine Residency Medical Toxicology Fellows

Methemoglobinemia has long been seen in Minnesota, either due to medically prescribed xenobiotic exposures or due to environmental exposures. The face of this disease process is changing. Through our clinical practices and through the Minnesota Regional Poison Center, we are starting to see increasing numbers of acute severe methemoglobinemia cases (owing to intentional ingestion rather than environmental exposure). The fellows will look at this evolution and discuss the different causes of this disease and the time courses of methemoglobinemia.

The term “xenobiotics” describes the chemical, synthetic, or maybe naturally occurring compounds affecting the normal metabolism of a living organism. Methemoglobinemia is also known as blue baby syndrome because bottle-fed babies under six months old are at the highest risk of getting methemoglobinemia from exposure to nitrates in drinking water. Methemoglobinemia can cause skin to turn a bluish color and can result in serious illness or death. Other symptoms connected to methemoglobinemia include decreased blood pressure, increased heart rate, headaches, stomach cramps, and vomiting.

Wednesday, May 10, 2023 

Natural Gas Emissions in US Residences: Effects on Indoor Air Quality, Ramifications for Human Health, and Transitioning to a New Energy Paradigm

Presented by: 
Berenji, MD, MPH, QME, FACOEM, FACPM

Join us for a review of the evolution of natural gas as the fuel of choice for US residences over past 50 years and identification of gas combustion products that contribute to health impacts. Understand how to diagnose and treat patients with suspected indoor gas exposures and discuss short-term solutions to reduce indoor gas exposures. A discussion of proposals for long-term solutions to eliminate such exposures is also a part of this presentation.

Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2022 

Toxic Mushroom Exposures: Minnesota and National Trends and Therapeutic Challenges 

Presented by: 
Ryan Fuchs, MD

Join us for a discussion of the mechanisms of toxicity of mushroom exposures, a review of therapeutic approaches and limitations, and the basics of mushroom identification. We will also discuss trends in regional mushroom exposures reported to our regional poison center, with a highlight of potential populations at higher risk for unintentional exposure to toxic mushrooms.

Wednesday, June 8, 2022 

Lead: New Updates to a Historic Problem 

Presented by: 
Anna Jeanne Schliep, MS, Lead in Drinking Water Coordinator and Stephanie Yendell, DVM, MPH, Health Risk Intervention Unit Supervisor

Our presenters discussed the impact of new federal regulations on lead in drinking water for water systems, schools and child cares. Other topics include the impact of recent events on childhood testing and follow-up from legislative changes, the COVID pandemic, and changes to federal guidance.

Wednesday, March 3, 2022 

Proposed Mining of Copper-Nickel Sulfide-Ore in MN: Considerations for Policy and Environmental Health 

Presented by: 
Emily Onello, MD and Paula Maccabee, JD

The views expressed during this presentation are solely those of the presenters - Emily Onello, MD and Paula Maccabee, JD. They do not represent the Minnesota Regional Poison Center, the Minnesota Department of Health nor the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.