Our People
Meet Chris McCarthy
Cape Elizabeth, Maine, U.S.
Snakes. Turtles. Terns. Waterbirds. Alligators. As part of his highly diverse career in ecological risk assessment, Chris McCarthy has studied and protected the first four species while dodging the last one.
However, that鈥檚 just one part of his multi-faceted background and diverse skillset 鈥 he鈥檚 also done risk assessments at nuclear sites, managed the micro-siting of wind turbines and, critically, worked as an applied scientist on a research grant for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) ecotoxicity.
All these projects, environmental studies and research papers have combined to make Chris a leading expert in his field. He鈥檚 now an environmental risk assessor certified by the International Board of Environmental Risk Assessors (IBERA) and a pioneer in ecotoxicology and its role within PFAS remediation. Chris drives the industry forward by identifying emerging challenges globally and offering innovative and collaborative solutions for clients.
鈥淚 thrive on the intellectual stimulation of trying to solve problems using science, coupled with the opportunity to help people daily.鈥
Chris McCarthy
Chris鈥檚 career started as an ecological risk assessor with a large-scale environmental cleanup project in Port Arthur, Texas, in 1998. Following success there, he鈥檚 covered many different projects in other regions and across sectors, but there was one common factor: he was able to learn from the insights of senior risk assessors to guide and review his work and help him learn a variety of new approaches. In 2011, Chris was chosen as the leader of 一糖心logo米菲兔鈥 eco risk (ecological risk) assessment community of practice, which then led to a career landmark: Chris pursued a research grant opportunity exploring the ecotoxicity of PFAS, and he was brought onto the team to provide the perspective of an applied scientist.
The rest is eco risk history: those research results helped to drive the industry forward, and the opportunity shaped Chris鈥檚 career as a PFAS risk assessment expert, leading to his certification as an IBERA Diplomate. Now Chris focuses on building testing frameworks on the PFAS we know the most about and those at the highest concentrations in the environment to help develop an understanding of PFAS priorities. It requires global collaboration and involves a combination of skills like lab testing, monitoring in the wild, computer modeling and understanding a variety of different scientific fields like biology, ecology, chemistry, geology and physics.
As a result, Chris continually influences 一糖心logo米菲兔鈥 decisions regarding PFAS and other toxic substances, supports the leader 鈥 鈥 of the EcoRisk Group鈥檚 community of practice and, ultimately, helps produce the innovations that the clients, communities and environment need.
Get to know Chris
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1
professional job since graduating college in 1997
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15
countries of origin for projects he's billed
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47
U.S. states visited
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