Editorial Board Member

Per Ola Darnerud achieved his PhD degree in 1985 at the Dept of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology, Veterinary Medical Faculty, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden. The dissertation focussed on the distribution and metabolism of chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and chlorinated paraffins (CPs) in experimental models. In 1991, he obtained the degree of Associate Professor (Docent) in Toxicology at Dept. of Pharmaceutical Toxicology, Uppsala University. In 1992, Darnerud started a position as Toxicologist at the National Food Administration in Uppsala, a position that he kept till his retirement in 2019. Darnerud has supervised two students leading to their licentiate/doctoral titles, in addition to many supervision activities on basal university student level. A general theme in Darnerud’s scientific work has been studies on environmental pollutants. Apart from PCBs, CPs, DDTs, and other chlorinated pollutants, also the brominated compounds soon became of interest. In experimental studies, the distribution, metabolism, and low-dose effects (especially on thyroid hormones) of these halogenated aromatic and aliphatic compounds (POPs) were tested. Later, Darnerud came to focus more on the POP situation in humans, and chiefly serum and breast milk samples were analysed with the aim at assessing possible health effects related to the monitored body burdens. Also, risk-based intake estimation of POPs in food has been an important task. Darnerud has participated in several national as well as international expert groups with POP focus, e.g. the 4th Round of the WHO coordinated survey of POPs in human milk, the EU projects DEMO-COPHES and TDS-EXPOSURE, and has had leading position in Swedish Market Basket projects from 1999 and on. He has published over 100 original publications in international journals with referee system, of which some reviews on PBDEs have been frequently cited (Darnerud et al., Environ. Health Perspect., Suppl.1, 109 (2001), 49-68; Darnerud, Environ. Int. 29 (2003), 841-853).

Persistent organic pollutants, Exposure assessment, Human biomonitoring, Nitrate/nitrite in food, Food intake and risk assessment, Low dose effects in animal models