SECOR
DAVID A. JEFFREY, Ph.D.
Senior Risk Assessment Scientist
Ph.D.
B.S.
Organic Chemistry, 1985
University of California, Berkeley
Chemistry, 1979
State University of New York, Buffalo
Dr. Jeffrey has over 10 years of professional experience as a risk assessment consultant. Additionally, he has
10 years of experience in the chemical sciences. Dr. Jeffrey is an environmental organic chemist, with
expertise in fate and transport modeling, risk assessment (human health, including radionuclides), life cycle
assessment (LCA), and litigation support (including expert witness). His fate and transport experience
includes approximately 120 projects involving modeling chemical vapor emissions from soil and groundwater,
fugitive dust emissions during ambient or construction site conditions; intrusion of chemical vapors into indoor
environments; and plant uptake of chemicals. Litigation support experience includes expert trial testimony. Dr.
Jeffrey has managed and performed numerous human health risk assessments, ranging from screening-level
evaluations to complex, multi-pathway/receptor/scenario sites. Regulatory environments have included the
State of California (DTSC, CAPCOA, various Regional Water Quality Control Boards), U.S.EPA Regions 9
and 10, EPA CERCLA/Superfund and RCRA. Dr. Jeffrey also has significant experience managing and
conducting site risk assessments under the various RBCA protocols for sites containing petroleum-derived
contaminants, including ASTM and TNRCC. He has published and presented on numerous technical topics in
a variety of formats. Special interests include MTBE, the risk assessment consequences of variability in
chemical property determinations, and quantitative structure-reactivity/mobility/toxicity. Dr. Jeffrey is also
knowledgeable in the area of cost recovery from commercial liability insurers for pollution insurance policies.
Previous professional activities included extensive research laboratory experience, including familiarity with
instrumental analysis (GC, GC-MS, IR, UV and NMR). Other previous experience includes predictive
computer modeling and information retrieval software. Dr. Jeffrey’s selected project experience is presented
below.
Project Experience
Risk Assessment/Toxicology
 Performed a risk assessment for a release of home heating oil at a residence in Washington State under
USEPA Region 10 and Washington Department of Ecology guidelines for TPH-impacted sites. This
assessment included the development of a fate and transport modeling approach for the evaluation of the
volatile fraction of home heating oil, and the potential intrusion of chemical vapors into a basement.
 Major contributor to a $180,000 risk assessment of the Alaska-Juneau mine in Juneau, Alaska, performed
under USEPA Region 10 and Alaska Department of Environmental Quality guidelines. The assessment
considered human and ecological exposure to metals and organic chemicals leached from the mine under
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storm runoff conditions, potentially impacting a nearby creek (recreational and subsistence exposure
scenarios) which recharges groundwater used by the City of Juneau as a drinking water supply.
 Performed a tiered “RBCA” risk assessment for an active service station-minimart located in Beaverton,
Oregon, under USEPA Region 10 and Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. The assessment
considered both soil and groundwater contamination by BTEX, and offsite migration of a BTEX
groundwater plume to potentially impact a restaurant via groundwater volatilization and indoor air vapor
intrusion.
 Major contributor to technical approach for Baseline Risk Assessment (BRA) and data collection (RI) for a
large refinery site in Illinois; the site is a strong candidate for USEPA Superfund/NPL listing. The site
includes approximately 40 SWMUs, now under CERCLA oversight, a significant ecological component
(nearby wetlands), and a potentially threatened residential community.
 Developed technical fate and transport modeling approaches for three USEPA Superfund sites: 1) Hunters
Point Naval Shipyard (U.S. Navy: San Francisco, California), 2) Fort Ord (U.S. Army: Monterey,
California), and the Lowry Landfill (Denver, Colorado). These approaches involved multipathway
exposure scenarios, dust generation, volatile emissions, and plant root uptake of soil chemicals.
 Worked for several months for the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE) as part of a national, multiconsultant project team focusing on risks to human health and the environment from contaminants (mostly
radioactive) at the Hanford site in Washington State. Synthesized information from various risk-related
documents and reports to ultimately support congressional testimony on findings and recommendations for
remediation activities at Hanford. Evaluated technical methods for assessing health impacts from
exposures to cesium, strontium, tritium, and uranium.
 Evaluated the significance of volatilization of commonly used pesticides following spray application to
agricultural fields, using Jury’s Behavior Assessment Model for the U.S. EPA, Office of Policy Planning
and Evaluation, Washington, D.C.
 Managed a project researching the status of Life Cycle Assessment in the U.S. for the Japanese
government. The project involved an extensive literature search, using sophisticated, on-line databases and
the internet, careful review, analysis, and summary of relevant materials obtained from the literature
search, and a comprehensive report on SECOR’s findings, presented to the client.
 Prepared color graphics for site closure report illustrating trends in groundwater monitoring well chemical
concentrations for a site that was the subject of a risk-based corrective action (RBCA) analysis, also
performed by D. Jeffrey. The lead oversight regulatory agency, the Regional Water Quality Control Board
(RWQCB) - San Francisco Bay Region, plans to use these graphics as instructional materials in RBCA
courses offered nationally.
 Developed conceptual site models (CSMs) under RCRA for a large, active petrochemical refinery located
in Ponca City, Oklahoma. The refinery contained numerous solid waste management units (SWMUs).
CSMs were developed separately for each SWMU and considered both potential human and ecological
exposures to site-related chemicals. Prior to CSM development, detected concentrations of metals were
screened against a dataset representing refinery background concentrations. This background screen
allowed for the elimination of several metals from the Corrective Measures Study (CMS) process.
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 Developed risk-based action levels (RBALs) under RCRA for a Ponca City, Oklahoma refinery. The
RBALs were estimated based on an extensive exposure pathway analysis that was performed during the
development of CSMs for SWMUs at the refinery. These RBALs were computed to account for multiple
chemical exposures, for both carcinogens and non-carcinogens. A target organ approach was used to
account for multiple exposure to noncarcinogens. Intake assumptions used to estimate RBALs were
obtained from the recent USEPA Exposure Factors Handbook (1996).
 Acceptable, risk-based target groundwater concentrations of vinyl chloride at a landfill were computed.
These target concentrations were computed based on the assumed migration of vinyl chloride to a nearby,
downgradient creek which is hydraulically connected to the shallow aquifer underlying the landfill. Two
intermittent recreator exposure scenarios were developed to allow the estimation of risk-based landfill
groundwater concentrations at the point of compliance (POC) imposed by the regulatory agency
(California RWQCB): 1) volatilization of vinyl chloride from surface water at the groundwater-creek
recharge point and subsequent inhalation of chemical vapors by a fishing receptor, and 2) dermal contact,
incidental ingestion of surface water, and inhalation of chemical vapors by a swimmer receptor. A creek
dilution factor (CDF) was conservatively estimated to account for the expected attenuation of vinyl
chloride concentrations due to migration from the POC to the creek recharge point. This factor was
estimated based on aquifer and creek parameters (e.g., flow rates, cross-sectional areas), and on the
estimated volume of the vinyl chloride plume. Additionally, a creek volatilization factor (CVF) was
computed to account for the expected attenuation in chemical concentrations due to volatilization from
surface water and outdoor air dispersion. The CVF was estimated using surface water volatilization and
outdoor air dispersion models. A quantitative uncertainty analysis was also performed, which examined the
variability in some of the CDF and CVF parameter values. The resulting target POC concentration(s)
was(were) found to be significantly higher than the initial recommended regulatory threshold of 5
micrograms per liter (g/L). This evaluation was used by the client to negotiate a less restrictive POC
concentration for future site management and monitoring activities.
 Developed a novel analysis of the physical (short-term) risks associated with the proposed remediation of a
hazardous chromium waste site in New Jersey. Results of the analysis indicated that the physical risks
associated with the excavation and long-distance transport of large volumes of contaminated soil far
outweighed the chemical hazard posed by the presence of the soil contaminants, and that remediation
would be inappropriate.
 Served as Task Manager for performing a risk assessment involving both potential human and ecological
exposure via complex exposure pathways, including human ingestion of beef cattle grazing on plants
subject to uptake of chemicals via off-site deposition of wind-blown dusts, and predatory (hawks)
consumption of woodrats who feed on plants subject to deposition. Included metals (lead), PAHs, and
some volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as contaminants of concern. Estimated risks from exposure to
lead using the EPA’s UBK-model for children, and the DTSC’s LEAD spread model for adults.
 Managed and performed numerous RBCA risk assessments under ASTM, California, and Texas (TNRCC)
protocols.
 Developed quantitative structure-property relationship for alkylbenzenes, and used results to estimate
chemical properties for a chemical used in the detergent industry, dodecylbenzene (DDB). Utilized DDB
properties as SESOIL inputs to show no impact to aquifer from DDB in soil.
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 Served as Task Manager and contributing author of a multipathway baseline risk assessment for a National
Priorities List (NPL) site at Fort Ord, California. Included PAHs, metals (lead), and pesticides as
contaminants.
 Evaluated the post-deposition removal of particles containing naturally occurring radionuclides emitted
from coal-fired power plants using Cowherd’s wind erosion model and the Universal Soil Loss Equation.
 Developed a technical approach for, and managed, project involving quantitative characterization of
emissions from the open burning of waste solvents containing chemicals used in the manufacture of
explosives, under California AB 2588. Work product used by client as part of TEIR.
 Conducted AB 2588 risk assessments for several Southern California sites. Responsible for coordination
and organization of tasks with air modeling team, interpretation of results, developing alternative risk
assessments using exposure parameters other than those required by CAPCOA, and writing the final
reports.
 Developed modeling approaches for several assessments involving the estimation of risks due to the
presence of chemicals in soils during remediation or construction/development (dust generation), including
an evaluation of the volatilization potential of DDT, DDE, and DDD.
 Supervised junior staff in the performance of complex exposure assessment modeling involving both vapor
and dust generation.
 Developed site-specific, risk-based concentrations for chemicals remaining in soil and groundwater at a
former nitrogen fertilizer facility in Southern California for future soil removal workers (construction
workers) and future on-site residents living in homes built on concrete slab-on-grade foundations.
Extensive soil volatilization modeling was performed for ammonia, using a modification of a sophisticated
leaching model (VLEACH), and incorporating mass balance (finite-source modeling) and the effect of a
(partially) clean fill layer. Modeling was also conducted to estimate the effects of dusts generated during
soil removal activities for nitrite and nitrate.
 Managed and performed a $40,000 fate and transport modeling component for multipathway risk
assessment involving VOC fumigants, pesticides, herbicides, and metals in site soil.
 Helped develop structure and protocol of an electronic database containing fate and transport data.
 Successfully managed a risk assessment involving dermal and ingestion exposure to PCBs in soil for
workers involved with construction at the site.
 Performed all tasks related to the development of a multi-pathway risk assessment that included an
appraisal of both human health and ecological hazards posed by pesticides, PCBs, and metals in soil at
Fort Ord, California.
 Developed a quantitative approach for applying fate and transport considerations in an ecological risk
assessment to aid in the identification of chemicals of concern.
 Developed simple screening models for the evaluation of vapor emissions from contaminated groundwater
used for irrigation or as a wetting agent during soil bioremediation.
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 Played a major role in preparation of risk assessments of four neighboring sites located in a complex urban
area. Addressed determination of potential health hazards due to lead exposures during development of
sites into low-income housing units.
 Helped develop a Maximum Credible Accident (MCA) exposure scenario for the storage of waste fuel
components, as well as the responses to public comment regarding the operation of a new (proposed)
Northern California hazardous waste incinerator facility.
Litigation Support
 Provided expert trial testimony in successful defense of client charged with endangering waters of the State
of California. Testimony included the chemistry and fate of chromium; in particular, the trivalent and
hexavalent forms and their behavior in the environment were described.
 Provided litigation support for defense counsel in highly publicized cases involving chromium exposures
in New Jersey. Specifically, the inhalation carcinogenity of the hexavalent form of chromium was a major
issue. Litigation support services included identification of potential experts (including screening of
candidates), and briefings on scientific and technical issues anticipated during the case.
 Served as an expert witness for a national law firm in a California Proposition 65 case involving air
emissions of ethylene oxide from the client’s hospital sterilization facility. Provided defense counsel with
information and opinions on the environmental fate and persistence of ETO in air, successfully refuting the
State’s claim of a 200 per day air lifetime.
Professional Memberships
American Chemical Society (ACS)
American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)
Association of Harvard Chemistry Society for Risk Analysis
Society of Environmental Toxicologists and Chemists
Professional Certifications and Registrations
40-Hour OSHA Health & Safety Certification (29 CFR 1910.120), 1991
8-Hour OSHA Health & Safety Annual Update Certification, 1996
Professional Training and Continued Education Courses
Post-doctoral studies, Synthetic Organic Chemistry, Stanford University, Department of Chemistry
Post-doctoral studies, Synthetic Organic Chemistry, University of California/San Francisco, Department of
Pharmaceutical Chemistry
Graduate studies, Organic Chemistry, Harvard University
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Attended workshop on MTBE: A New LUFT Challenge, Santa Clara Valley Water District, San Jose,
California, April 25, 1997
Attended workshop on MTBE: Fate and Transport and Remediation, Association for the Environmental
Health of Soils (AEHS), Oxnard, California, March 10, 1997
Completed 1-day short course in Environmental Fate and Transport Modeling, Northern California Chapter of
the Society of Environmental Toxicologists and Chemists (NorCal SETAC), Sacramento, California,
September 1996
Completed 1-day intensive short course in Effective Use of the Internet for Professionals in Hazardous Waste
and Air Quality Management, University of California/Davis Extension, Sacramento, California, July
27, 1996
Completed 1-day intensive short course on Business Writing Basics for Professionals, SkillPath Seminars, San
Francisco, California, March 12, 1996
Regular participant in meetings of the Gateway Club (Toastmasters: training in public speaking and
presentation), Albany, California, 1995
Completed 1-day intensive short course on ecological risk assessment, University of California/Santa Cruz,
July 14, 1995
Publications and Presentations
Major contributing author to a major environmental sciences handbook to be published in 2000 by McGrawHill, ed. J. Lehr. As of June, 1999. Contributing sections focused on the environmental fate of important
chemical classes.
Gave platform presentation on “MTBE; The Problem...and Potential Solutions” in Concord, California for the
Northern California Regional Chapter of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (NorCal
SETAC)’s annual meeting, April 26, 1999.
Co-instructor (organic) in half-day intensive short course in “Environmental Organic and Inorganic Chemistry:
The Nature and Fate of Important Site Contaminants”, presented at the Northern California Regional Chapter
of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (NorCal SETAC)’s Annual Meeting, April 25,
1999.
Gave platform presentation on “Chemical Property Variability, Quantitative Uncertainty Analysis, and
Consequences in Risk Assessment”, presented at the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM)
Committee E-47 (Biological Effects and Environmental Fate) Annual Meeting, Seattle, Washington, April
21, 1999.
Gave 11/2-hour presentation on the chemistry, properties, regulatory aspects, and risk assessment of MTBE for
ARCO Products Company, Las Palmas, California, January 5, 1999.
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Co-instructor (organic) in full day intensive short course in “Environmental Organic and Inorganic
Chemistry: The Nature and Fate of Important Site Contaminants”, presented at the national meeting of the
Society of Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology (SETAC), Charlotte, North Carolina, November,
1998.
Gave platform presentation on “The Human Health Risk Assessment of Oil Spills in the Turkish Straits” in
Istanbul, Turkey, for an international conference on Oil Spills in the Mediterranean and Black Sea
Regions, organized by the Institute of Environmental Sciences, Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey and
The School of Engineering, University of Manchester, UK, September 17, 1998.
“The Human Health Risk Assessment of Oil Spills in the Turkish Straits”, pre-publication proceedings for
presentations at an international conference on Oil Spills in the Mediterranean and Black Sea Regions,
organized by the Institute of Environmental Sciences, Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey and The
School of Engineering, University of Manchester, UK Istanbul, Turkey, September 15-18, 1998.
Gave platform presentation on “Chemical Property Variability and Consequences in Risk Assessment” in
Reno, Nevada, for the Northern California Regional Chapter of the Society of Environmental Toxicology
and Chemistry (NorCal SETAC), June 22, 1998.
Environmental Organic and Inorganic Chemistry - The Nature and Fate of Common Environmental
Contaminants. A short course presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Environmental Toxicologists
and Chemists (SETAC), San Francisco, California, November 1997 (with others).
Risk-Based Corrective Action Case Study. Presented at UST meeting of the Environmental Law Education
Center, Portland, Oregon, October 1997 (with others).
Environmental Chemistry of MTBE. Presented at meeting sponsored by the Western States Petroleum
Association (WSPA), the Oxygenated Fuels Association (OFA), and the Association of California Water
Agencies: MTBE: A Workshop to Explore Needs for Drinking Water Treatment and Research, Sacramento,
California, September 1997.
The Consequences of Chemical Property Variability in Risk Assessment via Quantitative Uncertainty Analysis.
Presented at the annual meeting of the Northern California chapter of the Society of Environmental
Toxicologists and Chemists (NorCal SETAC), San Francisco, California, June 1997.
Preferred Environmental Compartmentalization of MTBE. Presented at MTBE workshop (AMTBE: A New
Luft Challenge), Santa Clara Valley Water District, San Jose, April 1997.
Preferred Environmental Compartmentalization of MTBE. Presented at annual meeting of the American
Chemical Society (ACS), Division of Environmental Chemistry and Division of Fuel Chemistry, San
Francisco, California, April 1997.
Chemical Property Variability, Quantitative Uncertainty Analysis, and Consequences in Risk Assessment.
Presented at annual West Coast meeting of the Association for the Environmental Health of Soils (AEHS),
Oxnard, California, March 1997.
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An Evaluation of Available Soil Volatilization Models. Presented at annual meeting of Northern California
Chapter of the Society of Environmental Toxicologists and Chemists (NorCal SETAC), Sacramento,
California, August 1996.
Applications of Toxicology and Risk Assessment in Montrose-Type Contaminated Property Liability Claims.
Presented at monthly meeting of the Mount Diablo Property Association, Pleasant Hill, California, March
1996.
The Montrose Decisions and Pollution Insurance Coverage: Role of the Environmental Expert. Article in
monthly newsletters of the Mount Diablo Property Association (January 1996), and the Blue Goose
Association, February 1996.
Chemical Ranking and Scoring: Guidelines for Relative Assessment of Chemicals, Proceedings of the Pellston
Workshop on Chemical Ranking and Scoring; February 12-16, 1995; Sandestin, Florida. 1997 (with others).
Methodological Issues in Radionuclide Risk Assessment for Coal-Fired Power Plants. Presented at EPRI/DOE
International Conference on Managing Hazardous and Particulate Air Pollutants, Toronto, Ontario, August 15,
1995 (with others).
Applications of Fate and Transport in Risk Assessment. Presented at ICF Kaiser Engineers, Oakland,
California, January 1995.
Chemical Property Uncertainties in Quantitative Risk Assessments. Article in quarterly newsletter of the
Northern California Chapter of the Society of Environmental Toxicologists and Chemists (NorCal SETAC),
Fall 1994.
Development of a Fate and Transport Ranking Scheme for Applications in Ecological Risk Assessment.
Presented to annual conference of NorCal SETAC, Sacramento, California, May 1993.
Development of a Fate and Transport Ranking Scheme for Applications in Ecological Risk Assessment. Poster
presented at annual conference of the Society of Environmental Toxicologists and Chemists (SETAC),
Cincinnati, Ohio, November 1992.
Mathematical Models Used for Estimating Exposure Point Concentrations For Risk Assessment. Presented at
Harding Lawson Associates, Novato, California, September 1992.
Chemical Risks During Remediation; Development of Dust and Vapor Modeling Approaches. Presented at
Harding Lawson Associates, Novato, California, March 1992.
The Potential Inhalation Hazard Posed by Dioxin-Contaminated Soil. Published by Chemosphere, 1990 (with
others).
Computerized Chemical Databases: State-of-the-art Information Retrieval Systems. Presented at various
universities, 1989.
The New CHIRAS Database. Poster presented at the Gordon Research Conference on Stereochemistry, July
1988.
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Studies of DNA-active Agents: The Synthesis of the Parent Carbocylic Subunit of Neocarzinostatin
Chromophore. Published by Tet. Lett., Vol. 29, 1988 (with others).
Synthesis of Derivatives of the Novel Tricyclo(4.4.2.01.5)dodecane Skeleton. Published by the Journal of
Organic Chemistry, Vol. 51, 1986 (with others).
Orthogonene. Published by Tetrahedron, Vol. 40, 1984 (with W. F. Maier).
Gamma-alkylation of alpha, beta-Unsaturated Ketones. Gamma-arylsulfonyl Groups as Regioselective Control
Elements. Published by Journal of the American Chemical Society, Vol. 102, 1980 (with others).
Committee Participation
Invited member of Steering Committee for the 2nd International Conference on Oil Spills in the Mediterranean
and Black Sea Regions: Impact, Contingency Planning, Response, Technology for Containment and Recovery.
To be held in Istanbul, Turkey, 31st October - 3rd November 2000.
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