Headshot of James Meador, an older white man with gray hair

James Meador, PhD, MS

Affiliate Professor
Email: meadorjp@uw.edu
Expertise: Clean Water, Sustainable Communities, Chemical hazards, Environmental Health, Pollution, Toxicology

About

Dr. James Meador is an environmental toxicologist with NOAA Fisheries in Seattle. He earned a PhD in aquatic toxicology from the University of Washington and has more than 30 years' experience in the field. Jim's research interests include exposure assessment and characterization of toxic effects for metals, PAHs, tributyltin, PCBs and contaminants of emerging concern. Currently, his research is focused on metabolic disruption and using tissue residues as the dose metric for toxicity assessment.

He has worked on research with DEOHS faculty & supported graduate students.

 

Education

  • PhD, University of Washington
  • MS, San Diego State University

Affiliations

NOAA

Mentorship

Not available to mentor new students .

Research

Research Interests:

Aquatic toxicology, exposure assessment, metabolic disruptors, tissue-residue toxicity, contaminants of emerging concern, PAHs, metals, organotins, PCBs.

Projects:

Co-PI on grant "Integrated Biomonitoring for Emerging Contaminants". Studies in Puget Sound, WA to assess physiological and genomic responses to pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and other chemicals of emerging concern. Funded by the WA Dept. of Ecology. 2013-2015.

International partner on a grant to study the effects of PAHs on polar cod. Jasmine Nahrgang, Principal Investigator. University of Tromsø, Norway. 2012 – 2015.

On-going studies of metabolic disruptors in fish.
Using the tissue residue approach for toxicity assessment to delineate environmental quality standards.

Research gate

Publications

SEE PUBLICATIONS LIST

Engagement

Teaching practices

His teaching interests include aquatic toxicology, ecotoxicology, toxic exposure assessment, & responses by aquatic organisms to toxicants.

Media Mentions

These salmon got high on cocaine. That wasn’t the craziest part.
April 20, 2026 | The New York Times | Featured: James Meador | View
WDFW Study Shows Juvenile Chinook Salmon Face Cocktail Of Chemicals In Urban Waters, Dozens Of Contaminants Found In Fish
November 18, 2025 | Columbia Basin Bulletin | Featured: James Meador | View