Derek Drechsel, PhD, DABT, CIH

Dr. Drechsel is a board-certified toxicology (DABT) and certified industrial hygienist (CIH) with more than fifteen years of experience in applied toxicology, industrial hygiene, product safety, and human health risk assessment. Dr. Drechsel’s areas of expertise include evaluating chemical exposures in occupational, environmental, and consumer products settings to address issues of general and specific causation as an expert in a variety of toxic tort matters. He is involved in food and consumer product safety evaluations through proactive scientific support to assess potential health risks and regulatory compliance, as well as assisting in crisis management and product recall decisions. He also leads teams in responding to industrial accidents and chemical releases to support investigative, control, and remediation efforts, and engages in scientific communication with technical and non-technical audiences.

• General and Specific Causation Assessments: Provided expert litigation support regarding potential adverse health effects associated with occupational and consumer product exposures to substances, including asbestos, benzene, ethylene oxide, pesticides, silica, and talc. Developed opinions based upon dose reconstruction and integration of available scientific evidence, including mechanistic, animal toxicity, and epidemiological data.
• Formaldehyde in Textiles: Planned and executed simulation study to evaluate consumer exposures from off-gassing of formaldehyde in bed linens. Evaluated potential human health risk in accordance with United States Environmental Protection Agency risk assessment guidance.
• Hair Conditioner Safety Evaluation: Performed a comprehensive evaluation of personal hair care products following consumer complaints. Conducted in silico and in vitro toxicology evaluations of constituent ingredients and formulated products for hair loss, skin irritation, and sensitization. Conducted health risk assessment to preservative, botanical, and fragrance ingredients based on expected consumer use. Published findings in a series of peer-reviewed manuscripts and prepared responses to regulatory agencies.
• California Proposition 65: Provided scientific guidance for compliance with warning requirements under California’s Proposition 65 (Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986) regulations. Reviewed ingredients and manufacturing processes to identify chemicals of concern, derived Safe Harbor Levels for chemicals lacking such information, and performed exposure assessments related to heavy metals (e.g., lead, cadmium, arsenic), formaldehyde, phthalates, diethanolamine (DEA), and methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK), among other chemicals.
• Industrial Hygiene Investigation, Indiana: Performed investigation of metal sintering facility following odor- and health-related complaints. Identified chemicals of concern and implemented industrial controls and informative training to modify human behaviors to reduce worker exposures.
• Mercury Spill, Las Vegas, Nevada: Managed emergency response effort of elemental mercury spill impacting multiple parcel sorting facilities in the southwestern US. Designed air monitoring plans during initial investigation, remediation, and clearance sampling using real-time and analytical methods.

• Kevin R. Sinyard and Starla M. Sinyard v. Honeywell, Inc. Superior Court of Fulton County, Georgia. Case. No. 2016CV273202. Expert Report, Deposition September 5, 2023.

• Thomas Iglesias, et al. v. For Life Products, LLC. District Court of the Northern District of California. Case No. 21-CV-01147-TSH. Expert Rebuttal Report, Deposition February 29, 2024.

• Mark James Sorum and Barbara Sorum v. Puig USA, Inc. and Puig North America, Inc. Superior Court of Alameda County, California. Case No. 23CV0312023. Expert Report, Deposition August 2, 2024.

• Charles Michael Andry v. Flowserve Corporation f/k/a Duriron Company, Inc.; G. Denver and Co.; and BW/IP, Inc. Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans, Louisiana. Case No. 2023 -12708. Expert Report, Deposition November 20, 2024.

• Bernadette A. Bezanilla and Leopoldo G. Bezanilla v. Puig USA, Inc. and Block Drug Company, Inc. Circuit Court of the 17th Judicial District in Broward County, Florida. Case No. CACE-23-003072. Expert Report, Deposition June 24, 2025.

• Drechsel, D.A., C.A. Barlow, J.L. Bare, N.F. Jacobs, and J.L. Henshaw. 2018. Historical evolution of regulatory standards for occupational and consumer exposures to industrial talc. Reg Tox Pharm 91: 251-267.

• Gaffney, S.H., M. Grespin, L. Garnick, D.A. Drechsel, R. Hazan, D.J. Paustenbach, and B.D. Simmons. 2017. Anthophyllite asbestos: state of the science review. J Appli Tox 37(1): 38-49.

• Monnot, A.D., K.M. Towle, E.S. Fung, R.M. Novick, D.J. Paustenbach, and D.A. Drechsel. 2019. A skin sensitization induction risk assessment of common ingredients present in commercially available cleansing conditioners. Dermatitis. 30(2): 116-128.

• Drechsel, D.A., K.M. Towle, E. Fung., R.M. Novick., D.J. Paustenbach, A.D. Monnot. 2018. Evaluation of skin sensitization induction potential from daily exposure to fragrances in personal care products. Dermatitis 29(6): 324-331.

• Fung, E.S., D.A. Drechsel, K.M. Towle, R.M. Novick, D.J. Paustenbach, and A.D. Monnot. 2018. Tier-based skin irritation testing of hair cleansing conditioners and their constituents. Cutaneous and Ocular Toxicology 26: 1-4.

• Fung, E.S., D.A. Drechsel, K.M. Towle, M.T. Hoang, R.M. Novick, C. Poteete, D.J. Paustenbach, and A.D. Monnot. 2018. Screening-level safety assessment of personal care product constituents using publicly available data. Cosmetics. 5(2):38.

• Drechsel, D.A., A.G. Estevez, L. Barbeito and J.S. Beckman. 2012. Nitric oxide-mediated oxidative damage and the progressive demise of motor neurons in ALS. Neurotox Res 22(4): 251-264.

• Drechsel, D.A. and M. Patel. 2010. Respiration-dependent hydrogen peroxide removal in brain mitochondria via the thioredoxin/peroxiredoxin system. J Biol Chem 285(36): 27850-27858.

• Drechsel, D.A. and M. Patel. 2008. Role of reactive oxygen species in the neurotoxicity of environmental agents implicated in Parkinson’s disease. Free Radic Biol Med 44(11): 1873-86.