Our Team

Bill Sothern, MS, CIH, LEED APBill Sothern, DrPH, MS, CIH, LEED AP
Chief Investigator and Founder Education: Doctor of Public Health from CUNY School of Public Health MS in Environmental and Occupational Health Science from Hunter College Credentials: Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) by the American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH), LEED AP (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional) by the US Green Building Council, and Certified NYS Asbestos Inspector. Bill Sothern is a nationally recognized authority in indoor environmental health. As a Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH), Bill is a member of a small group of expert environmental professionals trained and qualified by rigorous testing through ABIH. Combining his training and extensive experience, Bill works to anticipate, recognize, evaluate and control environmental contaminants that can harm human health. His studies as a Doctoral candidate in Public Health focused on the associations between exposure to contaminants in indoor environments and respiratory disease outcomes among adults, children, and infants.
Read more . . .		 Paul Scardino, MS, CIEC, LEED APPaul Scardino, MS, CIEC, LEED AP
Senior Environmental InvestigatorEducation: MS in Chemistry, New York University Credentials: Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant (CIEC), LEED AP (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional) by the US Green Building Council, EPA Certified Lead Inspector (Risk Assessor), NYS Certified Asbestos Inspector, and NYS Mold Assessor. Prior to joining the Microecologies team in 2008, Paul Scardino was the Chief of the NYC Police Department’s crime laboratory. There, he honed his investigative skills and rigorous attention to detail at every step: from data collection to processing. Paul has put those attributes to work for our clients, who have benefited from Paul’s work in over 1,000 home and building inspections related to indoor air quality. He’s uncovered everything from formaldehyde and other chemical vapors in homes, to crystalline silica, asbestos, and lead on construction sites. Paul has also provided oversight to more than 500 remediation projects, including mold remediation and lead abatement, ensuring that contractors completely remove the health hazards.		 Chris Mikrut, MSChris Mikrut, MS
Senior Environmental InvestigatorEducation: MS from Hunter College where he was awarded the prestigious National Institute of Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) Fellowship Credentials: EPA Certified Lead Inspector (Risk Assessor), HAZWOPER (OSHA-10 and OSHA 40-hr), NYS Mold Assessor. Chris is an integral member of the Microecologies investigative team where he has conducted over 500 indoor air quality and indoor environmental inspections and where the excellence of his investigative and analytical skills have earned him the solid respect of the clients he has served. His OSHA certifications, construction knowledge, and communication abilities have made Chris a highly sought after worksite investigator. He is also called in to assess the effects of chemical leaks and spills, and to recommend next steps in chemical cleanup and mold remediation. With his HAZWOPER background and credentials, Chris was relied upon to oversee more than 200 remediation efforts.		 ArthurArthur Lau, General Manager and Sr. Environmental InvestigatorEducation:BA in Biology, Vassar CollegeCredentials:ACAC Certified Microbial Investigator, NYS DOL Certified Mold Assessor, LEED AP. Arthur has powered Team Microecologies for more than 20 years.

About the Founder

Bill Sothern, DrPH, MS, CIH, LEED APBill Sothern, DrPH, MS, CIH, LEED AP
Chief Investigator and Founder

Education: DrPH from CUNY School of Public Health; MS in Environmental and Occupational Health Science from Hunter College

Credentials: Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) by the American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH), Certified LEED AP (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional) by the US Green Building Council, and Certified NYS Asbestos Inspector.

Bill Sothern is a nationally recognized authority in indoor environmental health. As a Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH), Bill is a member of a small group of expert environmental professionals trained and qualified by rigorous testing through ABIH. Combining his training and extensive experience, Bill works to anticipate, recognize, evaluate and control environmental contaminants that can harm human health. His studies as a Doctoral candidate in Public Health focused on the associations between exposure to contaminants in indoor environments and respiratory disease outcomes among adults, children, and infants.

In 1993, Bill founded Microecologies, Inc. to provide environmental inspections and clean-up solutions for clients in the metro New York area. During the past twenty six years, he has conducted and/or supervised health-based investigations for over 5000 clients and has written scopes of work describing the remediation/engineering work necessary to eliminate the hazards identified, as well as provided project monitoring services on many projects. Bill and his staff are qualified and experienced in all aspects of HVAC mechanical hygiene, air filtration, fresh air and exhaust ventilation, water damage and mold assessment and remediation, lead paint inspections and risk assessments, environmental toxicology, chemical vapor and microbial sampling and analytical methods, and contaminant source identification and control. Bill is a trusted expert who conducts investigations and designs engineering solutions for residential clients (often referred by allergists, pulmonologists, and other physicians), commercial clients (including office managers, architects, HVAC engineers, property managers, and construction contractors), and industrial clients.

Bill is also actively involved in community health issues, including his collaborations with the NYC DOHMH (mold and asthma issues), the Mount Sinai School of Medicine (lead issues), the US Green Building Council (building code issues), the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (flooding issues), CUNY/University of Havana (asthma in Cuba issues), the Natural Resources Defense Council (NYCHA issues), and the WHO and HUD (mold issues).

Bill has developed a world renowned approach to identifying and remediating mold. After Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, Bill wrote and co-produced both a video and a written mold clean up guide that was adopted by the World Health Organization (WHO), and the US Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). When Hurricane Sandy struck the East Coast, Bill was also brought in to ensure mold and water damage efforts were effective.

Although his expertise is in constant demand, Bill stays involved in nearly every Microecologies building inspection and indoor environmental investigation project. Bill is also leading innovation within the health and hygiene industry. He recently developed odor and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) evaluation criteria that include rigorous quantitative and qualitative elements as well as effective intervention strategies.

Even with his extensive scientific background, Bill is known for presenting his findings with clarity and persuasion. It’s why he is regularly asked by individuals, companies, and regulatory agencies to provide expert witness services for both plaintiffs and defendants. Bill has delivered expert testimony in courtrooms across the state from the Supreme Court of New York to the Civil Court of the City of New York. Bill is also a frequent presenter on public health issues and initiatives for institutions such as the American Industrial Hygiene Association.

Appearances and Interviews by: 60 Minutes, ABC Nightline, NBC Dateline, the New York Times, and This Old House.

Contributed to, Co-Authored or Authored: