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Scientific Programme

 

The Scientific Programme of the ICCE2013 will be organized in the following topics:


Atmospheric Chemistry and Aerosols

Atmospheric processes influencing levels, composition, size, surface area, light scattering and absorption and health impact of particulate pollutants. Results from field measurements and laboratory campaigns, as well as modeling (both direct and inverse), of outdoor, indoor and personal exposure. Of special interest are:

 

Soil and Sediment Pollution, Wastes

Soils and sediments are major recipients of chemical pollution and play a key role in contaminant exposure to ecosystems, e.g., by governing the (bio) availability and (bio) degradation of pollutants. Safe management of wastes and wastewaters are the simplest and efficient way to avoid soil and sediment pollution.

 

Water Pollution and Treatment

Environmental water quality is affected by pollution from point and diffuse sources, land management practices and water extraction. Anthropogenic as well as biogenic contaminations are becoming a serious problem for ecosystems and human health. Innovative wastewater and drinking water treatment technologies are being developed to both, prevent pollution discharge and to ensure drinking water quality.

 

(Eco-)Toxicology: Pollutants Exposure and Effects on Biota and Ecosystems

Mixtures of toxic compounds have been found in most environmental compartments, including air, soils, sediments and water bodies. In water, attention has focused on the so-called priority substances (pollutants whose potential risk we are only now becoming aware of) and their metabolites and transformation products as well as their synergistic effects; the list of these is subject to regular review. There is evidence to suggest that many emerging pollutants, for which a rather limited knowledge base is currently available, may be posing a significant ecological and human health risk through their presence in water bodies. To achieve current ecotoxicological goals there is an urgent need to develop effect-based tools (such as biomarkers, bio-indicators and bioassays) for the identification and early detection of pollutants causing harmful ecological impacts (as a step towards linking chemical and ecological status of water) and for assessing the impacts of pollutant mixtures and deliver methods to quantify impact in situ on a single-organism, population or community level. Proposals addressed to this session should include results on:

 

Modelling, Management and Risk Assessment

During the last century, pollution of air, water, and land by emissions of chemicals from factories and transport was dreadful. To solve health and environmental problems from natural/synthetic chemicals, different ways of assessing and controlling the risks of making, transporting, and using those chemicals must be devised and implemented.
Modelling the fate of chemicals in the environment and/or modelling the environmental processes are a challenge for the management and assessment of the involved risks. The following topics are welcomed to be addressed in this track:

 

Transformation and Fate of Pollutants

Biochemical and physicochemical processes
In the transformation and fate of the pollutants in the environment, the biochemical and physicochemical processes play a very important role. These processes contribute to removal of the pollutants in contaminated environments (air, water, soil)  and they are the bases of the processes used in the waste treatment plants (municipal and industrial). Nowadays, modifications of the classical processes and new ones have to be considered as new tools to contribute to avoid the presence of pollutants in the environment. At the present times, there are still some problematic as the persistence of some pollutants in the environment, how these new treatments will affect the environment, which are the best ways to remove pollutants and which is the effect of the products formed. According to this, the topics addressed inside this track are:

 

Green and Sustainable Industrial Chemistry

Limiting the generation of waste and pollutants at the origin represents the most efficient approach to minimize any negative impact of Chemistry into the Environment. This involves developing new tools in fabrication, transport, management and use of Chemicals. Several strategies can be used to implement industrial processes for sustainability and thus, many aspects to be considered here include:

 

Emerging Pollutants

Synthetic chemicals bring important benefits to society. At the same time, these chemicals can be hazardous for both humans and the environment, depending on their use and exposure. These compounds, known as "emerging pollutants" include substances that have existed for some time, such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products, nanomaterials, plasticizers, biocides, perfluorinated compounds, flame retardants, inorganics, etc., which are not included in monitoring programs. In this session, studies on the occurrence, trends and risk of emerging compounds in environmental and human matrices will be presented and discussed.