The organising committee of the 8th ICOBTE wishes to invite your participation in this conference - the eighth in a highly successful series - which will be held for the first time in Australia, at the Adelaide International Convention Centre, Adelaide, South Australia.
The Conference
The Conference Located close to South East Asia, Australia has ready access to the global region where many people are affected by trace element deficiencies in soils or impacted by excessive levels of metals due to rapid urbanisation and industrialisation. The conference program will comprise technical sessions, special symposia, as well as optional pre and post conference field trips. A full program for accompanying persons will also be offered.
Symposium: Trace Element Speciation in the Environment
Synopsis
The symposium aims to increase our understanding of the link between the concepts of trace element speciation and bioavailability in biogeochemical ecosystems, and to explore the role of analytical chemistry in enhancing this knowledge. It aims to bring together key scientists, young researchers, students and regulators to provide a forum for presentation of recent findings and provoke discussion amongst attendees on these topics.
The symposium will address trace element speciation, which is a driving force for bioavailability, in water, sediment, soil and plant systems, as well as state-of-the-art methodologies, analytical techniques and modelling options used to investigate chemical speciation and physico-chemical mechanisms involved in the transfer mechanisms from outside media into living organisms (e.g. exposure, uptake, translocation, storage, excretion). It will facilitate discussions among analytical chemists, biogeochemists (aquatic/sediment/soil) and biologists. Interdisciplinary discussions of these topics are crucial as the environmental fate and toxicity of trace element species becomes increasingly important.
Specific topics may include:
- Analytical method development (sample preparation, separation, detection, quality assurance/metrology) including modern speciation techniques such as DGT/DET, PLM, FFF, SPME, Donnan techniques, voltammetries, ligand exchange methods, hyphenated techniques with ICP MS, electrospray MS/MS or other spectrometric detections, speciated isotope dilution, etc.
- Analytical tools such as chemical fractionation, partial extractions, chemical and biological sensors for in-situ measurements, and isotopic techniques.
- Equilibrium modelling approaches.
- Dynamic features of complex metal systems and their ensuing lability characteristics on the basis of reaction kinetics and molecular transport.
- Molecular mechanisms for biouptake - uptake rate equations, underlying physico-chemical principles.
- Applications.
The symposium will provide an excellent opportunity to share new findings among scientists working in different, but inherently inter-related fields and to initiate international collaborations.
