ICCE 2013 will be hosted by Catalan Chemical Society and the Royal Spanish Chemical Society. ICCE provides a unique communication and discussion platform for environmental scientists with emphasis on chemistry.
The main targets of ICCE 2013 are:
- To link pioneering research with existing and up-coming environmental issues.
- To discuss fundamental and applicable aspects related to the fate of chemicals in the environment.
- To generate awareness for emerging contaminants.
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:
- Formation and composition of ultrafine particles.
- Chemical tracers of emission sources.
- Fugitive aerosol emissions.
- Source apportionment of particulate matter with special interest on organic aerosols (primary and secondary).
- High time resolved chemical data of ambient aerosols.
- Relation of toxicity with specific chemical patterns of aerosols.
- Light absorption variability of black carbon.
- Examples of impact of mitigation measures in urban areas.
- Aerosol composition during commuting.
- Tropospheric ozone.
- Nitrogen oxides.
- Pollution effects on human health.
- Pollution effects on patrimony.
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.
- Monitoring levels, trends, and ecotoxicological effects.
- Transformation and transport processes.
- Soils and sediments as secondary sources.
- Contaminated sites and site remediation.
- Landfield disposal.
- Sustainable valorization.
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.
- Occurrence of organic and inorganic contaminants.
- Arsenic, fluoride, cyanotoxins, taste and odour compounds of water resources.
- Removal of organic and inorganic contaminants by novel treatment technologies.
- Water Reuse.
- Source control to protect water resources.
- Assessment of water quality by novel analytical techniques.
(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:
- Exposure, toxicity and effects on ecosystems of a wide range of toxicants and other chemicals in air, soil, sediment and water
- Toxicity of mixtures.
- Effect-based-tools (biomarkers, bio-indicators, bioassays).
- Environmental impacts of pollutants and the implications for the overall assessment of the ecological and human health risks.
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:
- Modelling of chemicals/environmental processes: mathematical
modelling, intelligent systems’ modelling and data-driven modelling.
- Validation of Models.
- Experiences and application of models.
- Spatial and temporal aspects in modelling.
- Methodological guidelines and good modelling practice.
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)Â 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:
- Mechanisms of transformation processes.
- Metabolites and transformation products.
- Removal of pollutants by biochemical treatments.
- Removal of pollutants by physicochemical treatments.
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:
- Green Chemistry tools.
- Catalysis for industrial processes.
- Design for eco-efficiency.
- Life-cycle analysis of chemical products and materials.
- Green engineering approaches.
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.
