Graduate students or post-doctoral scientists can now apply for the SETAC and Pan-American Advanced Studies Institute (PASI) Program short course on Air Quality at the Interface: Mega Cities and Adjacent Agroecosystems. This intensive instructional and hands-on short course will afford a group of up to 30 students (half from North America and half from Central and South America) the opportunity to learn about current scientific understanding of these interface issues. An outstanding group of international instructors has been assembled. The course will be held in La Plata, Argentina (outside Buenos Aires) from 8-16 August 2012. The workshop is tentatively scheduled to take place at CONICET. Applications are now accepted through 12 March 2012.
Course details, instructors' bios and application instructions are available at www.setac.org/pasi.
Nominations are now being accepted for the following SETAC North America and SETAC Global awards and fellowships. Please note that the deadline for award nominations has changed this year. All applications must be submitted by 1 May 2012. Award recipients will be announced during the SETAC North America 33rd Annual Meeting in Long Beach, California, 11-15 November 2012.For details on the awards and how to apply, click on the name of the award, or visit http://www.setac.org/node/13.SETAC North America Professional AwardsSETAC/Menzie Environmental Education AwardEugene Kenaga SETAC Membership AwardSETAC Government Service AwardOutstanding Regional Chapter Member
SETAC North America Research FellowshipSETAC/EA Engineering Jeff Black Fellowship
SETAC Global AwardsET&C Best Student PaperFounders AwardHerb Ward Exceptional Service AwardSETAC/ICA Chris Lee Award for Metals ResearchSETAC/Procter & Gamble Fellowship for Doctoral Research in Environmental ScienceGlobal Partners Capacity Building AwardFor additional information, please contact Laura McCaffrey, SETAC North America office, at laura.mccaffrey@setac.org or 850 469 1500 ext 103.
SETAC Europe Summer Schools aim to offer scientists and students training through the best up-to-date knowledge in several areas. Summer schools and their organisers will benefit from publicity and recognition by SETAC. Deadline for proposing Summer Schools is 31stJanuary. Read more...
SETAC and the Society of Toxicology (SOT) are co-hosting a workshop on “Building for Better Decisions: Multi-Scale Integration of Human Health and Environmental Data” from 8–11 May 2012 at the US EPA campus, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Abstracts are now being accepted until 24 February 2012. For additional information, please go to http://www.setac.org/meetings and click on the link titled “Joint Society of Toxicology/SETAC Workshop” about the middle of the page.
Workshop website: www.unisi.it/eventi/workshoplargemarinevertebrates/index_english.htmThe SETAC Europe Italian Branch will hold a workshop on 31 January 2012 in Siena, Italy on the biology and ecotoxicology of large marine vertebrates and their role as potential sentinels of "Good Environmental Status" for the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). Their use in monitoring multiple alterations of different marine areas, from harbours to protected areas and from coastal to pelagic areas, will be discussed. The morning session features presentations from invited speakers and the afternoon session will be poster and platform presentations. Visit www.unisi.it/eventi/workshoplargemarinevertebrates/index_english.htm for more information. Deadline for abstract submission is 10 January 2012.
The call for sessions is now open for the SETAC North America 33rd Annual Meeting in Long Beach, CA, 11-15 November 2012. The deadline for session proposals is 1 February 2012. Using your last name as your username and your SETAC ID as your password, click the following link to submit your session proposal: http://meetings.setac.org/.
With Allen Burton's assuming Editor-in-Chief duties for ET&C, the editorial office has moved to the University of Michigan from Rice University. You can find complete new contact information here. And you can reach Managing Editor Leslie Wilhelm Hatch or Assistant Managing Editor Erin Nelson at etc@setac.org. Herb Ward will continue as co-Editor-in-Chief in 2012.
Be part of the 6th SETAC World Congress 2012/SETAC Europe 22nd Annual Meeting in Berlin from 20-24 May 2012. Authors are invited to submit abstracts for platform and poster presentations. Are you interested in organising a short course at the 6th SETAC World Congress 2012/22nd SETAC Europe Annual Meeting in Berlin? Please consider submitting a proposal for a half-day or a full-day course. Deadline to submit an abstract and/or propose a short course: 30 November. Visit the SETAC Berlin website for more information.
15 December is the deadline to submit an abstract and/or register early for the 5th SETAC Europe Special Science Symposium on EcoSystem Services. http://sesss05.setac.eu
15 November is the deadline to submit an abstract and/or register early for the 5th SESSS. This special science symposium, 15-16 February 2012 in Brussels, aims to introduce the ecosystem services concept and its applications in environmental assessment and management to a broad audience. Check the SESSS website for more information!
Network with Fellow LCA Researchers and Practitioners
There will be a SETAC - North American LCA Advisory Group meeting on Tuesday Nov. 15 from 12 - 3 PM in Room 202 and another follow-up meeting on Thursday, Nov. 17 from 8 AM - 1 PM in Room 300. Participation is welcome for all in attendance and teleconference capabilities will be available on Thursday for those who cannot be in Boston.
An LCA platform session will be held on Thursday Nov 17 @ 1 - 5 PM in Room 311, and a poster session is available 8 AM - 6:45 PM in the Exhibit Hall.
An introductory LCA short course is being taught on Sunday from 1 - 5 PM in Room 301.
Related meetings of interest include: the Sustainability Advisory Group meeting - Monday, Nov 14 @ 4- 5 PM in Room 303 and the Sustainability Debate Tuesday, Nov 14 @ 3 - 11:50 AM in Room 206.
Author contact information: bruce.vigon@setac.org
Register now for SETAC Europe Winter School.
Upcoming course entitled The synthesis, characterisation, ecotoxicity, hazard and risk assessment of engineered nanoparticles will take place at the School of Biomedical & Biological Sciences in Plymouth University, UK on 4-6 January 2012. Registration closes 30 November.
Time to submit an abstract for the 5th SESSS! This special science symposium (15-16 February 2012 in Brussels) aims to introduce the ecosystem services concept and its applications in environmental assessment and management to a broad audience. The focus will be on the implementation of the European environmental policies, such as the biodiversity agenda, the agricultural policy and the water framework directive. Interested in a poster presentation at the symposium? Don’t wait to submit your abstract! Check the SESSS website for more information.
Time to register for the 4th SETAC Europe Special Science Symposium, entitled “The Environmental Risk Assessment of Biocides: Regulatory challenges and scientific solutions” and held in Brussels on 25-26 October. It is intended to provide updates on environmental exposure and effect assessment of biocides and to provide information on the regulatory changes due to the upcoming Biocidal Product Regulation, and is aimed at representatives from industry, the scientific community, consultants and regulatory bodies. Register quickly!
William (Bill) H. Benson will serve as the Interim Director of the U.S. National Exposure Research Laboratory. In a 15 September announcement, Paul T. Anastas, Assistant Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Research and Development, said, "Bill is a natural leader who is deeply respected by his peers, both professionally and personally. I have full confidence in his ability to take on this important task….He is also no stranger to leading in the midst of change. While on detail to NERL, last year, Bill convened the NERL eco summit which brought NERL division leadership together to develop a unique niche for each of the divisions while ensuring that their research was complementary and aligned to ORD priorities. Bill's research activities have been directed towards assessing the influence of environmental stressors on health and ecological integrity. He has conducted research in the areas of metal and pesticide bioavailability, reproductive and developmental effects in aquatic organisms, endocrine disrupting chemicals, and use of indicators in assessing health and ecological integrity. In addition, he has published extensively on topics focusing on environmental toxicology and chemistry. Bill is a Past President of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry and was elected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science."
Worldwide declines in native and managed pollinators have led to an increasingly global dialogue about the factors that may be causing these declines. The available science suggests that pollinator declines result from multiple factors that may be acting in various combinations. Pesticide use is one of the factors under consideration. In an effort to further the dialogue, SETAC held a Pellston Workshop in January 2011 to explore the state of the science on pesticide risk assessment for pollinators. The workshop was developed by a steering committee comprised of members from government, business, academia, and nongovernmental organizations interested in understanding the effect of pesticides on nontarget insects. Forty-eight workshop participants from five continents were tasked with vetting quantitative and qualitative measures of exposure and effects on the individual bee and on the colony. In doing so, the participants aimed to synthesize the global understanding and work that has taken place, to move toward a harmonized process for evaluating and quantitatively characterizing risk to pollinators from exposure to pesticides, and to identify the data needed to inform that process.
Download your free copy of the workshop summary here: http://www.setac.org/node/265.
Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management (IEAM) is accepting nominations for appointment to the Editorial Board of qualified experts in the areas of environmental policy and regulation, human health risk assessment, life cycle analysis, and sustainability. Appointments are for 3-year terms from 2012 to 2015. Members of the Editorial Board work with IEAM Editors to solicit contributions to the journal and support the peer review of submitted manuscripts. Candidates should be experienced reviewers able to undertake these duties in a timely and responsive manner. Nomination forms can be downloaded from the SETAC journal website at http://www.setac.org/sites/default/files/nomination-form-ieam.pdf. Send completed nomination forms, along with the candidate’s CV, to ieam_editor@setac.org. Nominations must be received by October 15, 2011. For more information, please contact the IEAM Editorial Office at ieam_editor@setac.org.
UNEP and SETAC organized a Pellston workshop earlier this year to provide global guidance to allow creation, distribution and management of data and databases for life cycle assessments. Nearly 50 participants from 23 countries came to consensus on a variety of issues ranging from data collection to ensure database compatibility to dataset documentation. Activities to ensure future enhancements in databases and increased data availability included near-term efforts to establish networking of database managers and capacity building in regions just starting to develop national databases, to longer-term visions associated with Web 2.0 capability and alternative sources of life cycle information. The Steering Committee, workshop participants, and editing team truly collaborated to prepare the summary and, soon to follow, full workshop publication in record time. To download your complimentary copy, please go to: http://www.setac.org/node/265.
The next SETAC webinar, held live from 11 a.m.-12 p.m. EDT on 29 September 2011, addresses Tissue Residue Approach to Toxicity Assessment: A Step Forward. During the webinar, you will gain familiarity with the TRA concept and theory and its advantageous features compared with more traditional approaches; learn about some key application areas for TRA, including evaluating species sensitivity, assessing mixture toxicity, determining guidelines and criteria, and as a component of environmental risk assessments; and see recent examples of TRA use and misuse.
The three presenters include James Meador, environmental toxicologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Seattle, WA; Anne McElroy, faculty of the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University, NY; and Thomas Parkerton, environmental scientist with ExxonMobil Biomedical Sciences, Inc., NJ.
For more information and to register online, visit http://setac.peachnewmedia.com.
The SETAC North America Student Advisory Council (NASAC) is looking for mentors to present their knowledge and experience during the Student Noon-time Seminars at the SETAC North America 32nd Annual Meeting in Boston, MA. If you would like to share your skills and insight in grant writing, please consider volunteering your time for the one-hour seminar on Wednesday, 16 November 2011. If you are interested in mentoring graduate students on how to give a successful presentation at scientific meetings, join the seminar on Monday, 14 November 2011.
For more information or additional mentoring opportunities, contact the NASAC Chair at Ashley.Jessick@unmc.edu.
The SETAC World Council (SWC) has approved two new global awards to recognize the professionalism and contributions of our membership. Please be alert for a forthcoming electronic survey.
The SETAC Environmental Professional Award is designed to provide Society recognition of an individual’s advancement and contribution as a professional in the field. It is intended as an award that can be given to a large number of SETAC members early in their professional careers. For members that have been student or regular members during graduate school, eligibility will likely occur in their early 30s. The intent of the SETAC Environmental Professional Award is to provide a membership benefit by recognizing all eligible candidates. This can be of value to individual members with respect to their ongoing participation in the Society and in their careers. The SETAC Environmental Professional Award is not a certification program and does not require a test of knowledge. Instead, it presumes that individuals that have been steady members and have had other professional experiences are indeed candidates for the award. The award is designed to recognize the majority of our members that have continued association with the Society and that are active in the field. The award process is largely automated and relies on an electronic survey that is sent to candidates. Aside from at least 5 years of membership in SETAC (waived for new chapters or geographic units [GUs]), criteria include involvement in committees, involvement in workshops, presentations, publications, and a statement of current professional work and longer-term goals. A candidate for the award must have at least one entry in each category and at least three entries in two of the categories; the individual will also have satisfactorily communicated a goal statement. Awards are made on an ongoing basis throughout the year as individuals attain eligibility. Award recipients are announced through the SETAC newsletter, and receipt of the award is recorded in the membership data base. Upon request, notification of the award is provided to employers and other relevant institutions with a statement of the value of the contributions of the individual and the recognition of those contributions by the Society.
The SETAC Fellows Award recognizes the longer-term and significant scientific and science policy contributions of SETAC members. The identification and appointment of SETAC Fellows is intended to provide additional recognition of excellence and contributions of SETAC members to the sciences embraced by SETAC including ecotoxicology, environmental chemistry, risk assessment, and life cycle assessment while allowing more balance in representation. The hallmark of a SETAC Fellow is leadership within the professional and scientific arenas. While there is no upper limit to the number of Fellows, it is estimated that the ultimate number of Fellows would be between 1 and 2% of the membership. The group of SETAC Fellows will constitute a body that possesses institutional knowledge of the Society and that includes individuals with recognized achievement in science and/or science policy. As such they will serve as a sounding board for the SWC and may be asked to help lead select efforts on behalf of the SWC. The Fellows may also choose to meet at SETAC annual meetings on an ad hoc basis to share insights and to offer suggestions to the SWC. Finally, the Fellows – or a group thereof - will serve as reviewers of candidates for the Fellow Award. Nominations are made in one of three ways: 1) an automated and survey approach (based on the Environmental Professional Award described above) is used to ensure that all potential candidates are given consideration; 2) any GU President with support from their Board may nominate individuals who they believe deserve special recognition as a SETAC Fellow. In such cases, some eligibility criteria may be stressed over others based on the material provided by the GU; 3) any individual who has been put forward as a nominee for the Founder’s Award will become a candidate for consideration as a SETAC Fellow. All existing Founder’s Award recipients who were or are SETAC members are automatically SETAC Fellows.
On an annual basis, the selection of SETAC Fellows will be made by the SWC with input from the Awards and Membership Committees based on a review of the “pool of candidates” with respect to several broad criteria. The existing Fellows or a group thereof will assist the committees by reviewing candidates and making recommendations regarding the selection of individuals. SETAC Fellows will be selected in a manner that reflects a proportional balance the tripartite membership of SETAC. The broad criteria used to select SETAC Fellows include: 1) professional and societal leadership with respect to environmental science or environmental science policy; 2) science and/or science policy leadership at the national or international levels; 3) communication of science and/or science policy. Details related to each of these categories are available within the description of the award. Fellows are announced via newsletter and also named at the annual meeting but parchments would be distributed by mail. A running list of all fellows will be maintained on the SETAC website. Upon request, information is sent to the Fellow’s employer or institution for local announcement.
Registration is now open for the SETAC North America 32nd Annual Meeting, 13–17 November 2011 in the historic city of Boston, Massachusetts.Sign up by 15 August and save with our early-bird registration rates. Not yet a SETAC member? Apply for SETAC membership and save up to $335 on your meeting registration. Massachusetts state or local government employee? You're eligible for discounts as well.For more information or to register online, visit boston.setac.org.
A recent Baylor University study on the impact of recent dry spells on marine life published in the current issue of SETAC's Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management journal is getting broad media attention as it was picked up by various media outlets including United Press International, ScienceDaily and Scienceblog.The abstract of the original article can be found at the journal's web site at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ieam.202/abstract. If you are a SETAC member, please click the banner at the top to log in to your account for free access the complete article.
The Aquatic Macrophyte Ecotoxicology Advisory Group (AMEG) has elected its new Steering Committee: Acadamia: Gertie Arts (Alterra, NL), Mark Hanson (University of Manitoba, CA), Udo Hommen (Fraunhofer IME, DE), Chris Wilson (University of Florida, US) Business: Jo Davies (Syngenta, UK), Margit Dollinger (Bayer CropScience, DE), Jeff Giddings (Compliance Services International, US), Stefania Loutseti (Dupont De Nemour, GR) Government: Katja Knauer (Federal Office for Agriculture, CH), Silvia Mohr (Federal Environment Agency, DE), Veronique Poulsen (Agency for Food, Environment and Occupational Health,FR)
For more information about AMEG and how to become a member, please visit http://www.setac.org/node/363.
Abstract submission deadline for the SETAC North America Focused Topic Meeting in Mexico has been extended to 6 May 2011.
The meeting will address Pollutants in the Environment: Fate and Toxicityheld from 24-27 August in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, and is designed to bring together numerous environmental scientists, engineers and decision makers active in the monitoring, assessment and prevention of environmental contamination. This meeting intends to create new international partnerships that will develop, evaluate and implement techniques to conduct more efficient assessments and better management of ecosystems at risk.
For more information about the meeting and to submit your abstract, visit http://mexico2011.setac.org.
The first IEAM podcast is now available online! Please join us as we chat with Dr. James Meador, guest editor of the Tissue Residue Approach Special Series of six articles that are featured in the January 2011 issue of IEAM (Volume 7, Issue 1).In 2007, Meador organized and chaired a Pellston workshop entitled “The Tissue Residue Approach for Toxicity Assessment (TRA).” A group of 39 scientists from 9 countries convened in Leavenworth, Washington, USA to evaluate the theory and application of tissue concentrations (internal concentrations) as the dose metric for characterizing toxic effects. An important consensus of the experts at the workshop was that the TRA can enhance the scientific understanding of the interaction between exposure and consequent effects, which will strengthen our ability to assess and manage risks from chemical contamination. The workshop participants also felt that appropriate application of the TRA can reduce variability, diminish uncertainties, and improve interpretation of causality as compared to both traditional toxicity testing and assessments based solely on concentrations in exposure media.Click here to view the podcast…You might also be interested in Meador’s article with his co-chair Nelson Beyer on the tissue residue toxicity session at the SETAC North America meeting in Portland. That article appeared in the January 2011 Globe.
Pensacola, Fla.—March 3, 2011—As the one-year anniversary of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill approaches, the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) brings together a diverse group of environmental scientists and engineers active in the field of oil spill prevention and response during the Gulf Oil Spill SETAC Focused Topic Meeting from 26–28 April 2011 at Pensacola Beach, Fla. The meeting provides a platform for a diverse group of environmental professionals to share their latest research findings with the goal of developing science-based recommendations for improving oil spill response and tracking, control techniques, management and effects assessment.The meeting features three main session tracks: biological effects of oil spills, current technology and capabilities, and communication challenges and solutions. Session topics range from aquatic, wildlife and coastal marsh effects to dispersant toxicology, seafood contamination and safety, oil fate and transport modeling including biodegradation, oil tracking technology, response technology effectiveness, and risk and crisis communication.“Each session will feature platform presentations and a panel discussion,” said Greg Schiefer, executive director of SETAC North America. “This meeting is a departure from our usual format. It will offer greater opportunity for discussion and for Q&A among the scientists who attend.”Consistent with the objectives of SETAC, participants reflect a balance among academia, business and government, and they will bring a wide range of expertise to the meeting, including toxicology, chemistry, modeling and tracking of oil, technology development, emergency response, environmental management and risk communication.Following the meeting SETAC will produce an executive summary of the proceedings, documenting the latest science-based developments intended to inform and be of assistance to oil spill assessors and responders.For questions regarding the Gulf Oil Spill SETAC Focused Topic Meeting, contact Mimi Meredith at setac@setac.org. For more information about the meeting, visit http://gulfoilspill.setac.org.SETAC is a not-for-profit, worldwide professional organization comprised of individuals and institutions dedicated to the study, analysis and solution of environmental problems, the management and regulation of natural resources, research and development and environmental education. Our mission is to support the development of principles and practices for protection, enhancement and management of sustainable environmental quality and ecosystem integrity. SETAC fulfills its mission through the advancement and application of scientific research related to contaminants and other stressors in the environment, education in the environmental sciences and the use of science in environmental policy and decision-making. For more information visit http://www.setac.org.
The Pharmaceutical Advisory Group (PAG) is running a research prioritization exercise on the effects of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in the environment. As part of this exercise, the PAG are running a web-based survey to establish what representatives from academia, industry and policy see as the major questions relating to PPCP effects in the environment. The PAG would welcome input to the exercise from all SETAC members who have an interest in PPCPs.The survey can be accessed using the following link: www.concept3.co.uk/pharma/cgi-bin/ciwweb.pl?studyname=QFrm&ac=9999999. Alternatively, go to www.40q.org and enter the access code 9999999. Please provide your input by March 4.Questions submitted via the website will be synthesized by a global team of public, private, academic and non-profit sector representatives into a list of the "Top 40" research priorities. These will be disseminated to the policy, industry, funding and scientific communities. The results will also be used to inform future PAG activities and initiatives.
ET&C is seeking nominations for four new editors to replace Glen Thursby, Plants; Steve Klaine and Allen Burton, Aquatic Toxicology; and Gerritt Schüürmann, Environmental Chemistry. Thursby and Schüürmann are retiring after years of admirable service. Klaine will become Critical Review Editor, and Allen Burton is concentrating on procuring Focus Articles while also preparing to assume the role of Editor-in-Chief. Nominees for Plant Editor should have expertise in areas such as higher plants, aquatic vegetation, algae, water quality criteria, and photosynthesis. Nominees for Environmental Chemistry should have expertise in areas such as physicochemical properties and processes relevant for the environmental fate of chemicals, QSARs, quantum chemistry, and molecular modeling. Candidates for the position of Aquatic Toxicology Editor should have expertise in areas such as nanotechnology, metals, algae, water and sediment quality assessment, storm water, sediment toxicity, and aquatic ecosystems.Nominees should have previous service on the ET&C editorial board, service on a similar board, or extensive reviewing and editing experience. Editors manage the peer review process of manuscripts submitted to ET&C. Excellent organizational skills, timeliness, and considerable tact are required. For information on the duties involved and time commitment, or to send resumes of potential candidates with complete publication lists, contact the editorial office at etcj@rice.edu or 713-348-4701 as soon as possible. Please consult with your nominees to determine their willingness and ability to undertake this important assignment. We encourage qualified female and minority candidates to apply. Self nominations are encouraged.
As the one-year anniversary of the Gulf Oil Spill approaches, you'll want to put this SETAC Focused Topic Meeting on your must-do list. Join us in Pensacola Beach, Florida, 26–28 April 2011. Each session will feature panel discussions and platform presentations, the better to boost interactions.
Submit Your Abstract by 20 FebruarySorry, but this date is firm. Fortunately the process is simple: Go to http://gulfoilspill.setac.org/node/104. Please remember, your last name is your user name, and your member number is also your password.Come for the ExpertiseYou won't want to miss these moderators and panelists, who represent just a few of the meeting's experts:
Contribute to the Meeting with a SponsorshipMake a contribution by 15 March if you'd like your organization to be listed in the meeting program. From coffee breaks to platinum level, opportunities abound at http://gulfoilspill.setac.org/node/15.
SETAC Europe and the International Society of Exposure Science (ISES) invite you to participate in a joint Special Session on Wednesday and Thursday, 18-19 May at the SETAC Europe 21st Annual Meeting. This Special Session will address advancements in environmental, consumer and occupational exposure science required to meet the demands of a changing global regulatory landscape. For more information, click here.
3rd SETAC Europe Special Science Symposium, Prospective and Retrospective Environmental Risk Assessment of Mixtures: Moving from Research to Regulation, 2-3 February 2011. This symposium will present a unique overview and debate on the current state of the art, the open questions and the latest developments with respect to the environmental risk assessment of mixtures. For more information and to register go to http://sesss03.setac.eu/?contentid=358.
17th SETAC Europe LCA Case Studies Symposium, Sustainable Lifestyles, 28 February-1 March 2011. This Symposium aims at bringing together initiatives, methods and case study results that contribute to a better understanding of the various dimensions concerning what a sustainable lifestyle can look like. For more information and to register go to http://lcabudapest.setac.eu/?contentid=344.
Gulf Oil Spill Focused Topic Meeting - Ecosystem Effects, Current Technology Capabilities, and Communication Challenges: Solutions and Research Needs, Pensacola Beach, FL, 26-28 April 2011. Uniquely designed to bring together environmental scientists and engineers active in the field of oil spill prevention and response with the goal of developing science-based recommendations for improving oil spill response and tracking, control techniques, management and effects assessment. The meeting is structured to be highly interactive. For details on abstract submittal and registration go to http://gulfoilspill.setac.org.
Focused Topic Meeting—Pollutants in the Environment, Fate and Toxicity. Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, 24-28 August 2011. Distinctively designed to bring together numerous environmental scientists, engineers and decision makers, active in the monitoring, assessment and prevention of environmental contamination. This meeting intends to create new international partnerships that will develop, evaluate and implement techniques to conduct more efficient assessments and better management of ecosystems at risk. This meeting will be of interest to those studying, evaluating and managing pollution, environmental effects of oil spills, contaminated sites, management of toxic substances, human and ecological risk assessment, toxicology and ecotoxicology. This meeting also includes a joint Oil Spill session with Society for Ecological Restoration (SER), short courses, platform and poster presentations, panel and other discussions, and social events. Details on abstract submittal and registration coming very soon.
Pensacola, Fla.—January 24, 2011—The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC), an international non-profit organization dedicated to the study, analysis and solution of environmental problems, held a Pellston workshop on pesticide risk assessment for pollinators from 16–21 January in Pensacola, Fla. Because pollinator species are declining not just in North America but also in many other parts of the world, there is an urgent need to use the best available science to develop a globally harmonized approach for assessing the risks that pesticides pose to pollinators. The workshop evaluated information on the risk of pesticides to both honey bee (Apis) and wild bee (non-Apis) pollinator species. Workshop participants aimed to find ways to improve the risk assessment process for pollinators and to identify the data needed to inform that process.Consistent with the objectives of SETAC, the workshop participants reflected a balance between academia, business and government as well as a wide range of expertise from toxicologists, statisticians, biologists, modelers, practitioners (i.e., beekeepers), risk assessors and risk managers from Europe, Australia, Africa, and South and North America. The workshop proceedings are intended to inform and be of assistance to pesticide regulatory agencies.Workshop participants discussed the contributions of Apis and non-Apis bees to pollination and biological diversity. Potential toxicity study designs and test result interpretations were discussed with respect to the relevancy of the data in estimating the viability of Apis and non-Apis bee populations. Participants also discussed potential routes of pesticide exposure to Apis and non-Apis bees as an element of risk assessment. Participants worked to develop an improved system for conducting assessments of risk to Apis and non-Apis bees using existing and proposed tools for estimating exposure and effects. The process defines a tiered system to identify chemicals with potential to pose a risk to bees and to refine risk estimates for such chemicals.SETAC will produce an executive summary of the workshop by the end of April 2011 and intends to publish full proceedings within one year. For questions regarding the workshop contact Mimi Meredith, SETAC Publications Manager, at setac@setac.org. For more information about SETAC, visit www.setac.org.SETAC is a not-for-profit, worldwide professional organization comprised of individuals and institutions dedicated to the study, analysis and solution of environmental problems, the management and regulation of natural resources, research and development and environmental education. Our mission is to support the development of principles and practices for protection, enhancement and management of sustainable environmental quality and ecosystem integrity. SETAC fulfills its mission through the advancement and application of scientific research related to contaminants and other stressors in the environment, education in the environmental sciences and the use of science in environmental policy and decision-making.SETAC meetings serve as open forums for environmental professionals to present the findings of their scientific research. The opinions and ideas expressed in the workshop are those of the participants, not of the Society.
Volume 7 of IEAM debuts with a new format to the Table of Contents, designed to better reflect the content of each issue. The Table of Contents will display articles according to each of the journal’s major subject areas: climate change challenges, decision analysis, ecological risk assessment, human health risk assessment, environmental impact analysis, environmental policy and regulation, environmental management, and life cycle analysis and sustainable practices. The intent is to provide Society members and subscribers with more immediate access to the types of research that interest them most. IEAM will continue to feature Letters to the Editor, Critical Reviews, Brief Communications, Debate & Commentaries, Learned Discourses, and Book Reviews. Look for IEAM’s new Table of Contents in the April 2011 (Volume 7, Issue 2) issue.
We are seeking nominations for a new editor in Environmental Toxicology – Plants to replace Glen Thursby, who is resigning because of increased responsibilities at his employment. Through the years Glen has been a dedicated, meticulous editor, and we will miss his contributions to the editorial process.Nominees for this position should have previous service on the ET&C editorial board, service on a similar board, or extensive reviewing and editing experience. Editors manage the peer review process of manuscripts submitted to ET&C. Excellent organizational skills, computer skills, and considerable tact are required. A previous record of timeliness and the ability to meet deadlines is imperative. Please contact the editorial office (713-348-4701) for information on the duties involved and time commitment. Send resumes of potential candidates (self nominations welcome), with complete publication lists to the editorial office or as an attached e-mail file (etcj@rice.edu) as soon as possible. Please consult with your nominees to determine their willingness and ability to undertake this important assignment.
Coming in the January 2011 issue of SETAC’s Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management is a series of six review articles on theory, practice, interpretation, limitations and advancements in the tissue residue approach (TRA) for assessing toxicity to aquatic organisms.
(Read more...)
Submit your session proposals for the 32nd SETAC North America Annual Meeting from 13-17 November 2011 in Boston, MA.
The deadline for Special Symposia proposals has been extended to January 15, 2011. Special Symposia are our featured sessions and will be limited to one or two per day. The deadline for all other session proposals is February 1, 2011.
Submit your proposals at http://meetings.setac.org.
Pensacola, Fla.—SETAC North America has added a special session, “Breaking News—Oil Spill Update,” to the lineup of scientific events during its 31st Annual Meeting from November 7–11 at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Ore.
Representatives from academia, business and government who are actively engaged in assessing and monitoring the effects of the Deepwater Horizon Gulf oil spill will bring their latest research findings to this year’s meeting. Oil-spill related topics include crude oil chemistry, ecotoxicology of crude oil and dispersants, hydrocarbon concentrations in affected media, natural resource conditions, summary statistics and comparisons to other large crude spills (Ixtoc and Exxon Valdez).
Plenary speaker Paul A. Sandifer, senior science advisor to the NOAA administrator, will kick off oil-related events on Monday with his presentation on “NOAA, Oil Spills, the Deepwater Horizon and New Directions in Ocean Policy.” On Tuesday, a special symposium, “Spill in the Gulf: Oil Spill Responses, Scientific Issues and Expectations,” will include an introductory panel presentation and discussion featuring representatives from NOAA, U.S. EPA, Queens University, University of Louisville and Exponent, an engineering and scientific consulting firm. More than 40 posters, “Spill in the Gulf: Fate, Behavior and Effects of the Gulf Oil Spill,” will be presented on Wednesday, followed by a full-day platform session featuring “Spill in the Gulf: Informing Our Scientific Understanding” on Thursday.
The SETAC 31st Annual Meeting will draw more than 2,500 scientists, assessors, regulators and managers from around the world as they discuss the latest in environmental science. Presentations will number more than 1,900, resulting in a record number of sessions and featuring topics such as nanotoxicology, contaminants and wildlife, climate change, sustainability and genetically engineered crops.
For more information about SETAC, visit www.setac.org. For information about the 31st Annual Meeting, visit portland.setac.org.
SETAC is a not-for-profit, worldwide professional organization comprised of nearly 6000 individuals and institutions in 80 countries dedicated to the study, analysis and solution of environmental problems, the management and regulation of natural resources, research and development and environmental education. Our mission is to support the development of principles and practices for protection, enhancement and management of sustainable environmental quality and ecosystem integrity. SETAC fulfills its mission by providing a platform for the advancement and application of scientific research related to contaminants and other stressors in the environment, education in the environmental sciences and the use of science in environmental policy and decision-making.
Nominations for the 2011-2013 Editorial Board of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (ET&C) will be accepted through 8 October. The primary duty of editorial board members is the review of papers submitted to ET&C. Candidates should be experienced reviewers able to respond promptly to requests for peer reviews. Please ascertain that your candidate is willing to undertake this obligation and is organized enough to fulfill it in an efficient manner.Send complete resumes with publication lists to etcj@rice.edu.
