Arsenic in Geosphere and Human Diseases; Arsenic 2010
Location: Tainan, Taiwan
Date: May 17-21, 2010
List of participating countries (40)
India, USA, Fiji, Japan, Bangladesh, Armenia, UK, Mexico, Belgium, Germany, Portugal, Pakistan, Iran, Taiwan, Turkey, Slovakia, Sweden, Korea, France, Australia, Algeria, Switzerland, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Italy, Spain, China, The Netherlands, Brazil, Chez Republic, Egypt, Poland, Mixco Guatemala, Sri Lanka, Tainan, Denmark, Vietnam, Finland, Nepal, Canada
Highlights
The congress “Arsenic in the Environment” offers an international, multi- and interdisciplinary discussion platform for arsenic research aimed at short-term solutions of problems with considerable social impact, rather than only focusing on cutting-edge and breakthrough research in physical, chemical, toxicological, medical, and other specific issues on arsenic in a broader environmental realm. The Third International Arsenic Congress 2010 was held in Tainan, Taiwan, from May 17-21, 2010, entitled: “Arsenic in Geosphere and Human Diseases”. The session topics comprised:
Theme 1: Geology, hydrology, and hydrogeology of arsenic,
Theme 2: Ecological effects: Arsenic in soils, plants, and food chain,
Theme 3: Marine + terrestrial biota,
Theme 4: Health effects on humans: Epidemiology + biomarkers,
Theme 5: Toxicological effects,
Theme 6: Assessment and remediation, and
Theme 7: Analytical methods for arsenic.
Section S1: Special Topic 1: Arsenic in Latin America – A forgotten continent
Section S2: Special Topic 2: The geochemistry and microbiology of arsenic and humic substances in aquifers of the Blackfoot Disease area, southwestern Taiwan
Section S3: Special Topic 3: Arsenic in rice – Advances and challenges to minimizing hazard
Hosting this congress in Taiwan was especially relevant because the endemic Blackfoot Disease, related to the arsenic uptake from drinking water supplied by artesian wells, was discovered here half a century ago. Since then, Taiwan has become a vital region specializing in arsenic research. This volume presents the extended abstracts of the congress and will give the latest state-of-the-art knowledge based on current research performed by the global scientific community.
Understanding the Geological and Medical Interface of Arsenic; As 2012
Location: Cairns, Australia
Date: July 22-27, 2012
List of participating countries (46)
India, USA, UK, The Netherlands, Australia, Sweden, France, Switzerland, Bangladesh, Turkey, Taiwan, Brazil, Spain, Mexico, Scotland, Austria, South Africa, China, Argentina, Germany, South Korea, Belgium, Latvia, Russian Federation, Pakistan, Italy, Germany, Cuba, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Bolivia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Portugal, Chile, Norway, Nepal, Japan, Namibia, Indonesia, Denmark, Congo, Canada, Slovakia, Ireland, Belgium
Highlights
Hosting this congress in Australia was welcomed and valued by the local scientific communities. Australia is a mineral-rich country where mining has generated significant economic benefits forits people. Unfortunately, historical mining for base metals, gold, and arsenic has led to environmental contamination with arsenic. Locally produced arsenical compounds were widely used as pesticides and in timber preservation. It is known that there are several thousand cattle- and sheep-dip sites contaminated with arsenic in Australia. However, commonly observed symptoms of chronic arsenic poisoning, such as those found in endemic Blackfoot areas, are seemingly absent from these types of environmental contamination due to the good quality of the potable water supply. Does this fall in the classic argument of “the dose makes the poison”? This congress theme of “understanding the geological and medical interface of arsenic” will advance our knowledge in minimizing the risk posed by this so-called number one prioritizedcontaminant – arsenic. The 4th International Congress As2012 was held in Cairns, Australia, from July 22-27, 2012, entitled Understanding the Geological and Medical Interface of Arsenic.
The session topics comprised:
Theme 1: Geology and hydrogeology of arsenic,
Theme 2: Medical and health issues of arsenic,
Theme 3: Remediation and policy,
Theme 4: Analytical methods for arsenic; and
Theme 5: Special topics on “Risk assessment of arsenic from mining”, “Geomicrobiology of arsenic”, “Geothermal arsenic”, “Rice arsenic and health perspectives”, “Sustainable mitigation of arsenic: from field trials to policy implications”, and “Biogeochemical processes of high arsenic groundwater in inland basins”
Plenary presentations
One Century of the Discovery of Arsenicosis in Latin America; As2014
Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Date: May 11-16, 2014
List of participating countries (62)
India, USA, UK, The Netherlands, Argentina, Nigeria, Australia, Sweden, France, Switzerland, Bangladesh, Turkey, Taiwan, Brazil, Spain, Mexico, Scotland, Austria, South Africa, China, Argentina, Germany, South Korea, Belgium, Latvia, Russian Federation, Pakistan, Italy, Germany, Cuba, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Bolivia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Portugal, Chile, Norway, Nepal, Japan, Namibia, Indonesia, Denmark, Congo, Canada, Slovakia, Ireland, Belgium, Lebanon, Costa Riga, South Arabia, Uruguay, Hungary, Serbia, Espana, Slovenia, Mongolia, Venezuela, El Salvador, Bolivia, Greece, Mongolia
Highlights
Hosting this Congress in Argentina was especially relevant because 2014 marks 100 years since the discovery of the disease Hidroarsenicismo Crónico Regional Endémico (HACRE) or arsenicosis by Dr. Goyenechea and Dr. Ayerza in the city of Bell Ville, Province of Córdoba, Argentina. Dr. Ayerza was the first person to relate skin disorders to the consumption of groundwater with high concentrations of arsenic. It is estimated that more than 14 million people in Latin America are at risk, of whom nearly 4 million are exposed to drinking water with high arsenic concentrations in Argentina and further in Chile, El Salvador, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Peru. A vast area of the Chaco-Pampean Plain in Argentina, mainly in the semi-arid regions, is affected not only by arsenic exposure from drinking water but also through other exposure pathways, e.g., through food and other dietary intake. The Congress has brought together professionals involved in different segments of interdisciplinary research in an open forum and strengthened relations between academia, industry, research laboratories, government agencies, and the private sector to create an optimal atmosphere for the exchange of knowledge, discoveries, and discussions about the problem of arsenic in the environment. The 5th International Congress As2014 was held May 11-16, 2014, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and entitled One Century of the Discovery of Arsenicosis in Latin America (1914-2014).
The session topics comprised:
Theme 1: Arsenic in environmental matrices (air, water and soil)
Theme 2: Arsenic in food
Theme 3: Arsenic and health
Theme 4: Removal technologies
Theme 5: Mitigation management and policy
Arsenic Research and Global Sustainability
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Date: June 19-23, 2016
List of participating countries (49)
India, USA, UK, The Netherlands, Spain, Canada, Pakistan, Mexico, Bangladesh, Sweden, Australia, Italy, Turkey, Uruguay, Argentina, Japan, Chile, Finland, Brazil, France, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Colombia, Ireland, Georgia, Czech Republic, Belgium, China, Russia, Peru, Taiwan, Republic of Korea, Scotland, Afghanistan, Sweden, Brazil, Ecuador, Denmark, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Myanmar, Tanzania, Oman, Finland, Serbia, South Africa, Monaco, Portugal
Highlights
Long-term exposure to low-to-medium levels of arsenic via contaminated food and drinking water can have a serious impact on human health, and globally, more than 100 million people are at risk. Since the end of the 20th century, arsenic in drinking water (mainly groundwater) has emerged as a global health concern. In the past decade, the presence of arsenic in plant foods – especially rice – has gained increasing attention. In the Nordic countries, in particular, the use of water-soluble inorganic arsenic chemicals (e.g., chromated copper arsenate, CCA) as wood preservatives and the mining of sulfidic ores have been flagged as health concerns. The issue has been accentuated by discoveries of naturally occurring arsenic in groundwater, primarily in private wells, in parts of the Fennoscandian Shield, and in sedimentary formations, with potentially detrimental effects on public health. Sweden has been at the forefront of research on the health effects of arsenic, technological solutions for arsenic removal, and sustainable mitigation measures for developing countries. Hosting this Congress in Sweden was also relevant because, historically, Sweden has been one of the leading producers of As2O3 and has emitted arsenic from the smelting industries in northern Sweden; it has successfully implemented actions to reduce industrial arsenic emissions and minimize the use of materials and products containing arsenic since 1977. The Congress has gathered professionals involved in different segments of interdisciplinary research in an open forum and strengthened relations between academia, industry, research laboratories, government agencies, and the private sector to share an optimal atmosphere for the exchange of knowledge, discoveries, and discussions about the problem of arsenic in the environment and catalyze the knowledge generation and innovations at a policy context to achieve the goals for post-2015 Sustainable Development. The 6th International Congress As2016 was held June 19-23, 2016, in Stockholm, Sweden, and was entitled Arsenic Research and Global Sustainability.
The Congress addressed the broader context of arsenic research along the following themes:
Theme 1: Arsenic in Environmental Matrices and Interactions (Air, Water, Soil and Biological Matrices)
Theme 2: Arsenic in Food Chain
Theme 3: Arsenic and Health
Theme 4: Clean Water Technology for Control of Arsenic
Theme 5: Societal issues, Policy Studies, Mitigation and Management
Environmental Arsenic in a Changing World
Location: Beijing, China
Date: July 1-6, 2018
List of participating countries (41)
India, USA, UK, Sweden, The Netherlands, Bangladesh, South Africa, Mexico, Argentina, Japan, Spain, Italy, Turkey, Belgium, Germany, China, Pakistan, Brazil, France, Denmark, Poland, Ecuador, Canada, Chile, Australia, Czech Republic, Uruguay, Peru, Taiwan, South Korea, Slovenia, Finland, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Serbia, Tanzania, Australia, Iran, Portugal, Bolivia, Cambodia
Highlights
Arsenic in drinking water (mainly groundwater) has emerged as a global health concern. During the last decade, the presence of arsenic in rice, possibly also other food of plant origins, has attained increasing attention. This is particularly true in Asian countries, where the use of high arsenic groundwater as a source of irrigation water and drinking water has been flagged as a severe health concern. This has been accentuated by elevated arsenic concentrations in deep groundwater recharged from shallow high arsenic groundwater, which may have further detrimental effects on public health. Notably, China has been at the forefront of research on arsenic biogeochemical cycling, the health effects of arsenic, technologies for arsenic removal, and sustainable mitigation measures. The Congress has provided an open forum for professionals involved in different segments of interdisciplinary research on arsenic and strengthened relations between academia, research institutions, government and non-governmental agencies, industries, and civil society organizations to create an optimal environment for the exchange of knowledge.The 7th International Congress As2018 was held July 1-6, 2018, in Beijing, P. R. China, and was entitled Environmental Arsenic in a Changing World.
The Congress addressed the broader context of arsenic research aligned on the following themes:
Theme 1: Arsenic Behaviour in Changing Environmental Media
Theme 2: Arsenic in a Changing Agricultural Ecosystem
Theme 3: Health Impacts of Environmental Arsenic
Theme 4: Technologies for Arsenic Immobilization and Clean Water Blueprints
Theme 5: Sustainable Mitigation and Management
Arsenic in the Environment: Bridging Science to Practice for Sustainable Development As2021
Location: Wageningen, The Netherlands
Date: June 7-9, 2021
List of participating countries (37)
India, USA, UK, Sweden, The Netherlands, Bangladesh, South Africa, Mexico, Turkey, Switzerland, Vietnam, Australia, Spain, Peru, Mauritius, Italy, Sri Lanka, France, Brazil, Ecuador, Argentina, Czech Republic, Portugal, Austria, Germany, Tanzania, China, Bulgaria, Poland, South Korea, Uruguay, Bolivia, Chile, Finland, Greece, Denmark
Highlights
The geological, geomorphological, and geochemical reasons for high arsenic concentrations in groundwater vary from place to place and require different mitigation policies and practices.Recent research suggests that even 10 ppb might not be a safe guideline for maximum arsenic in drinking water; therefore, many water utilities are beginning to explore new arsenic removal methods that can remove arsenic to extremely low levels. The 8th International Congress As2020 was held June 7-9, 2021 (first time digitally owing to the global COVID-19 pandemic, in Wageningen, The Netherlands, with the title Arsenic in the Environment – Bridging Science to Practice for Sustainable Development. The Congress addressed the broader context of arsenic research aligned with the following themes:
Theme 1: Arsenic in natural soil and water systems
Theme 2: Arsenic in agriculture and food production
Theme 3: Health impacts of arsenic
Theme 4: Technologies for arsenic removal from water
Theme 5: Sustainable mitigation and management
During the Congress, we collected a few take-home messages, important findings, or conclusions:
● Success is when the poorest child has access to clean water,
● Improve technologies with low costs and energy,
● People are the key, not the technology. The system approach is the way forward,
● Research is not only for journals but also for policymaking,
● Biologic conversion of arsenic may be part of the sustainable water treatment solution, and
● Recover resources from the water sector or use waste streams from other sectors to removearsenic from drinking water.