ABSTRACT
The Congress "Arsenic in the Environment" offers an international, multi- and interdisciplinary discussion platform for research and innovation aimed towards a holistic solution to the problem posed by the environmental toxin arsenic, with significant societal impact. The Congress has focused on cutting edge and breakthrough research in physical, chemical, toxicological, medical, agricultural and other specific issues on arsenic across a broader environmental realm. The Biennial Congress "Arsenic in the Environment" was first organized in Mexico City (As2006) followed by As2008 in Valencia (Spain), As2010 in Tainan (Chinese Taiwan), As2012 in Cairns (Australia), As2014 in Buenos Aires (Argentina) and As2016 in Stockholm (Sweden).
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.
Arsenic in drinking water (mainly groundwater) has emerged as an issue of global health concern. During last decade, the presence of arsenic in rice, possibly also other food of plant origins, has attained increasing attention. This is particularly true in the Asian countries, where the use of high arsenic groundwater as source of irrigation water and drinking water has been flagged as severe health concern. This has been accentuated by elevating arsenic concentrations in deep groundwater recharged from shallow high arsenic groundwater, which may have further detrimental effects on public health. Notably, China has been in the forefront of research on arsenic biogeochemical cycling, health effects of arsenic, technologies for arsenic removal, and sustainable mitigation measures. The Congress has attracted professionals involved in different segments of interdisciplinary research on arsenic in an open forum, and strengthened relations between academia, research institutions, government and non-governmental agencies, industries, and civil society organizations to share an optimal ambience for exchange of knowledge.
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
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part |1 pages
Plenary presentations
section Section 1|204 pages
Arsenic behaviour in changing environmental media
section 1.1|42 pages
Sources, transport and fate of arsenic in changing groundwater systems
section 1.2|24 pages
Origin and reactivity of organic matter in high arsenic groundwater systems
section 1.3|40 pages
Biogeochemical processes controlling arsenic mobility, redox transformation and climate change impacts
section 1.4|22 pages
Arsenic and other trace elements in groundwater of China
section 1.5|12 pages
Spatial and temporal evolution of arsenic in mine waste and tailings
section 1.6|1 pages
Arsenic mobility and fate in contaminated soils and sediments
section 1.7|1 pages
Arsenic in dust and road deposits
section 1.8|1 pages
Advances and challenges in arsenic analysis in solid and aqueous matrix
section Section 2|84 pages
Arsenic in a changing agricultural ecosystem and food chain effects
section 2.1|24 pages
Processes and pathways of arsenic in agricultural ecosystems
section 2.2|8 pages
Arsenic dynamics in rhizosphere
section 2.3|13 pages
Microbial ecology of arsenic biotransformation in soils
section 2.4|10 pages
Molecular mechanisms of plant arsenic uptake
section 2.5|18 pages
Speciation and toxicity of arsenic in food chain
section 2.6|10 pages
Threshold values of food arsenic
section Section 3|84 pages
Health impacts of environmental arsenic
section 3.1|26 pages
Exposure and epidemiology of arsenic impacts on human health
section 3.2|10 pages
Genetic predisposition of chronic arsenic poisoning
section 3.3|6 pages
Reliable biomarkers for arsenic exposure
section 3.4|20 pages
Risk assessment of chronic ingestion
section 3.5|11 pages
Multi-metal synergies in chronic exposure cases
section 3.6|10 pages
Assessment of global burden of arsenic in drinking water and health care systems for exposed population
section Section 4|120 pages
Technologies for arsenic immobilization and clean water blueprints
section 4.1|120 pages
Adsorption and co-precipitation for arsenic removal
section 4.2|8 pages
Ion exchange and membrane technologies
section 4.3|16 pages
Nanotechnological applications in arsenic treatment
section 4.4|12 pages
Arsenic solidification and immobilization for contaminated soils
section 4.5|8 pages
Phytoremediation of arsenic-contaminated soils
section 4.6|33 pages
Innovative technologies
section Section 5|119 pages
Sustainable mitigation and management
section 5.1|13 pages
Societal involvement for mitigations of long-term exposure
section 5.2|5 pages
Policy instruments to regulate arsenic exposure
section 5.3|24 pages
Risk assessments and remediation of contaminated land and water environments – Case studies
section 5.4|47 pages
Mitigation and management of arsenic in a sustainable way
section 5.5|9 pages
Drinking water regulations of water safety plan
section 5.6|17 pages
Arsenic in drinking water and implementation plan for safe drinking water supply from sustainable development perspectives
