Organising two sessions at SETAC Seville 2024
If you are planning on submitting an abstract for SETAC Seville (5–9 May 2024), consider sending it to one of the sessions I’m helping to organise! The session descriptions are below, and check out the conference website for more information!
Title: Advancing the Use of Effect-Based Approaches for Water Quality Assessment
Chairs: Alvine Mehinto, Michael Bertram, Beate Escher, William Goodfellow
Abstract: Whole Effluent Toxicity Testing (WET) and Whole Effluent Assessment (WEA) have been used since the 1940s to evaluate the toxicity of chemical mixtures in wastewater effluents and receiving ambient waters. But scientists are now questioning the ecological relevance of using short-term exposures to assess a limited suite of high-level endpoints (mortality, growth, reproduction) typically impacted after longer exposure periods. To supplement current assessment methods, scientist worldwide including in Europe, are proposing the use of novel effect-based methods (EBM). These high-throughput methods include well-plated in vivo assays and cell-based in vitro assays. EBMs offer a rapid means to assess the impact of complex chemical mixtures extracted from diverse water types on sensitive cellular and subcellular endpoints, and to predict their effects on key biological functions such as reproduction, development but also behavior, metabolism and cellular/molecular damage. Combined with analytical methods, EBMs can also help identify specific toxicants of concern for aquatic and human health. In recent years, EBMs have transitioned to pilot-scale implementations by policy makers, water treatment agencies and other water quality managers. This session will highlight the use of high-throughput in vivo and in vitro methods to improve the relevance of toxicity assessment. Case studies and policy application (planned and existing) of EBMs for water quality monitoring and water safety planning will be presented. The platform and poster presentations selected will demonstrate how EBMs supplement conventional monitoring practices and their limitations. Lessons learned and future directions to advance the use of EBMs in water quality assessment will be discussed.
Title: The chemical defensome: novel insights into the mechanisms of defense allowing species to cope with environmental pollution
Chairs: Marco E. Franco, Michael G. Bertram, Daniel Cerveny, Vladimír Žlábek
Abstract: Determining chemically driven alterations to the integrity of individuals and populations is critical for proper environmental risk assessment and management. In this regard, organisms possess an inherent ability to display biological traits and processes that allow them to cope with chemical pollution while minimizing adverse effects. Such collections of genes, proteins, and pathways correspond to the chemical defensome. In general, environmental sensing and subsequent response mechanisms allowing individuals to maintain fitness are highly conserved across species, yet their differential inducibility and magnitude of activity often dictate how different species respond to chemical stress. Moreover, other environmental factors (e.g. temperature, nutrition) could influence the activity of the chemical defensome and potentially impair the ability of organisms to adequately respond to pollution. This session aims to highlight recent advances on specific chemical–organism interactions and detoxification mechanisms that allow vertebrate and non-vertebrate species to cope with chemical exposure. Research work included in the session will cover assessments of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters, cellular receptors, phase I and II biotransformation pathways, responses against oxidative stress (antioxidant enzymes), and other cellular factors that contribute to defense against xenobiotic exposure and effects. The session also welcomes contributions on interspecific differences and the role of abiotic factors that could alter the function of the chemical defensome. Advancing the field of environmental toxicology not only requires a comprehensive estimation of adverse effects resulting from chemical exposure but also knowledge the importance of the defensome across species and environmental scenarios.
