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12th International Summer School at RECETOX

The National Centre for Toxic Compounds, the Stockholm Convention Regional Centre, in collaboration with its RECETOX large research infrastructure organized the 12th International Summer School on Toxic Substances in Brno, Czech Republic, 13-17 June 2016. There were more than 40 participants from 15 countries around the world.


There was a proportionate participation of both the decision makers from ministries and national authorities and the researchers. The following countries of the Central and Eastern European region had their representatives in the course: Armenia, Croatia, Czech Republic, fYRoM, Moldova, Poland, and Slovakia. In addition to renowned European specialists, there were also lecturers from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) and 25 in-house RECETOX staff - both academic staff, researchers and specialists.

This year, the summer school focused on the indoor environment and releases of toxic substances therein (not to the work environment, but rather to a residential environment) and on methods of their determination, transfer, as well as assessment of their impacts on human health. In practical exercise, the participants had the opportunity to use sampling methods for indoor environment themselves and analyze their samples in laboratories and by ecotoxicological tests (bioassays) to determine the toxicity of samples taken from various matrices. In addition, they learned the theory and recent research advances from Dr. Stuart Harrad (University of Birmingham), leading researcher in the indoor environment investigation, on exposure routes in the indoor environment and on releases of chemicals from personal care products and articles. Then, Katarina Magulová from the Secretariat of the Stockholm Convention (BRS) discussed international measures to protect health and the environment from chemicals, and Dr. Lisbet Knudsen (University of Copenhagen) and Dr. Amrit Kaur Sakhi (National health Institute in Norway, NIPH) introduced the participants to the results of exposure and risk assessment studies of bisphenol A, phthalates, and glyphosate. Moreover, the summer school also built capacities on using the data obtained - be it in exposome research, in (longitudinal) cohort studies, or in effectiveness evaluation of legislative measures adopted at the national or global level, and this information was provided by RECETOX in-house staff. Further to lectures and laboratory exercise, a traditional field trip to the EMEP sampling site at Košetice, Czech Republic took place, and two special events were organized - a guided tour to Brno and Starobrno brewery excursion - to let the participants benefit from the bustling host town.

Last but not least, we gladly acknowledge that the Ministry of Environment of the Czech Republic continues to support capacity building in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and kindly provided funding for participation of one representative of Moldova, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and from Armenia.

12.7.2016


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