Thu, 04/12/2025 - 08:30 to 17:00
Description
Sciensano is delighted to host this year’s BelTox-BEMS Annual Scientific Meeting on microplastics, organized by the Belgian Society for toxicology and ecotoxicology (BelTox) together with the Belgian Environmental Mutagen Society (BEMS) on the 4th of December at Sciensano premises in Brussels (Auditorium Storck, Rue Ernest Blerot, 1070 Anderlecht).
During this event, you will receive an introduction and general concepts of to the field of microplastics, you will gain insights into cutting-edge detection methodologies, including Pyr-GC/MS coupled with sp-ICP/MS and various microscopy techniques, and together we will explore the presence and impact of microplastics in agricultural soil.
Furthermore, we will discuss the interdisciplinary advancements in ecotoxicology, analytics, and human health related to microplastics. We will also address toxicity through in vivo and alternative models, as well as the significant challenges microplastics pose for risk assessment, specifically concerning data quality and health effects.
The day will conclude with discussions on mitigation measures, insights into EU-funded research, and an awards ceremony before the meeting’s closure. Similar to previous editions, a dedicated Young Scientists Competition will provide a platform for young researchers to present their work, and you will have plenty of networking opportunities during the coffee breaks and poster sessions.
Programme
8:30 Registration
8:45 Welcome by BelTox & BEMS Chairs
9:00 Addressing the challenges related to human and environmental exposure to microplastic particles - Todd Gouin, TG Environmental Research (United Kingdom)
9:35 Micro- and nanoplastic detection using Pyr-GC/MS coupled with sp-ICP/MS and different microscopy techniques — Milica Velimirovic, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (Belgium)
10:00 From macro to microplastic pollution in soil: occurrence and potential effects on soil and plant health — Caroline De Tender, Ghent University (Belgium)
10:25 Q&A session
10:40 Coffee break — poster session
11:10 Young Scientists Competition, 4x(10’ ppt + 5’ Q&A)
12:10 General Assemblies BelTox and BEMS
12:25 Lunch — poster session
13:30 Interdisciplinary advances in (eco-) toxicology and analytics research — Christian Laforsh, University of Bayreuth (Germany)
13:50 Alternative models to assess microplastics toxicity — Karen Smeets, University of Hasselt (Belgium)
14:10 Challenges of microplastics research in risk assessment: Data quality and health effects — Erik Rushton, Lyondell Basell (The Netherlands)
14:30 Q&A session
14:45 Coffee break — poster session
15:15 Microplastics mitigation measures — Ana Catarino, Flanders Marine Institute (Belgium)
15:45 EU funded research on microplastics — Rita Araujo, DG Research and Innovation (Belgium)
16:15 Q&A session
16:45 Awards ceremony
17:00 Closure of Annual Meeting
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