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IOCD/IUPAC Workshop on Environmental
Analytical Chemistry for Regulatory Chemists and Laboratory Managers
with Emphasis on Problems Related to Mining in Africa
Potchefstroom University, Republic of South Africa, Sept.
24-29, 2000
Access to Project
Description
Workshop Report
The Joint IOCD/IUPAC Working Party on Environmental Analytical
Chemistry (JWP) was formed by the International Organization for
Chemical Sciences in Development (IOCD) and the International Union
of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) in 1993 out of a realization
that developing countries need scientists and technical personnel
with internationally acceptable expertise and laboratories to perform
environmental monitoring. These countries struggle with global trade
restrictions, standards and environmental laws on monitoring of
pollutants in Air, Food, Water and Solid Wastes, but face a severe
lack of trained personnel to manage these tasks.
More
about
> Czech
Workshop, June 1999 - including access to >Program
outline >Workshop
report
> Problems
Related in Part to Mining in Africa - this project announcement
(Chem. Int. 22, 34-35, 2000)
> Project
description
The JWP organized this sub-Saharan African workshop in recognition
of a growing need in African countries for reliable and verifiable
environmental monitoring of agricultural and industrial pollution
of air, water, food and soil. All countries must possess a corps
of well trained regulatory chemists and laboratory managers with
capabilities to locate and perform the same official methods of
analysis as those used by importers, exporters, and polluting groups
(industry, governments, farmers, universities, etc.). As a contribution
to sub-Saharan countries, JWP joined with the South African Chemical
Institute (SACI) during their
SACI2000 annual national meeting. Working together with the chairman
of the SACI2000 local organizing committee, Dr.
Ernst Breet, Chairman of the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry,
Potchefstroom University, made our job easier for advertising, invitations,
accommodations, financing, reaching speakers and reaching attendees
needing financial assistance, social events, transportation, and
workshop services. Our objective was to make available to African
chemists relevant and up-to-date laboratory techniques, information,
and official analytical methods for analyzing pollutants (e.g.,
mining waste in drinking water) and for testing products for export
(e.g., aflatoxin in peanuts).
In addition, we encouraged network formation through use of the
Internet and The African Association for Pure and Applied Chemistry
(AAPAC) among the approximately
350 attendees. The topics and speakers were selected mainly by the
JWP, and those not selected were asked to give poster presentations.
The workshop covered following general topics:
-
Communications and information
-
Sampling and sample preparation
-
Air pollution
-
Water pollution
-
Laboratory management
-
Food contamination
-
Soil pollution
Speakers were assisted through the use of videos on the same topics.
Twenty-six papers were presented by nine Americans, one European,
and sixteen Africans. A detailed, final report is available from
the chairman as an e-mail and in hard form.
Dr. Jim Navratil, Professor, Clemson University, gave the plenary
lecture for the workshop. It was perfect as an introduction to the
talks that followed. Names of Workshop speakers with titles of talks,
names of participants receiving travel grants without presenting
talks, handouts, a list of videos available, a list poster sessions,
an evaluation of the workshop, a description of how this workshop
fulfills the goals of IUPAC, acknowledgments, and lists of donors
and the members of the JWP are given in the report.
Front row (left
to right):Dr. Ron Majors (Agilent Technologies), Prof. Jim Navratil
(Clemson University), Prof. Ernst Breet (Chairman, South African
Chemical Institute (SACI) and Organizing Committee), Dr. Walter
Benson (Co-Chair, IOCD/IUPAC JWP Workshop), Dr. Chrissie Reinecke
(Coordinator of SACI 2000, Potchefstroom University), and one of
150 other workshop registrants from sub-Saharan Africa.
Also shown are Dr.Bruce Rae (President SACI), Dr. A. Pohland (AOAC
International), Prof. Berhanu Abegas (University of Botswana), Dr.
Owodo (EPA of Ghana), Profs.Grebreyesus and Retta (A AU, Ethiopia),
Mr. Othieno (NEM, Uganda), Mr. A.Bera (Min. of the Envir., Madagascar)
and Prof. O.C.Othman (Tanzania).
For greater details of the SACI2000 national meeting, addresses
of participants, and abstracts of papers and poster sessions, readers
should consult the Final Program and Abstracts booklet of the 35th
Convention of the South African Chemical Institute, contact Prof.
Ernst Breet
Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Potchefstroom University
Potchefstroom 2520, Republic of South Africa,
E-mail: [email protected]
See also <http://www.iocd.org>
for more information.
Comments/Questions, contact Dr.
Walter R. Benson, Cochairman, IOCD / IUPAC Joint Working Party
on Environmental Analytical Chemistry in Developing Countries
<Report published in Chem.
Int.
23(2) 2001>
Page last modified 23 February 2001
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