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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).

Chem. Int.
bookshelf
Chemistry in Africa

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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