Hong Kong Universities To Hold Training Sessions On Sea-Related Toxins and Emerging Pollutants

 

A consortium of Hong Kong-based universities is holding two online trainings on “Pollution Assessment and Management (PAM)” and “Recent Advances in Marine Environmental Research” on November 26 and 27 respectively, as part of the last series of pre-2021 East Asian Seas Congress (EAS) collabs. The collabs are a mix of technical and knowledge-sharing sessions held in the lead up to the EAS Congress and organized by the Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) and other stakeholders.

 

The two-day technical sessions are co-organized by the State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution (SKLMP); City University of Hong Kong (CityU); Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyUHK); and the Department of Science and Environmental Studies, The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK).

 

Government representatives (including policy makers and environment authorities), environment consultants and practitioners, representatives from industries, scientists, academics, research students, and other interested individuals are invited to attend.

 

Training session on Pollution Assessment and Management (PAM)

 

PAM is a six-hour online training session happening on November 26, 2021 from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (GMT+8) that will introduce the fundamental concept and best practices in environmental risk assessment and management of chemical contaminants and give an overview on the frontier technologies in monitoring and assessment of marine pollution. Special focus will be placed on emerging chemicals of concern and the risks they pose to the marine ecosystem and public health.

 

For participants, expected outcomes include understanding the concepts and principles of environmental risk assessment, risk management, and communication as applied in practice. Attendees will also understand the basic risk assessment tools (i.e., prospective, retrospective and tiered approaches) for environmental risk management and learn about advanced methods for monitoring emerging chemicals of concern and their current status in coastal environments around the world. This training session will also enable participants to appreciate and employ modern approaches in pollution assessment and management in environmental policy formulation and decision making.

 

The program will be chaired by Professor Kenneth M. Y. Leung of SKLMP with Dr. Ling Jin of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, PolyUHK as co-chair.

 

Symposium on Recent Advances in Marine Environmental Research

 

A one-day symposium on November 27, 2021, from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (GMT+8)will feature a series of talks focusing on toxins or man-made substances that pollute the ocean or affect its living biodiversity. The symposium will consist of three interrelated themes: (1) innovative technologies in pollution monitoring and control; (2) environmental risk assessment of emerging chemicals of concern; and (3) ecological restoration. The symposium will conclude with a panel discussion with experts.

 

Participants will learn about the most recent technology for pollution monitoring and control; occurrence and impacts of emerging chemicals of concern; problems of eminent stressors such as hypoxia and algal toxins; and novel approaches in ecological restoration. Attendees will also have a chance to express their views on the challenges in marine environmental research during the panel discussion, paving the way for capacity building and research collaboration in the Asia-Pacific region.

 

Dr. Leo Chan, Associate Director, SKLMP and Dr. Henry He of the School of Energy and Environment, CityU, will facilitate the morning session.  The afternoon session will be chaired by Dr. Chan with Dr. James Fang, Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology and Research Institute for Future Food, PolyUHK. Professor Rudolf Wu, Department of Science and Environmental Studies, EdUHK, will moderate the panel discussion.

 

To register for both events, click on: https://forms.gle/k21qMAcUZSLpxG8EA.

 

The 2021 EAS Congress is happening on December 1-2 and organized by the Royal Government of Cambodia and PEMSEA. For more information on the 2021 EAS Congress, visit https://dev-pemseaorg.pantheonsite.io/eas-congress/.

 

MEDIA CONTACT:

(Ms) Reggie U. Olalia
PEMSEA Communications Specialist
Email: rolalia@pemsea.org
(63-2) 0917-9028121