Over-the-counter sunscreen products have been used around the world for nearly 80 years. Yet, the consequences of sunscreen as a source of chemicals introduced to the freshwater and marine ecosystem are poorly understood. The science literature suggests certain sunscreen products, formulations, or ingredients may be harmful to aquatic life. For example, some studies, largely laboratory-based, suggest oxybenzone promotes bleaching, genotoxic effects, and skeletal changes in coral larvae and disruption of endocrine function in fish . Similar studies have prompted several countries to ban or consider banning the sale of sunscreen products or certain product formulations.

In the US, the 2014 Sunscreen Innovation Act instructed the federal government to examine the environmental effects of 16 active ingredients (AI) in sunscreen products: p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), avobenzone, cinoxate, dioxybenzone, ensulizole, homosalate, meradimate, octinoxate, octisalate, octocrylene, oxybenzone, padimate O, sulisobenzone, titanium dioxide, trolamine salicylate, and zinc oxide.

Several important questions, however, remain unanswered?what studies and assessment methods are useful for evaluating risks of sunscreen products on aquatic organisms; how can laboratory studies be extrapolated to biota and habitat effects in the aquatic environment; in the absence of complete information, how should concerns about effects on freshwater or marine ecosystems influence coastal protection policies; what work is needed to distinguish environmental effects due to sunscreen ingredients from other stressors; are certain environments, endangered species, other aquatic organisms, or distant ocean environments more or less susceptible than others to the presence of sunscreen products, formulations, or ingredients?

IEAM invites papers describing the current state of knowledge regarding risk assessment of sunscreen products and risk management practices to protect aquatic ecosystems. Scientists and professionals are invited to submit papers describing the environmental research needed to improve current knowledge and answer questions addressing the potential for exposure, effects, and management practices to protect aquatic ecosystems. Papers on environmental management solutions and practices that support trade-offs between protection of human health and ecology when implementing regulatory guidance are invited. Papers may describe new assessment and monitoring methods, management best practices, or scientific research; papers that describe case studies, governmental policies, business strategies, and science-to-policy assessments are also encouraged. Focus on different aspects of this issue at the global, regional, or national level is welcomed. Successful submissions will benefit from international visibility through publication as examples of thought leadership.

Dates to Remember

• Commitment to participate: 30 June 2020
• Anticipated publication: Early 2021

Instructions for Submission

Authors intending to participate in the special series must submit a short abstract to the IEAM Editorial Office at ieam_editor@setac.org. Abstracts must include a tentative title, co-authors, and brief description (max. 250 words) of the paper. Upon acceptance, authors will be invited to submit their manuscript as a Brief Communication at https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ieam.

Papers must conform to IEAM author guidelines. Brief Commentaries should not exceed 10 double-spaced pages (including text, tables, and figures). Papers will be independently peer reviewed in accordance with IEAM?s double-blind review process. IEAM is published bimonthly and indexed in Journal Citation Reports and SCOPUS. Address inquires to ieam_editor@setac.org.

Environmental Risk Assessment of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)

• Guest Editors: Mark Johnson, Robert Buck, Ian Cousins, Christopher Weis, and Suzanne Fenton
• Due Date: June 2020

Aqueous Film Forming Foam and Environmental Contamination

• Guest Editors: SERDP
• Due Date: June 2020

Recent Advances in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Research in China

• Guest Editors: Kenny Leung, Eddy Zeng, Xiaowei Zhang
• Due Date: September 2020

Pharmaceuticals in the Environment: Advances in Exposure, Hazard and Risk Assessment

• Guest Editor: Gerd Maack
• Due Date: September 2020

To contribute to a special section, submit your paper and pick the relevant section from the dropdown menu.

We are working to identify a time to hold the meeting in the future and will communicate updates as soon as they become available.

What happens if I submitted an abstract, session or a training course proposal?
Since science is continually evolving, we understand that you might want to update your submission or proposal for a future meeting. Once we have new dates and submission deadlines, we will contact you. In the meantime, we recommend you consider SETAC events and publications for your science communication needs.

I have already registered for the meeting. Will I be refunded?
Those who have already registered for the event will get a complete refund to the original method of payment.

We also want to thank all our participants and supporters, who have dedicated much of their time and efforts for preparing for this meeting so far. We appreciate your patience as we work out some of the details of postponing the SETAC World Congress. Please check the meeting website periodically as we will post updates there as soon as they become available.

The 2020s is a transformative decade for human interaction with the environment, largely inspired by the United Nations? call for global action through 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Scientific research and environmental management practices can lead the way to sustainability in all sectors of our society. Several SDGs, in particular, aim to reduce our environmental footprint and preserve, protect and restore the planet?s ecological well-being.

Six notable SDGs deserve special attention because these SDGs are focused specifically on the need to change human behavior towards nature with respect to food production (SDG#2), water management (SDG#6), and ocean resources (SDG#14); the importance of nature-based solutions to vexing environmental challenges in the built environment (SDG#11); and, the need to mitigate the consequences of climate change (SDG#13) and biodiversity loss (SDG#15). These 6 SDGs are the focus of IEAM?s Call for Papers.

IEAM is inviting papers that promote better understanding of how scientific research is influencing environmental management of surface water, land and ocean resources. The special series seeks to call attention to projects and practices linking science to commercial activities and governmental policy. Successful short papers will have international visibility and contribute to the growing global awareness of the value of sustainable use of the planet?s resources.

IEAM is inviting papers describing environmental research and policy solutions relevant to promoting sustainability. Scientists and professionals are invited to present their work from the perspective of how the science community contributes to SDG implementation through new technologies, assessment and monitoring methods, management best practices, and scientific research. Papers may describe case studies, regulatory policies, business strategies, and science-to-policy assessments aimed at sustainability in various economic and social sectors around the world. Papers may focus on different aspects of issues concerning the conservation and sustainable use of land, air, or water resources at the global, regional, and national levels.

Commitment to Participate: 31 May
Manuscript Submission Deadline: Early 2021

Instructions for Submission

Authors intending to participate in the special series must submit a short abstract to the IEAM Editorial Office at ieam_editor@setac.org. Abstracts must include a tentative title, co-authors and brief description (max. 250 words) of the paper. Upon acceptance, authors will be invited to submit their manuscript as a Brief Communication at https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ieam.

Papers must conform to IEAM author guidelines. Brief Commentaries should not exceed 10 double-spaced pages (including text, tables and figures). Papers will be independently peer-reviewed in accordance with IEAM?s double-blind review process. IEAM is published bimonthly and indexed in Journal Citation Reports and SCOPUS. Address inquires to ieam_editor@setac.org.

Deep-sea mining is emerging as a viable commercial sector because of notable technological advances in remote sensing and the ability to operate equipment under tremendous physical pressures at the bottom of the ocean. Deep-sea mining targets minerals such as copper, nickel and cobalt used for telecommunications and energy storage. Rather than digging to great depths as in surface mining, deep-sea mining involves extracting minerals over wide areas of the sea floor, leaving a vast surface footprint potentially affecting deep-sea habitats. Rules governing the deep-sea mining industry are currently being drafted by the International Seabed Authority (ISA). Before any regulations with clear guidance and limitations can be set up by the ISA or any other authority, scientific work is needed describing deep-sea ecosystems (i.e., physical, chemical and biotic conditions) to support definition of baseline conditions, set threshold values and propose performance standards. Risk assessment and impact analyses are also needed to estimate the potential negative consequences on aquatic life.

As governments prepare to set rules and deep-sea mining operations begin in the southern Pacific Ocean, now is the time to reflect on current knowledge of deep seabed ecosystems and the research needed to properly regulate and monitor deep-sea mining activities. Scientists are urging international and national authorities to recognize the need for scientific study because of the potential threat to deep-sea habitats and both rare and unique marine species. The consequences of introducing sediment clouds, noise, toxic chemicals, vibrations, and other forms of pollution into pristine environments is unknown. Some fear this may lead to the loss of undiscovered species and, in the absence of ecological understanding, confound mitigation offsets and efforts to protect biodiversity.

IEAM invites papers describing the current state of science regarding deep-sea ocean ecosystems and the likely ecological footprints, risks and consequences of deep-sea mining. Successful submissions will benefit from international visibility through publication as examples of thought leadership.

Scientists and professionals are invited to submit papers describing the environmental research needed to supplement current knowledge of deep-sea ocean ecosystems and the possible impacts of seabed mining, as well as policy solutions and practices that will aid in the implementation of industry guidance prepared by ISA and other authorities responsible for oversight of this new industry sector. Papers are invited describing new assessment and monitoring methods, management best practices and scientific research. Papers are encouraged that describe case studies, governmental policies, business strategies and science-to-policy assessments. Papers may focus on different aspects of the environmental consequences of deep-sea mining at the global, regional and national levels.

Dates to Remember

• Commitment to participate: 15 May 2020
• Anticipated publication: Late 2020

Instructions for Submission

Authors intending to participate in the special series must submit a short abstract to the IEAM Editorial Office at ieam_editor@setac.org. Abstracts must include a tentative title, co-authors and brief description (max. 250 words) of the paper. Upon acceptance, authors will be invited to submit their manuscript as a Brief Communication.

Papers must conform to IEAM author guidelines. Brief Commentaries should not exceed 10 single-sided, double-spaced pages (including text, tables and figures). Papers will be independently peer-reviewed in accordance with IEAM?s double-blind review process. IEAM is published bimonthly and indexed in Journal Citation Reports and SCOPUS. Address inquires to ieam_editor@setac.org.

Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) are a diverse class of chemicals that have been used for several decades in a wide array of industrial and consumer products, including firefighting foams, anti-stain products for carpet and upholstery, and non-stick cookware. At present, over 5,000 PFAS are on regulatory chemical registration lists. Many PFAS are persistent in the environment and have been found in terrestrial and aquatic biota and all environmental compartments. Several state, national environmental agencies and international organizations recognize PFAS as an emerging contaminant of concern and many have developed criteria that differ in their interpretation of the available ecotoxicological and exposure data.

Scientists and policy-makers recognize the need for a better understanding of methods for assessing the potential for exposure and ecological risks associated with PFAS. Further, approaches are needed to support a science-based framework for conducting site-specific ecological risk assessments in terrestrial and aquatic environments. Thus, guidance from regulatory authorities is needed on approaches to quantitatively assess and manage PFAS risks, a tiered framework to assess PFAS environmental exposure, risk to various species, and a risk characterization approach for invertebrates, plants, fish and wildlife potentially exposed to PFAS.

To promote understanding of best practices for performing ecological risk assessments for PFAS in the environment, IEAM invites short papers describing environmental research and recommendations for performing risk assessments that support environmental cleanup actions and the derivation of regulatory threshold limit values for PFAS in air, soil, and water intended to protect biota. Scientists and professionals are invited to review and comment on the current understanding of ecotoxicological, exposure, risk assessment and risk management knowledge as it applies to current ecological risk assessment practices, guidelines governing PFAS for the protection of non-human biota, and future research needs and the direction of regulation and management of PFAS in the environment. Papers may describe case studies, governmental policies, and science-to-policy assessments. Papers may focus on different aspects of ecological risk assessment of plants, invertebrates, herptiles, fish, birds and mammals at varying spatial scales.

Dates to Remember

• Commitment to participate: 15 May 2020
• Anticipated publication: Late 2020

Instructions for Submission

Authors intending to participate in the special series must submit a short abstract to the IEAM Editorial Office at ieam_editor@setac.org. Abstracts must include a tentative title, co-authors and brief description (max. 250 words) of the paper. Upon acceptance, authors will be invited to submit their manuscript as a Brief Communication.

Papers must conform to IEAM author guidelines. Brief Commentaries should not exceed 10 single-sided, double-spaced pages (including text, tables and figures). Papers will be independently peer-reviewed in accordance with IEAM?s double-blind review process. IEAM is published bimonthly and indexed in Journal Citation Reports and SCOPUS. Address inquires to ieam_editor@setac.org.

Thanks to our SETAC members, we had another phenomenal year advancing Environmental Quality Through Science?. Here are some of the highlights of what we accomplished in 2019. Many of the resources are available for free and can be shared with your friends and colleagues.

SETAC Science Communication

Our members communicated to other scientists and non-scientists about trending issues in a variety of ways.

Technical Issue Papers (TIPs) for Other Scientists 

• Recommended Minimum Reporting Information for Environmental Toxicity Studies
• OMICS: Complete Systems, Complete Analyses
• Alternative Approaches to Aquatic Vertebrate Toxicity Tests

Science Briefs (Briefs) for Non-Scientists

• Taking the Mystery Out of Toxicity Testing
• Plastics Pollution: A Breakdown

Check the Science Corner for additional collated materials on trending issues.

SETAC Journals

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry and Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management are proud to report improvements in their impact factors, large numbers of journal article downloads, widespread press coverage and several virtual issues on hot topics:

Virtual Issues on Hot Topics

• Environmental Risk Assessment of PFAS
• Microplastics in the Environment
  

Top Three Most Downloaded Articles

ET&C

• Creation of a Curated Aquatic Toxicology Database: EnviroTox
• Toward the Development and Application of an Environmental Risk Assessment Framework for Microplastic
• Species Sensitivity Distributions for Use in Environmental Protection, Assessment, and Management of Aquatic Ecosystems for 12,386 Chemicals
  

IEAM

• Scientific Integrity Issues in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry: Improving Research Reproducibility, Credibility, and Transparency
• Science?based Targets for Antibiotics in Receiving Waters from Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Operations
• Estimating the Mass of Chemicals Associated with Ocean Plastic Pollution to Inform Mitigation Efforts
  

News Coverage

Research published in the SETAC journals has resulted in news coverage, social media shares and blog posts. Here are some highlights from 2019:

Case of the poisoned songbird Press release Beyond Pesticides Blog   Altmetric report Crappy news for the dung beetle and those who depend on them Press release National Geographic Altmetric report When naproxen breaks down, toads croak Press release Chemical and Engineering News Altmetric report

SETAC Books

SETAC digitized several classic books this past year and made them available for free online. Additionally, we published a joint publication with the United Nations Environment Programme Life Cycle Initiative.

Growing Values

SETAC members developed policies and guidelines to reflect our values and to recommit to high standards of excellence.

• SETAC Declaration on Research Integrity
• SETAC Sustainability Guideline
• SETAC Code of Ethics
  

SETAC Multidisciplinary Meetings

SETAC organized four global meetings, a Special Science Symposium and two Focused Topic Meetings (FTMs). SETAC student members organized another successful Young Environmental Scientist (YES) Meeting.

8th YES Meeting February 2019 SETAC Globe article Abstract book

SETAC Cape Town May 2019 Held jointly with SRA Abstract book

SETAC Helsinki May 2019 Keynote recordings Abstract book

Fund?o Dam Spill June 2019 SETAC Globe article Program

PFAS Assessment August 2019 Shared presentations Abstract book

SETAC Cartagena September 2019 Shared presentations Abstract book

SETAC Toronto November 2019 Shared presentations Abstract book

Soil Biodiversity November 2019 Shared presentations SETAC Globe article

During the 2019 SETAC North America board elections, members voted on a total of five new representatives as three government, one business and one student representative rotated off the board. The newly elected officials were inducted during the SETAC North America 40th Annual Meeting, which was held from 3?7 November in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The newly elected officers are:

Government Sector

• Walter Berry, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, USA
  
• Nile Kemble, U.S. Geological Survey, USA
• Cynthia Stahl, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, USA

Business Sector

• Sarah Hughes, Shell Oil Company, USA

Student Representative

• James Feller, Ohio State University, USA
  

To learn more about each elected officer, visit the SETAC North America Board of Directors page.

Thanks to the Outgoing Board Members for Their Exceptional Service

SETAC North America sincerely thanks the outgoing board members for their exceptional service and all they have accomplished during their time on the board:

• John Toll, Windward Environmental, USA
• Jeffery Steevens, Federal Government, USA
• Sarah Bowman, State Government, USA
• Jim Lazorchak, Federal Government, USA
• Leah Thornton Hampton, University of North Texas, USA

For more information, please contact the SETAC North America office at setac@setac.org.

Send your best research topic for platform and poster presentations in selected tracks and sessions by 27 November!

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (ET&C) is accepting nominations for editorial board members in the areas of environmental toxicology (terrestrial, aquatic, and/or plants), environmental chemistry, nanomaterials, non-chemical ecological stressors, human health from environmental exposures, remediation and restoration, and hazard/risk assessment. The primary duty of the editorial board is the review of manuscripts submitted to ET&C. Candidates should be experienced reviewers who are able to respond promptly to requests for peer reviews. All candidates should be members of SETAC or willing to join. Send resumes and CVs and the completed nomination form to the ET&C editorial office at etc@setac.org by 1 October.

Editor Nominations

ET&C is also accepting nominations for new editors in environmental toxicology (terrestrial, aquatic, and/or plants), environmental chemistry, nanomaterials, non-chemical ecological stressors, human health from environmental exposures, remediation and restoration, and hazard/risk assessment. Editors manage the peer review process for manuscripts submitted to ET&C. Excellent organizational skills, timeliness and considerable tact are required. Nominees should have previous service on the ET&C editorial board, service on a similar board, or extensive reviewing and editing experience. Editors should be willing to serve five years, with possible renewal. All candidates should be members of SETAC or willing to join. Send resumes and CVs and the completed nomination form to the ET&C editorial office at etc@setac.org by 1 October.

Please note that the videos are in Spanish and Portuguese.

Eutrophication has a profound negative impact on the aquatic ecosystem. This ecological process characterized by the increase of nutrients, mainly phosphorus and nitrogen, can result in cyanobacterial blooms, which can have toxic effects on aquatic organisms. Water supply reservoirs are constantly impacted by anthropogenic activities, which can result in eutrophication of these water bodies and consequently create the presence of cyanobacterial blooms. The cyanotoxins that are most commonly found in the water supply reservoirs of South Brazil are microcystins and saxitoxins. Studies carried out in two freshwater fish reservoirs have reported adverse effects such as oxidative stress, alteration in osmoregulation and genotoxicity. Due to the persistence of these toxins in fish muscles, they can be transferred through the food chain, causing a risk to human health.

The course will be held from 18?22 February, at the University of Osnabr?ck, in Germany.

??More information and registration at https://bit.ly/2CumX7C

Self-nominations are also possible for some awards.

SETAC Europe Awards:

* Young Scientist Award (YSA) for the Best Platform and Best Poster Presentation

* Best Publication Award

* Environmental Education Award

* Life Cycle Assessment Young Scientist Award

Have a look at the tracks and sessions:https://bit.ly/2ye23Yv

In order to reach our target community, we invite you to submit a webinar proposal to disseminate your work by presenting slides or videos on the SETAC YouTube account, where your material can be shared freely and reach a broad audience.

GHSP is a SETAC initiative that aims to collect and prioritize the most important future environmental quality research questions as recognized by scientists and engineers from around the world. In 2015, a GHSP workshop was held in Buenos Aires, and as a result, 100 questions were received from SETAC members and other researchers and scientists as environmental priority needs to be addressed in the region. These questions were examined, classified and organized, and now the top 20 questions are considered as part of a long-term strategic research plan in Latin America. Here are the identified topics:

Environmental Chemistry

• Adsorption/release of toxic compounds from plastic wastes
• Impacts of pharmaceuticals in aquatic ecosystems
• Quality criteria and limits for environmental legislation
• Quantification of contaminant metabolites and breakdown products in abiotic and biotic matrices

Ecotoxicology

• Climate change influence on fate and effects of pollutants
• Extrapolation of results from regulatory single species toxicity test to local taxa and scenarios
• Understanding the complexity of pesticide toxicology in ecosystems
• Laboratory and field methods and approaches to address ecological complexity 

Health, CECs and Environment

• Impacts of nanomaterials on ecosystems and human health
• Algal toxins production and risk for human health 

Risk Assessment

• Characterization of individual and combined risks of diffuse chemical contaminants
• Development and refinement of tools for sustainable production and use of chemicals
• Risks characterization of pulp mills effluents for human and the environment 

Environmental Management and Policy

• Continuous improvement of the maximum limits of toxicity for agriculture, and domestic and industrial effluents, while maintaining ecosystem services
• Current environmental regulations effectiveness and its implementation and enforcement in Latin America
• Standardization and harmonization across Latin American countries
• Effectiveness of protected areas to safeguard biodiversity from pollutants
• Risk management improvement for solid wastes

Spotlight on Latin America

• Sensitivity information of regional species for better prediction of impacts on local ecosystems
• Impact evaluation of natural resources extraction
• Tools for characterizing and classifying industrial and residential effluents 

If you are interested in contributing, please contact Luciane Maranho at lmaranho@gmail.com or Ana Cione at ana.cione@syngenta.com. 

Some videos from the SETAC Latin America webinar series are already available:

• Impacts of Pharmaceuticals in Aquatic Ecosystems
• Latin America Ecotoxicology Effluents Regulation: Status, Equalization and Progressive Goals

Related links:

• Furley et al. (2018). Toward sustainable environmental quality: Identifying priority research questions for Latin America. Integr Environ Assess Manag, 14: 344-357. 
  https://setac.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ieam.2023

SETAC Latin America, as part of the Global Horizon Scanning Project, identified the top 20 priority research questions for the region. This webinar series addresses ?Impacts of Pharmaceuticals in Aquatic Ecosystems,? one of the top questions that were identified, and it focuses on detection and effects of pharmaceuticals in aquatic environment and implications of environmental stressors.

Although present at low concentrations at the ng L^-1 to ?g L^-1 range, there is growing concerns related to detection of pharmaceuticals in sewage water treatment plant effluents, surface waters, sediment and biota. In fact, enough evidence suggests not only pharmaceutical contamination worldwide but also toxic effects on aquatic organisms. The constant release of these bioactive compounds into aquatic environment may exert unwanted effects through various biological pathways including bioaccumulation. The potential risk of pharmaceuticals in aquatic environment is scarce considering future production increase due to human population growth and taking into account environmental perturbations (abiotic factors).

Theme of the symposium is "Food, Fibre, Feed, Fertiliser, Fuel and Other Resources: The Role of LCA in Shaping the Future" with a focus on the application of LCA in case studies.

This event, organised in cooperation with BOKU University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, will be held from 24?26 September in Vienna, Austria.

Deadline for the abstract submission is 13 June!

For more information, go to http://bit.ly/2oHKifh

SETAC Europe Interest Group (IG) on Science and Risk Communication (SCIRIC) is organising a symposium on "Human Health Risk Assessment of antibiotic resistance development in the environment:State of the science 6 years after the Quebec workshop" on Sunday 13 May, in Rome, Italy.

Abstract submission for SETAC Europe Special Science Symposium (SESSS), which will be held from 23?24 October in Brussels, Belgium, is now open!

This symposium is a must for everyone involved in environmental risk assessment and who wants to learn more about the needs and challenges to adapt the latest mechanistic ecological modelling approaches to the different regulatory risk assessment schemes.

The SESSS will kick off with the regulatory views of EFSA, European Commission and ECHA, covering current practices and outlook and challenges for the implementation of new developments into the risk assessment schemes of the different chemical regulations. This will be followed by a series of presentations by key experts on novel experimental and modelling approaches, as well as successful case studies on how these approaches can inform future environmental risk assessments of chemicals in a regulatory context.

More information about the meeting programme and abstract submission at https://sesss13.setac.org/programme/backgroundscope/

For more information about the roles, available positions, what SETAC Europe offers and how to apply, visit rome.setac.org. Apply by 26 February.