The UN Water Action Decade (2018-2028) aims to transform water management through innovative programmes, groundbreaking projects, and dynamic partnerships. Aligned with the UN SDG No 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), our mission is to simplify solutions for regions plagued by poor water quality and water scarcity. Even in Europe, it is estimated that by 2050, 20 million of people will be at potential health risk due to water quality issues. The presence of a large number of different chemicals in very low concentrations is the one of the challenges identified. Recent policy advancements in both the EU and the US have therefore highlighted the need to fine-tune wastewater and drinking water treatment based on knowledge gained in water chemistry and technology. The aim of the session is to present the latest advancements and lessons learned in

• innovative wastewater treatment processes,
• fate and behaviour of inorganic and organic substances in wastewater and drinking water treatment,
• wastewater based epidemiology,
• water reuse,
• waste handling in water treatment,
• nutrient cycles in wastewater treatment,
• climate change impacts on the water stress and scarcity.

Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CEC) are unregulated chemicals, continuously present in environment due to their incomplete removal mainly from wastewater, but also due to new inputs from consumer products. Therefore, it is necessary to understand their fate and impact on the environment and human health. Information about the presence of CECs in all environmental compartments, particularly in an alternative water resource, such as reclaimed urban wastewater, that may be used for several purposes, and especially in agriculture, appears to be of priority importance. Accordingly, a major scientific challenge is reflected in the efforts of wide range and advanced CEC environmental monitoring that would contribute to a better understanding of the unclear and long-term and long-range behaviour of these compounds that has not been widely addressed yet. This session is suitable for research results on the occurrence and fate of the CECs and their transformation products in the various environmental compartments including their up-take by edible or grazing crops, including the resulting risks to humans and other living species. This session welcomes all abstracts/papers that will reveal new results and valuable discussions about the chemical status of the environment and give insight into the spatial and temporal occurrence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products, biocides, per and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, bisphenols, soluble polymers, persistent, mobile and toxic (PMT) and vPvM (very persistent and very mobile substances)as well as bacteria of human and/or animal origin, resistant to antibiotics and antibiotic-resistant genes.

A multitude of anthropogenic activities lead to the deliberate or unintended formation and emission of man-made particles such as nanomaterials or microplastics into the environment. They widely differ in their chemical composition, physical appearance and corresponding chemical/physical properties, which in turn influences their occurrence, fate and behavior in the environment. Not only their diversity, but also the fact that they are outnumbered by far by natural (geo- or biogenic) particles in most compartments makes their isolation, detection and quantification challenging and requires dedicated analytical procedures and instrumentation. Ecosystems and their biological endmembers at all levels are exposed to this zoo of particles and therefore potentially at risk. In this session, we welcome contributions that deal with all of the above indicated fate, behavior and ecotoxicity processes.

Sustainable development demands a new policy concerning waste streams, which, especially within the EU, should comply with the European Green Deal. Waste streams are generated by production and consumption of goods. The impact on the environment is caused by emissions to air, water, and soil, with a potential risk for humans and ecosystems. Therefore, it’s imperative to enhance sustainable waste streams management practices. Implementing effective waste streams management solutions yields various benefits, including:

• Economic, by increasing the efficiency in production and consumption through recovery and reuse of valuable waste streams;
• Environmental, by decreasing the adverse impacts through reduction of pollution, carbon and water footprints;
• Social, by improving life quality and creating new employments.

The session focuses on the sustainable management of waste streams, eliminating pollution and achieving the “zero waste” target by using waste as a source for soil amendments, green energy, and new materials for water treatment. An important role in waste streams treatment is played using new sustainable technologies, like biochar technology, biotechnology, methods for creating novel adsorbents and catalysts and other technologies and methods for innovative treatment of waste streams. Submissions covering these areas and focusing on materials and processes to achieve the goals of sustainable development are welcome.

The session would be divided into different topics and one of the topics would be Critical Raw Materials related to impact and society. Critical Raw Materials have high economic importance and high risk associated with their supply. Their availability can be constrained to geopolitical issues, limited natural reserves, the complexity of their extraction and processing and their importance in different applications in several industries such as: Energy, automative…etc. They are crucial in industrial processes, such as manufacturing alloys and catalysts, which are fundamental to various sectors like automotive, aerospace, and electronics.

Another topic would be the mining and impact on the environment such as leaking of heavy metals into rivers, soils and oceans, CO2 emissions and deforestation. Key aspects of remediation are recycling and reusing those critical raw materials. The session would be also investigating the impact of new ways of mining for example: deep sea mining and moon mining. Policies and environmental aspects on sea fauna and flora will be also discussed.

Dive into the dynamic world of environmental microbiology and biotechnology with our conference session “Bioremediation and Biodegradation” at ICCE2025. Explore the diverse metabolic capabilities of microorganisms and their intricate interactions with hazardous organic and inorganic compounds. Discover how microbial processes, environmentally compatible and synergistic with non-biological methods, offer innovative solutions for detoxifying, degrading, and immobilizing environmental contaminants and waste streams.

Led by a panel of esteemed experts from universities, and industry, this session offers a comprehensive overview of bioremediation’s successes and biodegradation of petroleum based products, persistent organic pollutants, plastic, soluble polymers and biopolymers, textile and other type of solid waste. Each contributor shares specialized insights, covering microbiological, biochemical, and molecular aspects of biodegradation and bioremediation. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• The bioavailability of contaminants.
• Microbial community dynamics.
• Phytoremediation strategies for soil and water decontamination.
• Case studies of successful bioremediation projects.
• Engineering of biocatalysts.
• Cutting-edge methods for monitoring bioremediation processes.
• Methods for biodegradation evaluation.

Researchers, practitioners, and students are encouraged to share their findings and insights on how bioremediation and biodegradation can contribute to sustainable environmental management. Join us to unravel the intricate relationship between microorganisms and environmental contaminants, and discover how bioremediation is shaping the future of environmental restoration.

Considerable progress in analytical instrumentation, informatics, and related fields has delivered powerful tools and techniques in environmental analysis for assessing chemical contamination. Among them, mass spectrometry (MS) has gained tremendous popularity thanks to its advantages, including unparalleled sensitivity and specificity, high resolution and wide dynamic range. High-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) enables rapid detection and reliable identification of a range of contaminants, even in complex environmental matrices, thanks to full scan acquisition mode with high mass resolving power and high mass accuracy combined with advanced workflows for data prioritization and analysis. Screening techniques can either target the detection of several classes of known (suspect) compounds or employ a non-targeted approach using HRMS, which allows for the identification of otherwise unknown compounds through retrospective data analysis. In this regard, the use of HRMS-based approaches is changing the way we approach emerging contaminant research. This session will disseminate the latest developments in HRMS screening and data evaluation approaches in environmental research. Challenges and possibilities will be presented.

Effective monitoring of pollutants is crucial for understanding environmental health, assessing risks, and shaping informed policy decisions. Since the inception of environmental monitoring programs—dating back to the early 1970s during “acid rain” events and even earlier for atmospheric trace gases—national authorities have continually adjusted their lists of monitored pollutants based on scientific advancements.

However, existing monitoring programs typically focus on a limited set of priority pollutants, which can vary significantly in composition across different regions. Consequently, data comparability remains a challenge. Recent insights reveal that the spectrum of environmentally relevant contaminants is vast. The NORMAN watch list alone includes over 100,000 chemicals of emerging environmental concern.

To address this gap, we must evolve our monitoring strategies. Conservative quality control protocols, aligned with national priority lists, provide only a partial view of the chemical landscape. Most emerging environmental contaminants (CECs) remain undetected. Therefore, advanced approaches are needed to enhance long-term monitoring programs. These strategies will yield better information and feedback, ultimately improving environmental protection measures for both ecosystems and human health.

In our session, experts will explore innovative methods, data integration techniques, and emerging technologies. Topics will span air quality, water contamination, persistent organic pollutants, and ecosystem resilience. Join us as we delve into strategies that bolster environmental stewardship and safeguard our planet.

Computational approaches including use of artificial intelligence is increasingly used in the field of environmental chemistry. Here we welcome a broad spectrum of computer driven approaches facilitating chemical analysis, fate and effect studies, and life cycle assessment. That includes workflows for non-target analysis including data prioritization, unknown identification, digital archieving and prediction of retention times. We also welcome presentations on use and development of SARs, QSARs and read-across approaches for evaluation of human health and environmental hazard properties of chemical substances and mixtures. Another field of rapid development is toxicokinetic modelling (PBTK/PBK) to better understand exposure and distribution of chemicals in organisms. These are tools that together also facilitate the development of early warning systems for identification of new and emerging risk chemicals (NERCs) and support LCA.

The NORMAN merged suspect list (SusDat), which compiles several lists of substances shared by the scientific community and regulators, contains approximately 120,000 entries as of 2024. All these entries are identified as potentially relevant sources of chemical exposure for ecosystems and humans. Moreover, it is now widely acknowledged that even low concentrations of individual chemicals, which are considered safe individually, can lead to adverse effects when combined. Toxic mixture effects of multiple chemicals originating from different exposure sources pose risks to our health and the environment. Recognizing the urgency and complexity, international scientific communities and risk assessors have unanimously agreed on the need for new holistic strategies to assess human and environmental risks associated with these chemicals.

As a successor to the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative HBM4EU, the Partnership for the Assessment of Risks from Chemicals (PARC)is charting a One-Health-inspired pathway. PARC aims to close data gaps and develop innovative scientific approaches within human biomonitoring and environmental monitoring as well as integrative approaches for environmental and human risk assessments of CECs.

In this session, we invite presentations and discussions on new integrated scientific strategies for comprehensive chemical risk assessments. This includes approaches to data generation on exposure and effects, for both ecosystems and humans, as well as integrated assessments. Additionally, we explore ways to reduce chemical exposures for both humansand the environment.

The joint session of the EuChemS Food Chemistry Division and the Division of Environmental Chemistry will highlight the intricate connections between the food we produce and consume and the environment.
It aims to shed light on how food production, distribution, consumption, and waste management impact the environment and contribute to global environmental challenges, as well as on how the environment, particularly pollutants entering into the food chain, may negatively affect food quality and safety. The session will cover different topics including food contaminants such as, but not limited to, pesticides; leaching of substances from food contact materials (intentionally and non-intentionally added substances such as bisphenols, PFAS, and their transformation products); food security and sustainable food and feed production, particularly the upcycling of agri-food by-products within a circular economy; and environmental impact assessments from farm to waste — analysing the impacts from food production to waste management and identifying strategies to minimise negative environmental effects.

Sustainable strategies for future techno- and bio-economies rely on recycling and reusing both non-renewable and renewable resources. This includes for example electronic components and organic residues from biowaste. However, there is significant diversity in valuable resources available for revalorization. The value of these resources depends on their origin and the processes involved in their production and recovery.
When applying organic residues from biowaste revalorization as soil amendments and fertilizers, we can recycle the nutrients contained in the residues. However, this practice may also disperse contaminants into agricultural soils. The same concern applies to revalorization of inorganic wastes, including technological wastes, which may unintentionally circulate impurities and pollutants along with the resources. By utilizing (bio)wastes as soil amendments in agriculture, we risk contaminant transfer into food and fodder plants, ultimately affecting animal and human health.
Similar concerns arise for other waste streams on modern circular processes and revalorization of bio- and technological wastes. To address these issues, comprehensive risk assessments must be integrated into these circular processes. Such an approach will contribute to minimize exposure risks for both the environment and human consumers.
Furthermore, it is crucial to implement strategies that prevent the release of hazardous chemicals during production and waste handling. By doing so, we can enhance the safety and sustainability of bioeconomy practices. The planned session will serve as a platform for scientific discussions on pollution-related topics, including identification, risk-assessment, remediation, prevention, and regulation, within the context of waste revalorization and circular processing.