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IOCD/IUPAC Workshop
on Environmental Analytical Chemistry for Regulatory Chemists and
Laboratory Managers
Prague, Czech Republic, June 16-18, 1999
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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.
The JWP held this workshop in Prague, Czech Republic, on 16 -18
June 1999, with the aim of providing updated information on environmental
analytical chemistry to analytical chemists and laboratory managers
in the Central European countries who participate in official
environmental monitoring.
In organizing this workshop, the JWP cooperated with the Czech
Chemical Society, the Deputy Minister of the Department of Environmental
Affairs of the Czech Republic, Karel Blaha, and Charles University.
A local Organizing Committee consisted of Dr. Pavel Draser, Vice
President of the Czech Chemical Society, Professors Jiri Barek
and Kerel Stulik of Charles University, and Dr. Frantiska Pavlikova
of Merck & Company of Prague. This committee shared with the JWP
the responsibility for inviting participants and speakers from
Central Europe. The committee made contact with various chemical
societies in Central Europe, while IOCD and IUPAC placed announcements
of the workshop on their respective websites on the internet.
Working together, Dr. Draser and Prof. Baraek greatly facilitated
the success of the workshop by: selecting participants; choosing
the workshop site at Pruhonice among a group of hotels and a park;
arranging for various workshop services, including obtaining 10
computer work stations and audio-visual equipment; and selecting
the caterer and the meal menus. They also scheduled a concert
by a Czech musical ensemble as a special treat for the workshop
attendees.
The JWP was responsible for selecting the topics for presentation
in the workshop and for selecting the appropriate lecturers. The
topics fell within the following areas:
-
Sampling procedures used in air, water, food
and soil.
-
Sample preparation procedures.
-
International methods of analysis used to regulate
air, water, soil and food.
-
Managing a chemical laboratory and proficiency
testing of chemists.
-
Using computer networks to locate necessary
chemical information and experts.
The workshop lecturers, 15 scientists in all, came from the Czech
Republic (4); Slovakia (1); Belgium (1); and the USA (9). A total
of 36 participants came from the Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania,
Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine and the USA, 12 of these receiving
travel grants from UNESCO.
The lecturers made use of handouts and videos. One half-day during
the workshop was devoted to practical training on computers, using
AOAC, EMMI and other materials. Furthermore, graduate students
of Charles University prepared and exhibited posters in a special
session devoted to this. Each Central European country represented
at the workshop was provided a copy of the CD-ROM distributed
by AOACI, containing the text of the March 1999 edition of the
AOACI Book of Methods.
Just prior to the IOCD/IUPAC workshop, 13-15 June 1999, the American
Chemical Society held a Central Europe-USA Workshop on Environmental
Chemistry at the same site in Prague. IOCD gratefully acknowledges
the assistance afforded to the IOCD/IUPAC Workshop by the ACS
in agreeing to share some of lecturers.
Financial and "in kind" support of the workshop was provided
by the following organizations: UNESCO; IUPAC; the AOAC International;
the American Chemical Society (ACS); Huels AG of Germany; the
government of Belgium; several agencies of the US government (EPA,FDA,
and NSF); the US National Academy of Sciences; and Merck and SciTech
of Prague.
A full report of the worskhop, listing the names of all lecturers
and of all participants, as well as presenting the program with
lecturers and their topics, can be obtained by writing to IOCD:
Dr. Walter R. Benson
c/o IOCD (USA Office)
PO Box 8156
Falls Church, VA 22041 USA
Page last modified 12 October 1999
Copyright © 1999 International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry.
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