The first joint conference of International Conference of Biogeochemistry of Trace Elements (ICOBTE) & International Conference of Heavy Metals (ICHMET) was held from September 6 to 10 at University of Wuppertal, Germany. The motto of the conference is “Clean Environment, Human Health, Our Future”. Professor Liping Li of School of Environmental Engineering, Henan University of Technology and the director of Henan International Joint Laboratory of Environmental Pollution, Remediation and Grain Quality Security attended the conference as a keynote speaker and delivered an oral presentation.
The ICOBTE and ICHMET had been held separately for 16 and 21 times, respectively before this joint conference. This is the first time that these two conferences were held jointly. The joint conference had 12 regular sessions and 19 special sessions. Topics of these sessions included human health and trace elements, analytical and experimental methods, food and trace elements, organism and trace elements. More than 300 scientist gave oral presentations, including 6 plenary speakers and 40 keynote speakers. More than 40 scientists from China took part in the conference, Professor Fang-Jie Zhao, Nanjing Agricultural University gave a plenary talk, while professor Liping Li and other seven scientists (including one from Taiwan and one from Hong Kong SAR) gave keynote presentations. Two hundred and sixty-five presentations were shown as posters. Scholarships were awarded to 10 graduates from low- and middle-income countries, while 10 graduates were awarded best presentation awards. The conference provided excellent academic communication for the participants.
Professor Liping Li’s presentation summarized the results of his group on the heavy metal accumulation and health risk in typical Pb smelting areas in the last 20 years, the presentation especially focused on recent progress made by the group in the negative effect of heavy metals on human health and measures to reduce such risks. His talk was welcomed by the audience. During the conference, Professor Li actively communicated with scientists from home and abroad, including the renowned Professor Lena Q. Ma from Zhejiang University, Professor Jerome Nriagu from Michigan University, USA and professor Filip Tack from Ghent University, Belgium. Professor Liping Li also talked with Professor James Ippolito, a member of the joint lab and Professor Nicholas Basta from The Ohio State University about potential collaborative research on human health of heavy metals in the environment and food.
School of Environmental Engineering values international exchanges of staff and students, Professor Liping Li’s participation of this conference will benefit the international exchange, impact and research in the field of heavy metal pollution and health risk control of Henan University of Technology.
（撰稿：李立平 审校：张良波 审核：万东锦）
