Current Events

For other environmental health events click here.

For other FREE PFAS TraininG and events events click here.

April

April 25 – RETCC: Lessons Learned by Engaging Communities Surrounding Superfund

1:00-2:00 pm EDT. Virtual Meeting. Jackie Medcalf became a champion for public health when she discovered that toxic chemicals in her drinking water were making her family sick. She founded the Texas Health and Environment Alliance (THEA) to give others the tools to protect their own health. Since its founding, THEA has worked neighborhood-by-neighborhood to clean up toxic chemicals in Houston and Harris County. During that time, the organization has built a coalition of more than 58,000 residents and influenced more than $122 million in EPA-sponsored cleanup projects. Click HERE to join the meeting.

April 26 – SRP Progress in Research Webinar Series: Emerging Technologies in Occupational Health and Safety Training and Education – Session I

1:00-3:00 pm EDT, Live Webinar. The NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) is hosting their 2024 Progress in Research webinar series showcasing federally-funded researchers developing curricula and educational programs focused on emergent technologies in the sphere of occupational health and safety. Over the three sessions, presenters will highlight their research projects and accomplishments – included in this group of researchers are SRP’s Occupational Health and Safety Training Education Programs on Emerging Technologies grant recipients. Click HERE for more information and to register.

April 30 – NIEHS Virtual Workshop on Emerging Contaminants and Issues of Concern (ECIC) – Day 1

9:00-3:20 pm EDT, Virtual Workshop. The NIEHS is convening a free two-day virtual workshop on Horizon Scanning to proactively identify and improve responses to emerging contaminants, emergencies, and issues of concern. Horizon scanning activities engage experts in conversations to predict responses or capabilities that may be needed; scoping typically consists of compiling bits of information and working with a stakeholder to satisfy their needs.

Day one will focus on articulating the current scope of our abilities and technologies for horizon scanning of emerging contaminants from global, to federal, to state, to community perspectives. We will also identify current gaps or weaknesses in those abilities. At the conclusion of Day one, participants will be asked to consider what advancements in our abilities need to occur, and what a collaborative directed effort – a community of practice – may look like. Click HERE for more information and to register.

May

May 3 – SRP Progress in Research Webinar Series: Emerging Technologies in Occupational Health and Safety Training and Education – Session II

May 7 – NIEHS Virtual Workshop on Emerging Contaminants and Issues of Concern (ECIC) – Day 2

10:00-2:00 pm EDT, Virtual Workshop. The NIEHS is convening a free two-day virtual workshop on Horizon Scanning to proactively identify and improve responses to emerging contaminants, emergencies, and issues of concern. Horizon scanning activities engage experts in conversations to predict responses or capabilities that may be needed; scoping typically consists of compiling bits of information and working with a stakeholder to satisfy their needs.

Day two will feature collaborative round-table discussion and workshop time to address these two questions, and to outline key needs and features for a community of practice. This collaborative half-day will lay the groundwork for building an inter-agency, interdisciplinary community of practice for horizon scanning. Click HERE for more information and to register.

May 9 – Toxicology Program Symposium

12:30-7:00 pm EDT, Hunt Library. This is a great opportunity to connect and for students to receive training in communicating their science. The keynote speaker will be Dr Emma Hinkle, an alumnus of NC State, who is a Senior Medical Writer and dedicates much of her spare time to educating the public about science and ethics. This year, each student giving an oral presentation will be provided with feedback from all members of the audience (faculty, staff and students) through a simple form that can be completed in real time – so we all have an important part to play! Faculty and staff, please come and support our trainees. Click HERE to register and HERE to submit your presentation.

May 9 – ITRC PFAS Beyond the Basics: Topics on PFAS Biosolids: Sources, Transport, and Management of PFAS Surface Releases Training

1:00-3:00 pm EDT. Live Webinar. This training class builds on the earlier information for introductory PFAS topics presented in the PFAS 101 CLU-IN training. The ITRC PFAS Beyond the Basics class provides more information related to potential sources of PFAS in biosolids, implications of PFAS associated with land-applied biosolids, vadose zone fate and transport processes that likely govern biosolids releases, treatment/disposal options for PFAS-impacted biosolids, and regulatory considerations. Click HERE for more information and to register.

May 17 – SRP Progress in Research Webinar Series: Emerging Technologies in Occupational Health and Safety Training and Education – Session III

12:00-2:00 pm EDT, Live Webinar. The NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) is hosting their 2024 Progress in Research webinar series showcasing federally-funded researchers developing curricula and educational programs focused on emergent technologies in the sphere of occupational health and safety. Over the three sessions, presenters will highlight their research projects and accomplishments – included in this group of researchers are SRP’s Occupational Health and Safety Training Education Programs on Emerging Technologies grant recipients. Click HERE for more information and to register.

May 19-22 – 18th International Congress: Combustion By-Products and Their Health Effects

Durham, NC, In-person. The International Congress on Combustion By-Products and Their Health Effects (also known as “The PIC Congress”) provides a unique platform for discussion between chemists, engineers, toxicologists, and biomedical researchers regarding the most pressing issues related to combustion pollutants and their associated health impacts. Combustion-derived pollutants are recognized as one of the primary causes of environmental degradation and human health effects. The first PIC Congress was organized in 1990 at the National Institute of Health facility in Bethesda, MD, USA. The Congress is now a biennial event held in international locations such as Germany, Sweden, China, and South Korea. In 2022 it was held in the United Kingdom and in 2024 Duke University is excited to host the 18^th International Congress in the United States. Click HERE to register and for more information.

May 21 – FRTR Spring 2024 General Meeting: Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to Optimize Site Remediation

8:00-4:45 pm EDT, Live Webinar. The FRTR 2024 Spring General Meeting provides an opportunity to share progress and results of recent AI/ML projects providing advanced contaminant plume characterization and predictive modeling, and improved cleanup efficiency. The meeting highlights site-specific case studies where AI/ML has substantially enhanced remedial decisions, remedy implementation and performance monitoring, and reduced needs for extensive sampling. Discussions during the meeting seek to provide remedial project managers and technical staff with information and best practices for deploying AI/ML technology. Click HERE for more information and to register.

May 21 – ITRC Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CEC) Identification Framework Training

1:00-3:00 pm EDT, Live Webinar. In 2023, the ITRC Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CEC) Framework was published to help environmental regulatory agencies and other stakeholders identify, evaluate, and manage CEC’s while acknowledging uncertainties in their environmental fate and transport, receptor exposure, and/or toxicity. Such an approach can be conducive to improved allocation of regulatory response resources and provide a foundation for communicating potential risk to stakeholders. Click HERE for more information and to register.

June

June 10-12 – 2024 National PFAS Conference

Ann Arbor, MI, In-person. Join us for three days of powerful talks! This conference is held every other year with a unique focus on the social, scientific, political, economic, and environmental health issues raised by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). We examine both ubiquitous exposures in consumer products and discrete historic and recent contamination discoveries in drinking water and soil around the world. In partnership with academic institutions and the National PFAS Contamination Coalition, each conference brings together some of the nation’s leading scientists, government agency professionals, community-based organization leaders, national and regional environmental advocates, journalists, and lawyers to examine the most pressing issues related to PFAS exposures, health effects, and building greater accountability from responsible parties. Click HERE for more information.

June 12-14 – Multi-omics Bootcamp

8:00-5:00 pm EDT, Virtual Workshop. A 3-day virtual workshop on multi-omics analysis offered by Columbia University. The Multi-omics Boot Camp is a three-day intensive boot camp of seminars and hands-on sessions to provide an overview of concepts and methods used to analyze multiple omics data in observational studies. Specific topics will include integrating germline genetic, gene expression, and exposomic data, gene-environment interaction, mediation, and polygenetic risk scores for assessing risk, estimating subgroups, and selecting relevant features. Click HERE to learn more and register.