Towards Sustainable Environmental Quality: Priority Research Questions for Latin America (LA)

T.H. FURLEY; J.C. BRODEUR; H.C. SILVA DE ASSIS; P. CARRIQUIRIBORDE; K.R. CHAGAS; J. CORRALES; J. FUCHS; R. MASCARENHAS; K. MIGLIORANZA; D.M. MIGUEZ CARAMÉS; J.M. NAVAS; D. NUGEGODA; E. PLANES; I. RODRIGUEZ-JORQUERA; M.O. MEDINA; G.T. ANKLEY; A.B.A. BOXALL; M.A. RUDD; B.W. BROOKS

Congreso; 7th SETAC World Congress; 2016

TheGlobal Horizon Scanning and Prioritization (GSHP) Project is a SETAC initiativethat aims to collect and prioritize the most important future environmentalquality research questions as recognized by scientists and engineers fromaround the globe.  We report here the conclusions of the Latin America (LA) GSHP Workshopheld in Buenos Aires in September 2015. Prior to the workshop, SETAC members and other scientists from LA wereasked to submit research questions which, in their view, were priority needs toaddress in the region. 100 questions were received. These were organized in 6categories and ranked. The resulting top 20 questions were: EnvironmentalChemistry: -Adsorption/release of toxic compounds form plastic wastes, -Impactsof pharmaceuticals in aquatic ecosystems, -Quality criteria and limits forenvironmental legislation. -Quantification of contaminant metabolites and breakdownproducts in abiotic and biotic matrices. Ecotoxicology: -Climate change influenceon fate and effects of pollutants, -Extrapolation of results from regulatorysingle species toxicity test to local taxa and scenarios, ?Understanding the complexityof pesticide toxicology in ecosystems, -Laboratory and field methods andapproaches to address ecological complexity. Health, CECs and Environment:-Impacts of nanomaterials on ecosystems and human health, -Algal toxins productionand risk for human health. Risk Assessment: -Characterization ofindividual and combined risks of diffuse chemical contaminants. -Developmentand refinement of tools for sustainable production and use of chemicals. -Riskscharacterization of pulp mills effluents for human and the environment. EnvironmentalManagement and Policy: -Continuous improvement of the maximum limits oftoxicity for agriculture, and domestic and industrial effluents, whilemaintaining ecosystem services. -Current environmental regulations effectivenessand its implementation and enforcement in LA. -Standardization andharmonization across LA countries. -Effectiveness of protected areas tosafeguard biodiversity from pollutants. -Risk management improvement for solidwastes. Spotlight on LA: -Sensitivity information of regional speciesfor better prediction of impacts on local ecosystems. -Impact evaluation ofnatural resources extraction. -Tools for characterizing and classifyingindustrial and residential effluents. These questions should be considered aspart of a long-term strategic research plans in LA.