Environmental toxicology and chemistry in Latin America.

GUSTAVO M. SOMOZA; PEDRO CARRIQUIRIBORDE

ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY

SETAC PRESS

Lugar: Pensacola; Año: 2017 vol. 36 p. 1715 - 1715

0730-7268

In Latin America, since the first analysis conducted by Carriquiriborde and Bainy (2012), the number of published studies in the environmental sciences disciplines linked with environmental toxicology and chemistry has grown 64% since 2011 (Figure 1). This growth was mainly driven by the Brazilian scientific production that represented 52% of the total Latin American published studies, followed by Mexico (18%) and Argentina (11%). The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) has accompanied this process organizing several activities in the region. That has contributed to the increase of Latin American (LA) membership by 220% from 2011 to 2015, reaching more than 330 members. Particularly in 2015, the 11th Biennial Meeting of the Latin American Branch of SETAC was held in Buenos Aires. The meeting brought together 450 participants from 22 countries from LA and other regions of the world (Figure 2). Twenty-seven sections were included the scientific program covering the following topics: aquatic toxicology and ecology, emerging contaminants, endocrine disruption, environmental human health, environmental analytical chemistry, landscape ecotoxicology and management, ecosystem services, life cycles analysis and sustainability, pesticides in the environment and terrestrial or wildlife toxicology and ecology. As result of this activity more than 550 works were published in the abstract book. This special section at ET&C gathers twelve manuscripts, including two review papers, emerging from studies presented at that meeting showing the scientific activity of LA researchers, including also some articles in collaboration with colleagues from other geographic units. The main topics covered by submitted manuscripts include emerging pollutants, endocrine disruption, pesticides and soil, sediment and sewage toxicology and chemistry. It is remarkable that the number of articles in the present section almost double the former LA special section published in ET&C in 2012.