Understanding the life cycle of water pollutants

From Tuesday, April 23 at 8:30 am to Wednesday, April 24 at 12:30 pm, the conference "L'humain à l'eau: l'impact humain sur la gestion et la pollution de l'eau" will take place in the Charles Flahault amphitheater of the botanical institute of the University of Montpellier. This symposium is the result of close collaboration between Ramia Al Bakain, Patrick Allard and Filomena Silva, three researchers from Mak'It's "visiting scientists" program. They are hosted by various research units: Hydrosciences Montpellier (HSM), the Institute of Human Genetics (IGH), and Agropolymer Engineering and Emerging Technologies (IATE). The event is supported by the Région Occitanie, the Institut ExposUM, the ARAID foundation and the agriculture, environment and biodiversity cluster of the University of Montpellier.

Renowned scientific guests

This conference, attended by some twenty experts from several countries, is organized by three guest scientists from the University of Montpellier: Ramia Al Bakain, Patrick Allard and Filomena Silva.

Ramia Al Bakain obtained her PhD in analytical and bioanalytical chemistry from La Sorbonne Université Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris, France. She is currently a professor at the University of Jordan in Amman, specializing in the application of analytical chemistry to sustainability. Her research focuses on green solutions for water, agriculture and food security, including green methods for water treatment and sustainable resource use. She collaborates internationally with institutions in the USA, France, Lebanon, Austria, Italy and the UK, and leads interdisciplinary teams focusing on water, food and agricultural security in the Mediterranean regions. Ramia Al Bakain has received numerous world-renowned awards and fellowships.

Patrick Allard, Professor at the Institute for Society & Genetics at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). His research lies at the intersection of genetics, epigenetics, developmental biology and environmental health. His laboratory uses stem cell-based methods to study the effects of environmental toxicants on reproduction and transgenerational health. His work and contributions have earned him prestigious awards.

Filomena Silva is a permanent researcher at the Aragonese Foundation for Research and Development (ARAID) within the Analytical Research Group (GUIA) at the University of Zaragoza. Her research is at the forefront of food safety, particularly in the field of innovative packaging solutions. Her aim is to develop active packaging strategies using nanomaterials and sustainable compounds such as scavengers, antimicrobials and antioxidants to extend the shelf life of food products. She is currently supervising and coordinating three research projects: risk assessment of biobased/recycled materials, development of packaging solutions for fresh produce, and a collaboration with a major Spanish company to develop new antimicrobial products for fresh produce.

Why this conference?

Our planet's water resources are being severely affected by climate change and the pollution generated by human activities. This is leading us down a disastrous one-way street if we don't quickly take action involving players from different fields and at all levels.

At a time when France has just passed its first law limiting the production of PFAS pollutants, and when Canada will be negotiating the international treaty against plastic pollution at the same time, this symposium will highlight the major environmental impacts of human activities on water resources: from how to manage this resource to how we can control its pollution/contamination by plastics, eternal pollutants as well as heavy metals and organic pollutants.

Understanding the life cycle of these pollutants, from their production to their dispersion in the environment, and their impact on biodiversity is therefore a major challenge for knowledge and regulation.

The conference program

Tuesday, April 23 :

• 09:20-10:00 Opening lecture: Water restoration - Eric Servat (Centre international Unesco Icireward-Montpellier)
• 10:30-12:30 Session 1: Plastics in our waters: concerns and solutions for the future
• 14:00-16:00 Session 2: Managing water scarcity: a sustainable approach and pilot projects

Wednesday, April 24 :

• 09:30-12:00 Session 3: Our future with eternal pollutants