SETAC proudly reflects upon a year marked by unprecedented achievements and strides in environmental stewardship. From groundbreaking initiatives addressing climate change to transformative technological advancements, the successes of 2023 underscore our society's pivotal role in driving positive change on a global scale. As we celebrate these accomplishments, we stand poised to continue leading the charge in 2024 and beyond, navigating the complex intersection of science, policy and industry to create a resilient and harmonious future for our planet.
Empowering Members: Embracing New Technology and Unveiling a Flexible New Membership Model
After an intensive two-year process, which began with a comprehensive technology maturity assessment and a business model review, SETAC unveiled a new digital platform to better serve our members and pave the way for an enhanced member experience. To take full advantage of all the new features, update your profile and preferences.
Contributed to the UNEP Workgroup for the Establishment of the Science-Policy Panel to Contribute Further to the Sound Management of Chemicals, Waste, and Pollution Prevention
SETAC journals provide a forum where scientists, managers and other professionals can exchange information and ideas on the study, analysis and solution of environmental problems, the management and regulation of natural resources, research and development, and environmental education.
SETAC Science Briefs and Technical Issues Papers provide a balanced, scientific discussion of important environmental issues designed to support SETAC’s mission of education in the environmental sciences and to inform environmental policy and decision-making.
Download the latest Technical Issue Paper, Chemical Alternatives Assessment (English and Spanish)
Awards
Congratulations to the individuals recognized in 2023 for their outstanding contributions and achievements in environmental toxicology and chemistry.
Tackling the Challenge of Extracting Microplastics from Soils: A Protocol to Purify Soil Samples for Spectroscopic Analysis.
Authors: Julia N. Möller, Ingrid Heisel, Anna Satzger, Eva C. Vizsolyi, S.D. Jakob Oster, Seema Agarwal, Christian Laforsch, Martin G.J. Löder.
IEAM Best Paper Award
Ido Sella
ECOncrete Tech LTD
Design, production, and validation of the biological and structural performance of an ecologically engineered concrete block mattress: A nature‐inclusive design for shoreline and offshore construction
Stacey O'Brian research examens microplastics in the environment. The proposed research will use a simultaneous sampling program to calculate the mass concentration of plastics in various compartments using Pyr-GC/MS. The aim is to understand the fluxes, relationships and sources of plastics in air.
You can keep up to date with O'Brian's research on Twitter and ResearchGate.
Honorable mentions go to Shannon Kaiser, Macquarie University, and Rachel Mackie, University of Queensland, for their excellent proposals.
Noack Laboratorien Outstanding Science Career Award
Sponsored by
Rolf Altenburger
Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ
Rolf Altenburger is best known for his pioneering work in the field of mixture toxicity in the 1990s and early 2000s, with his top four publications on mixture toxicity concepts cited more than 300 times each. Altenburger ticks all the boxes for an outstanding scientific career, but what makes him stick out is his engagement at the science-policy interface. He is also a great mentor to numerous students and colleagues. He is well known for his collaborative management style, encouraging active participation of scientists from all career stages.
At present, he leads the research unit of Chemicals in the Environment at UFZ, where he overseas 10 research departments with more than 100 scientists in the field of environmental and analytical chemistry, ecotoxicology and ecology, and human health research.
Rifcon Early Career Scientist Award
Sponsored by
Johannes Raths
Eawag – Swiss federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology
Johannes Raths is honored for his work titled “Speed it up: How temperature drives toxicokinetics of organic contaminants in freshwater amphipods.” The data presented is unique for the field, and its analysis contributes to our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of temperatures influence on toxicokinestics.
Life Cycle Assessment Young Scientist Award
Dieuwertje Schrijvers
WeLOOP
The SETAC Europe LCA Steering Committee recognizes Dieuwertje Schrijvers for her work titled “Environmental evaluation of recycling options according to the Life Cycle Assessment methodology: Establishment of a consistent approach applied to case studies from the chemical industry,” which is a remarkable contribution in clarifying the differences and the use of different allocation procedures in LCA, an often controversial topic.
Sponsored by
Best Student Platform Presentation
Sponsored by
Summer Selinger
University of Saskatchewan
Summer Selinger won the title of Young Scientist Awards (YSA) Best Platform Presentation for her platform talk "Acute Cardiometabolic Responses of Juvenile Salmonids Exposed to 6PPD-Quinone," presented at the SETAC Europe 33rd Annual Meeting in Dublin, Ireland.
Best Student Poster Presentation
Cannelle Tassin de Montaigu
University of Sussex
Cannelle Tassin de Montaigu won the Young Scientist Awards (YSA) Best Poster Presentation for her poster "Fur Used in Nest Building by Birds Potentially Contributes to Pesticide Exposure," presented during the SETAC Europe 33rd Annual Meeting in Dublin, Ireland.
LCA Life Time Achievement Award
Olivier Jolliet
University of Michigan, USA
The SETAC Europe 2022 Award for Lifetime Achievement in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), conferred biannually by the SETAC Europe LCA Steering Committee, was presented to Olivier Jolliet for his work in life cycle thinking and improvement approaches. Jolliet was honoured for his award in the following SETAC Globe article: 2022 SETAC Europe Award for Lifetime Achievement in Life Cycle Assessment.
Mark Johnson serves as the Director of Toxicology for the U.S. Army Public Health Center. He has held several leadership roles including as a past president of the American Board of Toxicology (ABT) and board member of the International Board of Environmental Risk Assessment (IBERA). He believes that the role of SETAC as a leader in environmental sciences is changing from one that has traditionally focused on understanding contaminants to one that has had to respond to increasingly complex emerging environmental issues that include human public health concerns. Johnson hopes to help SETAC encourage new ways to support multi-matrixed efforts to include One Health concepts in environmental risk assessment through focusing on emerging issues. He would also like to see SETAC bridge into recommending courses of action that will result in applied tools and solutions.
Best Student Presentation Award Winners
Ph.D.
Kayla Boyd
Auburn University
Kayla Taylor Boyd won the Best Student Presentation Award in the Ph.D. category for their presentation "PFAS Bioaccumulation, Depuration, and Associated Energetic Costs in the Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea virginica," presented at the SETAC North America 44th Annual Meeting in Louisville, Kentucky.
Masters
Kimberlee Whitmore
Texas Christian University
Kimberlee Whitmore won the Best Student Presentation Award in the Masters category for their presentation "Temporal Trends of Mercury Contamination in Seabirds from Northwest Greenland," presented at the SETAC North America 44th Annual Meeting in Louisville, Kentucky.
Undergraduate
Taylor Beach
Colorado State University
Taylor Beach won the Best Student Presentation Award in the undergraduate category for their presentation "Pre and post remediation and restoration analysis of benthic macroinvertebrate size spectra in the Upper Arkansas River, Colorado," presented at the SETAC North America 44th Annual Meeting in Louisville, Kentucky.
Best Chemistry Student Presentation Award
Alina Timshina
University of Florida
Alina Timshina won the Best Student Chemistry Presentation Award for their presentation "Investigating Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Food-Waste Compost: Sources, Fate and Implications for Land Application," presented at the SETAC North America 44th Annual Meeting in Louisville, Kentucky.
