Day 1 :
Keynote Forum
Marta Balan
Eco-harmony-values-culture activist, spiritual counsellor and researcher
Keynote: International Eco-Harmony-Values Resort Update
Biography:
Marta Balan is an environmental activist and the Producer and Director of the Unity in Diversity Events. My aim is to contribute to harmony in society through the powerful medium of arts and educative symposiums on shared values, as well as for harmony with the Earth, by supporting ecologically sustainable initiatives.
Abstract:
Community education about environmental sustainability has never been more important on this Planet than now, in the times of climate change.
Environmental and social sustainability are inseparably interconnected.
Planet Earth is a divine place for humans to live in peace, harmony and unity with each other and with Nature.
The environmental crisis is the reflection of decline in morality which needs to be restored. Our spiritual unity and oneness with Nature need to permeate all our interactions, personal or in business, all our networking in society. We learn and grow through all our interactions. However, specialised multipurpose centres for focused and intensive free community education in environmental and social sustainability with multimedia facilities, also as live-in settings, need to be set up to complement formal education.
We propose a model of an International Eco Harmony Values Resort. The world model was inaugurated in 2007 in the International Conference of the European Centre for Peace and Development, supported by UN. F urther developmental stages of the project were made in 2 more annual international conferences. The European model is focused primarily on building a culture of peace in war torn areas, as well as preservation of national parks and environmental sustainability.
The Australian model is intensively focused on education in environmental sustainability, as well as fostering harmony and inclusiveness in the Australian society. An update about the preparatory work done for setting up an International Eco-Harmony-Values Resort in Australia is meant to contribute to this Conference.
Keynote Forum
David Tozser
University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Egyetem ter. 1., Hungary
Keynote: Validation of assessment of dust deposition in urban habitats: Tree leaves vs dust trap
Biography:
Dávid TÅ‘zséris anassistant researchfellow at the University of Debrecen, in Hungary. He has a PhD in Environmental sciences, and heisnowgiving lectures, seminars, lab- and field practices to students on environmental protection/assessment issues.
Abstract:
Settling contaminants such as dust can deposit on the surface of leaves from air. Thus, plants are especially useful biological indicators to assess air pollution.The aim of our study was to validate the assessment of air pollution based on deposited dust on tree leaves. In our study we compared different types (d <5-8 µm and d >2-3 µm) of dust contents on leaves of Common Lime (Tilia × europaea) and dust trap in the three summer months of 2018 in the campus of University of Debrecen, Hungary.We found significant differences in the different types of dust between tree leaves and dust trap. In dust trap 95 percentage of all dust content was deposited dust (d <5-8 µm), while in the case of leaves 77 percentage of all dust content was deposited dust (d <5-8 µm). Based on the study of correlation between dust content in leaves and dust trap we found significant positive correlation in the case of deposited dust (d <5-8 µm). Further, significant correlation was not found between leaves and dust trap based on fine particle size (d >2-3 µm) dust content.Our results demonstrated that leaves are useful indicators to assess dust deposition similar to the dust trap. At the same time, our results also indicated that dust washing is continuous from leaves by rain, while dust deposition on the surface of leaves is limited because of the capacity of tree leaves.
Keynote Forum
Vanda Eva Molnar
University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Egyetem ter. 1., Hungary
Keynote: Assessment of heavy metal content in leaves of urban trees in Debrecen (Hungary) and Bangkok (Thailand)
Biography:
Vanda Eva Molnar is a PhD student at the University of Debrecen, in Hungary. She has a master’s degree in Environmental sciences, and she is now studying Physical geography and geoinformatics.
Abstract:
Urban tree species are commonly used for indirect monitoring of heavy metal pollution in urban environments due to their distribution and the cost-effectiveness of the analysis methods.We aimed to determine the spatial variation of heavy metal content in tree leaves at urban, rural and industrial sites in the central provinces of Thailand and also in the city of Debrecen, Hungary. Leaf samples were collected from Mimusopselengi and Ficusreligiosa in Thailand, and Celtisoccidentalis and Tilia × europaeain Hungary.Comparing the two species from Thailand, M. elengi contained Al, Cr, Fe, Na and Pb in significantly higher concentrations than F. religiosa. Meanwhile, F. religiosa contained Ca, Cu, K, Mn and Zn in significantly higher concentrations than M. elengi. Between the two species in Hungary, C. occidentalis contained significantly more Ba, Ca and Cr, while T. europaea contained significantly more Al and Ni.The species showed varying trends in metal content at the urban, rural and industrial sites as well. Ba content was the highest at the rural sites. T. europaea samples from the industrial areas contained significantly more Al, Cr and Fe than those from the urban and rural sites. Elemental concentrations for M. elengi and F.religiosa were consistent at the different sites.Our results highlight the importance of prior assessment and selection of the most appropriate species for biomonitoring studies. Metallic elements can be specific to certain species, while native and invasive species often accumulate pollutants at different rates as well
Keynote Forum
V Lopes de Andrade
Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa
Keynote: Lead contamination in lettuce collected from different urban areas in Caldas da Rainha, Portugal a preliminary study)
Biography:
Vanda Maria Falcão Espada Lopes de Andrade graduated in Biology in 1992 and obtained a Master’s degree in Animal Biodiversity Conservation in 1998, both from Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa. She has completed her PhD in Pharmacy/Toxicology from Faculdade de Farmácia da Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal in 2014. She is Assistant Professor in Escola Superior Agrária de Santarém, Instituto Politécnico de Santarém since 2013, where she coordinates the curricular units of Toxicology since 2014; and since 2015, Pollution and Ecotoxicology. She published 9 papers in international journals, performed 15 communications (4 oral presentations and 11 poster presentations) and 8 seminars.
Abstract:
Due to the increasing awareness of the link between diet and health, the demand for healthy foods such as leafy vegetables has increased over the recent decades [1] and among them, lettuce (Lactuca sativa) have been broadly produced and consumed worldwide. Moreover being Portugal a Mediterranean country, lettuce is included in the Mediterranean diet. However, leafy vegetables contamination by lead (Pb) is increasing, especially among vegetables grown in urban areas [2]. Concerning lettuce, its efficient uptake of metals by the root and subsequent translocation within the roots and the shoot, results in their accumulation at relatively high internal levels. Due to this fact, lettuce is actually one of the biological species recommended by the OECD for soil toxicity testing [3]. In this manner, the plants grown in contaminated soils may turn into vehicles for transferring Pb into the human body, may causing anaemia, increase in blood pressure, reduced fertility, nervous system damage and multiple other problems [4,5].
With the rapid growth that has occurred in recent years, of urban gardens, it is urgent to control the quality of the harvested products. Monitoring the levels of Pb in such a largely consumed vegetable, lettuce, certainly contributes to prevent the risk of long-term exposure to this toxic metal.
Keynote Forum
Camilo Riaño
Ecotoxicology, evolution, environment and conservation group. Universidad Militar Nueva Granada, Colombia
Keynote: Histopathological alterations in preoptic area of tropical fish (Piaractus brachypomus) exposed to a commercial glyphosate presentation (Roundup Activo®)
Biography:
Camilo Riaño is currently a master's student in applied biology at the New Granada Military University, with experience in fish toxicology, transmission electron microscopy, immunohistochemistry and histotechnology participating in more than six research projects in these areas
Abstract:
The use of commercial presentations of glyphosate (IUPAC name: N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine) in Colombia has generated negative effects on human and animal health due to fumigation in both agriculture and Colombian. The application of this herbicide is carried out near the Orinoco river basins inhabited by Piaractus brachypomuswhich is the native fish with the highest human consumption in Colombia.An experiment was conducted with three treatments, 0, 1 and 5 mg / L of glyphosate presented in the product Roundup Activo® per quadruplicate. The fish were exposed for 30 days in 20-liter aquariums. Five individualswere sacrificed per treatment following the ethical norms for the management of fish proposed byAmerican Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals (2013). The brains were processed for high-resolution microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (MET) and sectioned to 300 nm and then they were contrasted with lead citrate/uranyl acetate. The photographs were taken in a JEOL JEM-2100Plus transmission electron microscope coupled to a GATAN K3 camera. The main effect of Roundup Active® was the presence of cells similar to mast cells (MSCs) associated with the bloodstream. The appearance of MSCs is indicative of stress related to increased concentration of Roundup Active®. These cells are involved in inflammatory, immunological tasks, which shows a risk in reproductive dynamics, integration of visual, olfactory and sensory information, among other processes, which can reduce the reproductive success and survival capacity, consequently it could causedecreasing species population. In conclusion, glyphosate in sublethal concentrations causes alterations at the fish brain, which could affect the fitness of the species. ING-INV-2980.
Keynote Forum
Edwin Gómez RamÃrez
Militar University Nueva Granada, Ecotoxicology, Evolution, Environmental and Conservation Group, and GRESTGroup.Colombia
Keynote: Determination the lethal concentration (LC50 96h)of herbicide Roundup Activo® on native fish (Piaractus brachypomus) and histopathological alterations in gills and Kidney
Biography:
Biologist, specialist and magister in aquaculture. Professor and researcher at the Military University Nueva Granada. Group of Ecotoxicology, Evolution, Environment and Conservation (E = mc2). Meritorious thesis in fish neuroscience, about histology and morphometry of dorsal root ganglia and their neurons in a fish of indeterminate growth the White Cachama (Piaractus brachypomus). Research about effect of glyphosate and Roundup in tropical fishes. Studies in the World Fish Center (Egypt) and scholarship in recirculation aquaculture systems, in the Scientific Research Center of Baja California (CICESE, Mexico). About 27 scientific publications in national and international indexed journals. INV-ING 2980
Abstract:
Roundup® Activo (RA) is one of the most used herbicide in Colombia to weed control in traditional and transgenic crops, although also is used in the drying of grains, maturation of sugar cane, and control of illicit crop. The objective that research was determinate the lethal concentration (LC5096h) of herbicide RA on fry and fingerling on native fish Piaractus brachypomus. During 96h an acute static toxicity tests were performed to determine the median lethal concentration of glyphosate in the commercial product RA. Eighteen concentration was evaluated (1.0, 1.7, 2.3, 3.1, 4.2, 5.6, 7.4, 10.0, 13.3, 17.7, 23.7, 31.6, 35, 42.1, 56.2, 74.9, 100, 163.3 mg/L). Ten Fry and five fingerlings were randomly introduced in aquarium of 20L. There aquariumswere marked as control (not treated with RA).The dead fishes were noted and removed instantly by histopathological studies. Finally the LC5096h was determinate by the probit analysis method.Gill and kidney were dissected and fixed in formaldehyde, dehydrated in alcohol, processed in paraffin and stained in H&E. In fry and fingerlings of P. brachypomusthe LC5096h were determinate in 7.4 mg/L and 35 mg/L respectively. The histopathological alteration enhance when increasing the concentration of glyphosate in the RA.The gill showed edema, lamellar fusion, thalangetasia, and damage in pillar cells. The kidney exhibit picnoticcells, damage in the Bowman capsule and degeneration in the tubular epithelium. The LC5096hin Fry and Fingerlings were lower than previous reported to P. brachypomus for Roundup® SL,which suggests greater toxicity ofRA.INV-ING2980
Keynote Forum
Rachele Macirella
Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Science (DiBEST), University of Calabria, Rende, Italy
Keynote: Morphofunctional alterations induced by chlorpyrifos on the gills apparatus of Thalassomapavo
Biography:
Rachele Macirella has completed her PhD in Life Sciences in 2017 at the age of 29 from the University of Calabria and starts postdoctoral studies at the same University. She has published 9 papers in international peer review journals with impact factor
Abstract:
Coastal areas represent the most vulnerable marine environment due to human exploitation and the contamination caused by pollutants. Organophosphate pesticides (OPs) have gained popularity worldwide as a viable alternative to organochlorine pesticides, and currently represent almost 40% of the global market (Triassi et al. 2019). One of the most employed OPs is chlorpyrifos (CPF), a broad-spectrum insecticide commonly used for domestic and agricultural pests (Bellas and Gil 2020). Based on its chemical properties and its toxicity to non-target organisms, CPF is of great concern to aquatic ecosystems where its presence has been extensively documented (Bellas and Gil 2020; Zahran et al., 2018).
In the present study, we used as a model the ornate wrasse, Thalassomapavo, a widespread species in the Mediterranean Sea that inhabit coastal waters near rocks. We investigated the morphological, ultrastructural, and functional alterations induced on the gill apparatus after 48 and 96 hours of exposure to two relevant CPF concentrations (4 and 8 µg/L). The main histopathological changes observed were hypertrophy of secondary filaments, ballooning of lamellar apical tips, hypertrophy of chloride cells, epithelial and vascular degenerations. CPF also induced an increase in the expression of Na+/K+ -ATPase in all experimental groups.
Our study successfully demonstrates that the alterations induced by CPF on T. Pavo gills are dose and time-dependent and may adversely affect gas exchange and ionic balance. This is the first evidence of the effects exerted by CPF on T. pavo gills and highlights the harmful properties of this insecticide even at low concentrations.