NCKU to Host the Third International Congress on Arsenic in the Environment on May 17th.

TAINAN, Taiwan -- The Third International Congress on Arsenic in the Environment will begin from May 17th to May 21st in International Conference Hall, Kuang-Fu Campus, National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), Taiwan, inviting international environmental and medical experts to share their research achievements on arsenic. Researchers, health workers, technicians, students, government officials and anyone who is interested in arsenic are welcome to attend.

Arsenic is a powerful poison that has captured people's attention since ancient times. It is now considered as the cause for environmental calamity in Asia and regional contamination in the world. Congress host Prof. Jiin-Shuh Jean of Department of Earth Sciences, NCKU, pointed out, "The Third International Congress on Arsenic in the Environment invites internationally renowned Science of the Total Environmental Journal Chief Editor Jerome O. Nriagu, Prof. William R. Cullen of Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Canada, Prof. John M. McArthur of Department of Earth Sciences, University of London, U.K., as well as Academician Chien-Jen Chen of Academic Sinica, Taiwan, to be the keynote speakers, and provides an opportunity for exchange, discussion and inspiration."

The organizers of the biannual congress are International Technical Co-operation Programme CIM (GTZ-BA), Frankfurt, Germany, and International Groundwater Arsenic Research Group, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm, Sweden. The local organizing committee includes Prof. Jiin-Shuh Jean of the Department of Earth Sciences, NCKU, Prof. Chien-Jen Chen of Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Prof. Chen-Wuing Liu of Department of Bioresource System Engineering, NTU, Prof. Chi-Ling Chen of Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, NTU, Prof. How-Ran Guo of Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, NCKU, Prof. Hung-Yi Chiou of Department of Public Health, TMU, Prof. Ming-Kuang Wang of Department of Agricultural Chemistry, NTU, Prof. Chao-Chung Lin of Geological Society Located in Taipei and Prof. Tsair-Fuh Lin of Department of Environmental Engineering, NCKU.

The theme of this congress is arsenic in geosphere and human disease. It has seven discussion topics, "Geology, Hydrology, and Hydrogeology of Arsenic," "Ecological Effects: Arsenic in Soils, Plants and Food Chain Cycle," "Marine and Terrestrial Biota," "Health Effects on Humans: Epidemiology and Biomarkers," "Toxicological Effects: Animal Models," "Assessment and Remediation of Arsenic Contaminations, Policy and Protection" and "Analytical Methods for Arsenic."

Department of Earth Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, has signed an agreement of academic exchange with the School of Earth Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, U.K., this February. Both schools will present their jointly cooperated papers in the coming international congress, expecting to expand academic exchange and cooperation scope in the future. International Medical Geology Association (IMGA) has approved the establishment of its Taiwan branch in NCKU, with Prof. Jiin-Shuh Jean as the Chairman. CEO Dr. Jose A. Centeno will present the certificate during the International Congress.