PEOPLE 2022 – Home

Innovation in chemistry and materials has improved quality of life but has also led to significant health and environmental challenges – with over 250 billion tonnes of over 144,000 different chemicals being emitted worldwide. These emissions tend to outpace scientific and regulatory processes, which present a substantial global issue with cumulative threats to human health and environmental sustainability. How to manage the use, reduce the emission, and understand/mitigate the impact have been the main tasks for researchers, engineers, managers, and policy makers.

Among those chemicals, persistent, emerging, and organic pollutants have been given significant attention due to their toxic, carcinogenic, and/or bio-accumulative properties and associated long-term ecological and health risks, especially under a changing climate. Such pollutants include petroleum hydrocarbons, pesticides, micro/nano-plastics, pharmaceutical and personal care products or PPCPs, disinfection by-products or DBPs, fire retardants, chemical surfactants, engineered nanomaterial, etc. Many are not regulated or legislated, mainly due to the lack of in-depth knowledge about their fate, transport, impact, or corresponding lack of effective management and mitigation. These pollutants are found in air, surface water, groundwater, ice caps, oceans, soils, and sediments, and there is increasing evidence of their toxicity at all trophic levels, highlighting an urgent need for effective management and mitigation approaches globally.

The changing climate can alter their usage, fate and transport with largely unknown impacts in terms of magnitude, mechanisms, and direction, and cause multifold effects on society and ecosystems with a high level of uncertainties and complexity of associated environmental and health issues. These further challenge our research, practice and policy making in managing these chemicals and prevent and reduce negative impacts.

The goal of this conference is to provide an international venue (in-person and virtual) and bring together researchers and professionals from diverse sectors and disciplines in natural science, engineering, social science, and medicine, to present their achievements and innovations, exchange ideas, share information, grow connections, and explore opportunities. This event will offer some interesting keynote speeches, technical presentations, short courses/workshops, field trips, and social events. The key topics include but not limit to:

This conference will be a hybrid event with both virtual and live platforms that would enable interpersonal interactions for participants on site or online. We aim to provide a platform for researchers, students, professionals, and stakeholders from academia, industry, government, and community groups to learn, share, network, and enjoy. Welcome you all to join us for an exciting four days at PEOPLE 2022!