Date

Those interested in attending this conference on Persistent Organic
Pollutants should visit AMAPs website at http://www.amap.no/news/news.htm or

email the AMAP Secretariat: amap [at] amap.telemax.no

International Workshop on:

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in the Arctic
Human Health and Environmental Concerns
Rovaniemi, Finland, January 18-20, 2000

This workshop is jointly organized by the Arctic Monitoring and
Assessment Programme (AMAP) and the University of the Arctic.

The second announcement of this workshop (including provisional
programme, registration information and details of accommodation, etc.)
can be found on the AMAP website under the 'News and Announcements' page
http://www.amap.no/news/news.htm

The Main Objectives of the Conference are:

  • To present recent results and new findings from scientific research
    and monitoring programmes concerning:

    a) levels of contaminants in Arctic populations and their effects on
    the health of Arctic peoples, in particular indigenous peoples, and
    the influence of lifestyle factors on incidence of disease, etc.,
    and
    b) sources, transport mechanisms and pathways, levels (spatial and
    temporal trends) and effects of POPs in the Arctic environment and
    its ecosystems.

  • To identify gaps in current circumpolar programmes concerning POPs and
    human health that could be filled by future collaborative activities,
    including research needed to document effects due to environmental
    contamination of food and water, and to prepare recommendations for how
    such work could be implemented.

  • To facilitate exchange of knowledge between individuals and groups
    working on environmental contamination by POPs and those working on the
    effects on human health of exposure to POPs.

  • To review and further develop the first drafts of AMAP update reports
    on POPs and human health.

The Workshop should be of Interest to Scientists and other experts working
on:

  • sources, pathways, levels and trends and effects of classical POPs
    (organochlorines, etc.) in the Arctic

  • sources, levels and trends and effects of new persistent contaminants
    (current use pesticides, organotin compounds, etc.) in the Arctic

  • studies of biological effects of POPs

  • studies of human health in the Arctic

  • effects of contaminants (including POPs, mercury and methylmercury,
    etc.) on human health

  • routes of contaminant exposure to Arctic populations, in particular
    Arctic indigenous peoples, including dietary studies, etc.

NOTE: Workshop participation is limited to ca. 60 persons.
Deadline for registration is 31 December 1999

The organizing committee is still interested in receiving proposals,
before 15 December, for short oral or poster presentations (see workshop
second announcement for details).

For further information contact:
AMAP Secretariat
P.O. Box 810 Dep
N-0032 Oslo
Norway

Tel +47 23 24 16 30
Fax +47 22 67 67 06
amap [at] amap.telemax.no