NORWEGIAN ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY SYMPOSIUM (NETS)- Assessing and solving environmental challenges in a multiple stressor world

Uncertainty related to the exposure, effects and risk of anthropogenic and natural stressors is a major challenge in managing Norways natural resources and securing a sustainable development. Establishing platforms for knowledge transfer, network development and stimulating scientific discussion is considered key to strengthening the national competence and securing recruitment of you researchers to environmental sciences. The 6th Norwegian Environmental Toxicology Symposium (NETS) aims to establishing national and international networks of competence, secure sufficient recruitment to and development of research and regulatory communities, establish collaborative platforms and discussion fora to ensure that we can meet these challenges. The 3-day symposium will be organized autumn 2016 in the Oslo Science Park and will gather national as well as international scientists to discuss contemporary important environmental issues.

Aquatic and terrestrial organisms are exposed to a high number of stressors from production and use of chemicals, exploitation of natural resources and presence of natural and anthropogenic stressors. These multiple stressors have highly variable sources, behave in different ways in the environment and may be of concern for wildlife and humans. These stressors are often present at the same time in the environment, where they may affect the presence and effects of each other, and thus represent a risk to different organisms. The number of different stressors and their potential interactions introduce a complexity that can only be addressed by truly inter-disciplinary approaches and are seldom addressed in a sufficiently comprehensive manner. With the potential that point source emissions, diffuse emission and long transported stressors may affect coastal, open oceans and even the remote areas of the Arctic and Antarctic regions, the environmental challenges encountered today will require substantial effort for scientists and regulators today and in the future. The 6th Norwegian Environmental Toxicology Symposium (NETS) aims to establishing national and international networks of competence, secure sufficient recruitment to and development of research and regulatory communities, establish collaborative platforms and discussion fora to ensure that we can meet these challenges. The 3-day symposium will be organized autumn 2016 in the Oslo Science Park and will host approx. 150 scientists from Norway and abroad, and include representatives from research, industry and the regulatory community. The themes of NETS will include 1) priority and emerging pollutants, 2) nanoparticles and microplastics, 3) ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, 4) multiple stressors, 5) effect assessment, 6) environmental monitoring and management, 6) urbam to sensitive environments and 7) multiple stressors and environmental interactions, and will provide a truly multi-disciplinary initiative.