15th International Symposium on Toxicity Assessment

Abstract

This special issue of Environmental Science and Pollution Research highlights selected papers presented at the 15th International Symposium on Toxicity Assessment (ISTA15) which was held in Hong Kong, from 3 to 8 July 2011, and officially hosted by the City University of Hong Kong. In the Asia Pacific region in general, and Hong Kong and China in particular, governments now recognize that proper management of the environment is vital to protect public health and sustain socioeconomic development. In China, rapid population growth and industrial development have occurred in the Pearl River Delta, which is now known as “the world’s factory”. The emission and disposal of enormous quantities of industrial and domestic waste have exerted unprecedented pressures on our environment. Moreover, many large infrastructural development schemes have caused great damage to our ecosystems and serious economic losses, and have posed significant threats to public health. The impact of these developments needs to be predicted, identified, assessed, monitored, and controlled in order to avoid costly or irreversible mistakes. ISTA15 brought together academics, professionals, and policy makers to discuss new developments, approaches, and strategies in the fields of toxicity assessment, ecotoxicology, regulatory toxicity, and risk assessment for ensuring environmental safety and public health. A total of 300 registered participants from over 33 countries attended the ISTA15 which was characterized by these 10 major scientific themes: