EPA/625/F-00/006
   Preliminary Announcement & Call for Abstracts
         Workshop on the Fate, Transport, and
       Transformation of Mercury in Aquatic and
                  Terrestrial Environments
                           May 8-10, 2001
                       West Palm Beach, Florida

                            Sponsored by
               U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. EPA Office of Research and Development is conducting this workshop
which is cosponsored by the USGS/U.S. EPA Mercury Roundtable, the U.S. EPA
Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Program, and the South Florida Mercury Science
Program.

                          Workshop Goals

The workshop is designed to achieve three goals:
• Describe the current state of knowledge, gaps, and areas of consensus regarding
  the fate and transport of mercury in aquatic and terrestrial systems.

• Present ongoing efforts to develop a better understanding of aquatic and terrestrial
  mercury transformation processes (biotic and abiotic), with implications for
  ecological and human exposures.

• Explore possible resources, actions, and tools for managing ecological and human
  exposures to methylmercury via aquatic and terrestrial systems, including
  decreasing mercury emission rates and implementing means of reducing
  methylation rates.
                         Who Should Attend

  International, federal, state, local, and tribal environmental  decision-makers
  Industry
  Academia
  Environmental consultants
  Environmental organizations
  Researchers and scientists

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                               Technical Sessions


  Mercury and Methylmercury Transport in the Environment

  •  watersheds
  •  sediments and sediment-water interface
  •  terrestrial systems
  •  air/water interface

  Methylmercury Production in the Environment

    methylafen and demethylation processes
    geocnemical controls
    methods for measurement
    internal and external sources in aquatic systems
    abiotic transformations in soils and surface water

  EPA STAR Mercury Research Program Review
  (presentations by invited current investigators)

  Bioaccumulation of Mercury in Food Webs

 •  control of bioavaiiability for uptake
 •  organism barriers for uptake
 •  differences at the species level
 •  impacts of food web structure and water chemistry

 Managing Mercury Contamination in Terrestrial and Aquatic Systems

 • ecosystem responses to changes in mercury loading
 • management factors affecting toxicity to ecosystems
 • modenng
 • responses offish levels to changes in external loadings


                             Abstract Submission

 Prospective speakers should submit a one page (double-spaced) abstract on the conference
 JgBJps described above by  February 1, 2001.  Abstracts must include the author's name,
 SHSm",' M^ress,' pj??ne nu-mber'/lx number & e-mail  address. Speakers selected for the
 program will be asked to provide a 4-5 page extended abstract.

 Direct technical inquiries and abstract submissions to:

 Scott Minamyer
 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
 ORD, NRMRL, MS G75
 26 West Martin Luther King Drive
 Cincinnati, OH  45268
 Phone: 513-569-7175   Fax: 513-569-7585
 Email: minamyer.scott@epa.gov


             For More Information and Conference Registration

The conference registration brochure will be available on EPA's website in January 2001.

                         http://www.epa.gov/ttbnrmrl

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