Training workshop – Toxicity and risk assessment for contaminant mixtures: European initiatives

Published June 27, 2024

On Tuesday June 25, EcotoQ organized a training workshop « Toxicity and risk assessment for contaminant mixtures: European initiatives » at INRS Eau Terre Environnement, Quebec.

This workshop was organized by EcotoQ’s Mixtures Working Group, which aims to facilitate knowledge sharing, facilitate access to cutting-edge training and target research priorities relevant to the development of environmental assessment tools.

Two European experts were on hand to present the day’s training courses, the objectives of which are to learn about the methodologies available for predicting and experimentally assessing the toxicity of mixtures, to learn about the risk assessment of contaminant mixtures, and to find out about European initiatives for the environmental regulation of contaminant mixtures.

Find out more about guest speakers

Here are short biographies and examples of talks given by our two European speakers.

Pr Nina Cedergreeen, University of Copenhagen

Pr Nina Cedergreen is a professor atUniversity of Copenhagen since 2012. S he is a seasoned researcher in contaminant mixtures and interactions between contaminants.
Son principal objectif de recherche porte sur les effets des produits chimiques sur l’environnement, en mettant l’accent sur les effets cocktails et les interactions entre les produits chimiques et d’autres facteurs de stress.
Trois projets de recherche actuels de cette chercheuse sont : VANDALF (
linking chemical and toxicological fingerprints: a new method for prioritizing the monitoring and regulation of pullutants in water), KNOWPE (knowledge for pesticide control), EcoSap (triterpenoid saponins as green solutions for future sustainable food production).

Werner Brack, is a researcher in risk assessment. Professor at the University of Goethe in Frankfuret, Germarny, he is Head of the Effects-Oriented Analysis Department (WANA) at the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research (UFZ). His main fields of research include effects-oriented analysis ( Effect-Directed Analysis, EDA), which involves the identification of toxic substances in complex mixtures including water, sediment, tissue, blood and urine. This includes the development of new separation techniques, the application and evaluation of bioassays and a wide range of chemical analysis techniques. He is also involved in assessing and prioritizing contamination of aquatic ecosystems and establishing cause-effect relationships between chemicals and observable effects, particularly in the context of water quality management and the implementation of the European Water Framework Directive. He is coordinator of the SOLUTIONS project, a worldwide collaborative project initiated in Europe, aimed at monitoring, risk assessment and management of complex mixtures found in surface waters.

Pr Werner Brack, Helmholtz Center fore Environmental Research – UFZ, Allemagne

It was a rewarding day, and a pleasure to see so many people mobilized and eager to learn more about European perspectives on the management of contaminant mixtures.

The presenters were so captivating that time flew by.

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