The SOT Scientific Program Committee (SPC) is pleased to announce two Hot Topic Sessions are being added to the 2024 SOT scientific program.
Translational Insights into Reproductive Impacts of Micro- and Nanoplastics Contamination
Tuesday, March 12, 4:45 PM to 6:15 PM
Chairs: Matthew J. Campen, University of New Mexico; and Phoebe Stapleton, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.
This session will focus on micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) in the female and male reproductive system, with a clinical and translational perspective covering multiple species, including human samples for placentas and testes. Presenters will discuss how plastics are delivered to the placenta and fetus, what factors may drive uptake, and early insights into clinical ramifications of such exposures. Studies also will highlight the new technological advancements and the need for further innovation. This session will further highlight research from last year’s SOT Translational Impact Award recipient, Kjersti Aagaard, and this year’s SOT Achievement Award recipient, Phoebe Stapleton.
Where the Rubber Meets the Road: Impact of Tire Wear Particles on the Environment and Human Health
Thursday, March 14, 8:30 AM to 11:15 AM
Chairs: David Leuthold, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Germany; and Karilyn E. Sant, San Diego State University.
With an estimated annual release of more than one billion tons in the US, tire and road wear particles generated by road transport are a prevalent source of synthetic polymers in the environment. Tire wear particles (TWPs) are emitted as particulate matter, or they can be leached or volatilized. TWPs can, therefore, affect multiple environmental compartments, including surface water, air, and soil. Tire wear is composed of diverse compound classes including natural rubber, heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and antioxidants, whose potential health impacts include carcinogenicity, neurotoxicity, mutagenicity, and endocrine disruption. Due to the complex composition of TWPs, knowledge on the environmental fate and toxicity of individual compounds and mixtures is limited. In 2020, an ozonation product of the tire antioxidant 6PPD (N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N’-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine), 6PPD-quinone, was identified to cause annual migratory die-offs in coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) in the Pacific Northwest at environmentally relevant concentrations present in stormwater runoff. The ubiquitous occurrence of tire chemicals such as 6PPD and 6PPD-quinone has raised public concerns about the adverse impacts of tire-derived chemicals on the environment and human health. To date, it remains unclear how 6PPD-quinone exerts its toxicity in some fish species while others are tolerant. It is also unknown whether tire-derived chemicals pose a risk to other organisms and humans. In 2023, native tribes in California and Washington urged a national ban of 6PPD to protect salmon and trout populations that play a significant ecological, cultural, and economic role. Also in 2023, 6PPD was included as a priority product by the California Department of Toxic Substances Control. To address uncertainties concerning the fate and toxicity of tire-related chemicals, this Hot Topic Session will highlight novel research on TWP exposure and toxicity in a range of model systems using novel, state-of-the-science approaches to discuss novel findings and knowledge gaps.
The Hot Topic Sessions are a response to a membership-expressed desire to include more timely research in the SOT Annual Meeting scientific program. The SPC is delighted to include these extremely topical sessions as part of this year’s schedule.
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