"Toxicity of Biodiesel and Other Biofuels: Implications for Global Use" SOT Contemporary Concepts in Toxicology (CCT) conference will be held September 4–5, 2014, at the University of Edinburgh Campus, Edinburgh, Scotland. The conference overview notes that: "The need for nonpetroleum based alternative energy sources is based on many factors, including increased energy demands, available sources, economic influences, and toxicity of the energy source. Liquid biofuels, such as biodiesel, have been proposed as a possible energy source with widespread usage, especially for mobile applications such as transportation. In order to better and more fully assess the role liquid biofuels can play in our current and future energy needs, a complete picture of the advantages and disadvantages of the use of liquid biofuels needs to emerge, which will in turn allow for informed decisions to be made by policymakers."
The purpose of this conference is to bring together interested parties and experts in primarily the biodiesel arena to present state-of-the-art knowledge on the production, chemistry, combustion engineering, and toxicology of this fuel. Conference goals include: 1) providing knowledge to toxicologists regarding current biofuels usage and estimates for future (research planning); 2) linkage of toxicity to biodiesel chemical markers in the fuel or emissions; and 3) compare biodiesel toxicity endpoints with petroleum fuel toxicity for various health outcomes. The understanding that evolves from this conference will help lead to a better focus on the more appropriate liquid fuel sources that will be developed in the future.
For additional information and to register for this CCT conference, please visit the SOT website.