CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI) is organizing an International Workshop on silicone assessment in environmental matrices on 5-6 August 2024. The workshop was inaugurated by the Chief Guest Dr. Raju Mankar, Vice-Chancellor, Laxminarayan Innovation Technological University, Nagpur, the Guest of Honour Shri Ved Prakash Mishra, Director, Hazardous Substances Management, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change,Dr. Atul Vaidya, Director, CSIR-NEERI and Mr. K. Thomas, Executive Director, Global Silicones Council (GSC), USA.Dr. Nitin Labhsetwar, Chief Scientist, CSIR-NEERI, Dr. S K Singh, Sr. Principal Scientist, CSIR-NEERI, Dr. Noor A. Khan, Principal Scientist, CSIR-NEERI Delhi Zonal Centre and Dr. Ankit Gupta, Principal Scientist, CSIR-NEERI were also present on this occasion.
Addressing the participants, Dr. Mankar said that we are using silicones in our daily lives, from shampoo to lubricants, which have a potential impact on our environment. He stressed that ways to mitigate the impact of silicones should be discussed in this workshop. He stated that CSIR-NEERI might also play a significant role in assessing the environmental impacts of silicones. The workshop would make all participants aware of the use of silicones in different sectors with hands-on analytical training, he anticipated.
Shri Mishra stated that silicone is ubiquitous in our daily lives. He pointed out that there are many misconceptions about silicone, particularly regarding whether it is a type of plastic. He urged the participants to recommend practical solutions for managing silicones. He mentioned that CSIR-NEERI should provide suggestions for the environmental management of silicones.
Mr. Thomas provided an overview of the international workshop and ongoing capacity-building programs worldwide. Briefing on the activities of the Global Silicones Council (GSC), he highlighted that India is one of the priority countries for the GSC. He emphasized the importance of addressing misconceptions about silicones and deliberating on whether these substances should be listed as Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs).
Dr. Vaidya emphasized the importance of analyzing silicones in various environmental samples, as this forms the basis for internationally acceptable decision-making. He advocated beginning the analysis with groups of compounds before moving on to individual compounds. Dr. Vaidya also highlighted the necessity of investigating in detail how silicones accumulate in the environment.
Dr. Nitin Labhsetwar provided an overview of CSIR-NEERI’s analytical capabilities, and Dr. Noor A. Khan conducted the proceedings and proposed the vote of thanks.
Overall, four technical sessions will be held during the workshop. On the first day, two technical sessions were conducted on Siloxane Chemistry and methodologies for Siloxane sample collection. The knowledge and skills imparted during this workshop will be instrumental in developing a national-level silicone inventory, ultimately contributing to more effective environmental management and policy development to tackle silicones in the country.
The proceedings of the previously held workshop on the risk-based approach for chemical assessment and management were released on this occasion.