Retrospective

The Working Committee on Trace Elements was founded in the frame of the Complex Committee of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in 1982.

The aim of this committee has been defined as keeping on contact among the colleagues, experts, scientists interested in the roles of trace elements in biological processes, including analysis, production, utilization activities.

Our fundamental conception has been formed on the understanding that the trace element research is an interdisciplinary science. Therefore, advancing effective performance of any project a close co-operation is required between participants working from quite variant fields.

Colleagues from wide ranging fields have been invited to be the members of this committee. Accordingly, experts from disciplines of human and veterinary medicine, agricultural and forestry sciences, chemistry, biochemistry, biology, pharmacy, molecular genetics, nutrition and environmental sciences belong to this committee.

It has been also intended to provide a multidisciplinary forum to make the audience acquainted with novel results, to exchange experience and expertise.

Late Professor Dr. István Pais was the enthusiastic secretary (for one year), later on the president (for 20 years) of our Committee.

Workshops and other anniversary scientific meetings are assembled for national participants.

International symposiums have been also organised dealing with new results in the research of hardly known trace elements in the first decades, thereafter trace elements in the food chain.

Proceedings of the international meetings published are listed below.

1st International Trace Element Symposium, Budapest , 1984. New Results in the Research of Hardly Known Trace Elements. Ed.: Prof. Dr. István Pais. University of Horticulture , Budapest , 1985.

2nd International Trace Element Symposium, Budapest , 1986. New Results in the Research of Hardly Known Trace Elements and the Analytical Problems of Trace Element Research. Ed.: Prof. Dr. István Pais. University of Horticulture and Food Industry, Budapest , 1987.

3rd International Trace Element Symposium, Budapest , 1988. New Results in the Research of Hardly Known Trace Elements and their Role in the Food Chain. Ed.: Prof. Dr. István Pais. University of Horticulture and Food Industry, Budapest 1988.

4th International Trace Element Symposium, Budapest , 1990. New Results in the Research of Hardly Known Trace Elements and their Importance in the International Geosphere Biosphere Programme. Ed.: Prof. Dr. István Pais. University of Horticulture and Food Industry, Budapest , 1990.

5th International Trace Element Symposium, Budapest , 1992. New Perspectives in the Research of Hardly Known Trace Elements. Ed.: Prof. Dr. István Pais. University of Horticulture and Food Industry, Budapest , 1992.

6th International Trace Element Symposium, Budapest , 1994. New Perspectives in the Research of Hardly Known Trace Elements and in Element Interaction. Ed.: István Pais. University of Horticulture and Food Industry, Budapest , 1994.

7th International Trace Element Symposium, Budapest , 1996. New Perspectives in the Research of Hardly Known Trace Elements and their Role in Life Processes. Ed.: István Pais. University of Horticulture and Food Industry, Budapest , 1996.

8th International Trace Element Symposium, Budapest , 1998. New Perspectives in the Research of Hardly Known Trace Elements and the Importance of the interdisciplinary cooperation. Ed.: Prof. Dr. István Pais. University of Horticulture and Food Sciences. Budapest , 1999.

9th International Trace Element Symposium, Budapest , 2000. Procs. on New Perspectives in the Research of Hardly Known Trace Elements and the Importance of the Interdisciplinary cooperation. Ed.: Prof. Dr. István Pais. Szent István University , Faculty of Food Science, Budapest , 2001.

10th International Trace Element Symposium, Budapest , 2002. New Results in the Trace Element Research. Ed.: Prof. Dr. István Pais. Szent István University , Budapest , 2003.

International Symposium on Trace Elements in the Food Chain, Budapest , Nyíregyháza, 2003. Procs. Eds.: Simon L., Szilágyi M. Bessenyei György Publisher, Nyíregyháza, 2003, ISBN: 963 9385 81 6.

International Symposium on Trace Elements in the Food Chain, Budapest , 2006. Procs. Eds.: Szilágyi M., Szentmihályi K. Working Committee on Trace Elements of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (HAS) and Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry of the HAS, Budapest , 2006. ISBN 963 7067 132.