On this episode I speak with Gabriel Sigmund, Assistant Professor at Wageningen University and Research, and board member of the International Panel on Chemical Pollution (IPCP).

We discuss:

• Gabriel’s background and research interests

• How the fate of charged organic compounds differs from neutral compounds

• The issue of mobility in the environment and the concern around persistent, mobile and toxic (PMT) substances

• Complex interactions controlling sorption and other fate processes in soil

• The ongoing importance of laboratory experiments in the age of AI

• Data availability and data quality challenges for persistence and mobility assessments

• Implications of the new PMT/vPvM hazard classes under the EU CLP regulation

• Simplification and essential use concepts for chemicals management

• The issue of extreme persistence and the concern around trifluoroacetic acid (TFA)

• Pesticides as a potential source of TFA to the environment

• How differences in worldviews influences the debate on chemicals

• Activities of the SETAC Persistence Science Interest Group

Ahead of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) annual European conference in Vienna (11-15th May), I caught up with Sabine Apitz, SETAC Europe President and Editor-in-Chief of the academic journal Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management (IEAM). 

Sabine and I had a fascinating discussion about environmental science, the scientific community, and the emergence and application of scientific knowledge. We discussed some of the pressing issues and challenges facing the SETAC community, and society at large. Sabine also shared some of what we could look forward to at the upcoming Vienna conference and the 9th SETAC World Congress (and first to be held in Africa) later this year. 

In this episode I speak with Delina Lyon, Science Executive for Environment at Concawe. 

Del and I dive deep into the regulatory assessment of complex substances. This issue still presents a wicked challenge for industry and regulators alike, and Concawe’s work is right at the forefront of this. 

In this episode I speak with Jason Snape. Jason is a Research Professor in sustainable healthcare and environmental sustainability at the University of York, and prior to that was Global Head of Environment at AstraZeneca.

In this episode I am joined by Libby Sommer, independent consultant working on sustainability in the apparel industry. 

In this episode I share an article discussing the issue of environmental persistence, and why this is fast becoming a top priority that producers of chemical products need to address. I also share some insights on what has been happening since the article was published.

In this episode I am joined by Peter Fisk, founder of Green Chemical Design Ltd, and formerly of Peter Fisk Associates (now Vitis Regulatory). 

Peter talks about his extensive career journey, and gives an honest appraisal of the evolution and current state of chemicals management in Europe. 

In this episode I am joined by Jen Novakovic from The Eco Well. Jen is as an influencer and podcaster in the cosmetics space. She focuses in particular on issues of science communication and misinformation. 

In this episode I speak with Jen Vanderhoven, Chief Operating Officer of the Bio-based and Biodegradable Industry Association (BBIA) in the UK. The BBIA is in place to champion the industrial bioeconomy in the UK, and to reduce our reliance on fossil resources to create a sustainable, circular economy.

In this episode I am joined by Paul Thomas, founder of Kreatis, a company that specialises in developing in silico tools for predicting chemical properties and hazard endpoints. 

In this episode I am joined by Claire Walker, Head of Global Regulations and Product Safety at bio-economy startup Holiferm. We discuss Clare’s career journey and her role at Holiferm, where the process of fermentation is being harnessed to produce biosurfactants to replace fossil-derived ingredients across a wide range of products.

Welcome to the first episode of the Chemical Journeys podcast.

The issue of chemicals in the environment is a story.

A story about science, politics, health, and humanity’s relationship with the planet.

Hear about the latest science and policy developments in this area, and the impact of this on the chemicals sector and society as a whole.