Chemical Journeys

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 s...

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....

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. 

Our conversation covers:

• What is Concawe?
• Del's role at Concawe
• Environmental assessment of petroleum substances under REACH
• Del&...

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. 

Our discussion covers:

• Jason's career journey to date
• His move into academia and future research goals
• Sustainable healthcare in developing economies
• Reflections on regulatory persistence assessments
• Environm...

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

Libby and I discuss:

• Libby’s background and early career
• Her work on sustainability and life cycle assessments in the apparel industry
• Working with start-ups
• Drivers of innovation
• How sustainability focus areas have evolved over the years
• The environmental and human costs of textile waste
• Biodegradation and recycli...

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.

Read the original article: Why environmental persistence should be a top priority for safe and sustainable products — Embark Chemical Consulting

On the latest de...

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. 

Our discussion covers a lot of ground, including:

• Peter's early career and interests as a scientist
• Making the switch to consultancy and ...

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. 

Our conversation covers:

• Jen's journey and work on science communication in the cosmetics sector
• What is misinformation, and why is it a problem?
• The role of social media and human biases
• The need for effective science comm...

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. 

Jen has been making real waves in her role at the BBIA. We have a fascinating conversation covering:

• What is the bio-economy? Why...

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. 

Join us for an interesting conversation covering: 

• Paul’s early career and experiences with building a company
• Quantitative structure activity relationship (QSAR) models for predicting chemical properties
• The role of QSARs for reducing animal tes...

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.

We also discuss Clare’s work in mammalian toxicology and regulatory compliance, the contras...

Welcome to the first episode of the Chemical Journeys podcast.

The issue of chemicals in the environment is a story.

A story that brings together both the natural and social sciences. A story about Earth, humanity, and individual journeys.

Hear about scientific and policy developments around chemicals in the environment and their impact on the chemicals sector and society as a whole, and look to what t...