Episode #39: Dr. Lydia Jahl talks about harmful chemicals, public policy, and advocating for sustainable development

Dr. Lydia Jahl is a science and policy associate at the Green Science Policy Institute. There, she collaborates with other scientists, businesses, and policymakers to reduce the use of harmful chemicals in everyday products. Dr. Jahl is a chemist by training, receiving a BS in Chemistry from Harvey Mudd College and a PhD in Chemistry from Carnegie Mellon University. Her research journey began in atmospheric chemistry, studying fog water in the Los Angeles area and the Po Valley in Italy. After a brief stint working as a research chemist at a large winery, Jahl returned to atmospheric chemistry and completed a dissertation on the atmospheric processing of biomass burning emissions. While this fundamental research is important, Dr. Jahl wanted her work to more directly improve environmental health on a shorter timescale. So, she joined the Green Science Policy Institute to work on challenging issues that directly impact both human and environmental health. Her current focus is on phasing out unnecessary uses of flame retardant chemicals and PFAS.