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.

Our conversation covers:

• Sabine’s background and career journey
• The emergence and application of scientific knowledge
• Using tools and models to inform environmental policy, and appreciating their limitations
• Sabine’s experience working as an independent consultant
• The role of scientists from different backgrounds in science and policy discussions
• Public representation at SETAC and in broader environmental discourse
• Reflections on the current political environment for science and society at large
• Dealing with complexity in trying to understand ecosystems
• Sabine’s own experience with podcasting
• An unexpected finding from an investigation into hygiene products
• Upcoming SETAC events – Vienna and Johannesburg

This is a great one for anyone interested in learning more about SETAC, the organisation that brings together scientists from across disciplines to study the issue of chemicals in the environment and to inform science-based environmental decisions.

Links from the discussion:

SETAC website: SETAC

Vienna conference: SETAC Europe 35th Annual Meeting

World Congress event: SETAC 9th World Congress

IEAM academic journal: Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management | Oxford Academic

Sabine's editorial (published in 2017): Science, antiscience, and environmental decision making: A call to action | Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management | Oxford Academic

(co-authors: Thomas Backhaus, Peter M Chapman, Wayne Landis, Glenn Suter)

Sabine's podcast: Join the Dots | jointhedots

(co-hosts: Ece Ozdemiroglu and Jill Duggan)

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's early career and switch from academia to industry
• Reflections on the science-policy interface
• Developments in regulatory testing and assessment
• Conflicts of interest and the role of industry scientists
• The wicked problem of complex substances (UVCBs)
• Challenges with biodegradation testing
• Weight of evidence and the Persistence Assessment Tool (PAT)
• The hydrocarbon block method and related tools PETROTOX and PETRORISK
• Persistence, bioaccumulation and toxicity (PBT) assessments and the new PMT concept

Concawe website

Persistence Assessment Tool (PAT)

PETROTOX tool - Concawe

PETRORISK tool - Concawe

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
• Environmental safety within the pharmaceutical sector
• The threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
• Extended producer responsibility and the EU Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive
• The water industry, the state of UK waterways, and public attitudes to drinking water

Jason has a huge amount of knowledge to share about some of the most pressing challenges in society. Join us to explore potential solutions!

Jason's 2018 keynote on AMR at SETAC Europe

ECOSOLUTIONS PhD training programme