As part of its mission to strengthen Europe’s capacity to assess, monitor and reduce chemical risks, the Partnership for the Assessment of Risks from Chemicals (PARC) has completed a dedicated campaign of interviews with its Chemical Leaders, the experts guiding scientific progress across PARC’s priority areas. This series brings visibility to the outstanding researchers at the heart of the partnership and highlights how their work contributes to safer chemicals, stronger evidence and more sustainable innovation across Europe.

The campaign highlights leaders working on nanomaterials, PFAS, endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), and microplastics. They are synthesising knowledge generated across the different PARC projects and guiding future research and policy directions.

Iseult Lynch (nanomaterials) explains why understanding how nanoparticles interact with cells and proteins is essential for both innovation and safety. She emphasises the benefits of nanomaterials in medicine and technology, while also noting the complexity of predicting exposure and biological behaviour. PARC will develop in vitro and in silico assays to identify nanomaterials with specific toxicity profiles, supporting their grouping and prioritised testing.

Thorhallur Ingi Halldorsson (PFAS) discusses how PFAS (often called “forever chemicals”) accumulate in the human body and influence critical systems, particularly the immune system. He highlights the importance of studying legacy PFAS and the growing number of alternative compounds entering the market, ensuring that public health strategies remain ahead of evolving risks.

Lutz Ahrens (PFAS) focuses on environmental pathways, explaining how PFAS circulate globally and persist across ecosystems. He calls for robust, harmonised monitoring and a group-based regulatory strategy to manage thousands of PFAS with similar properties. He highlighted that PARC can encourage industries to transition to PFAS-free materials, thereby reducing reliance on harmful chemicals through the promotion of safer alternatives and Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) initiatives.

Nikiforos Alygizakis (EDCs) leads efforts to map human and environmental exposure to endocrine disruptors. His work integrates environmental sampling, human biomonitoring, computational modelling and innovative testing to understand low-dose and combined effects. He emphasises the value of early warning systems, capable of signalling risks before they become widespread.

Susana Loureiro (nanomaterials) investigates how nanoparticles move through and affect ecosystems. She highlights significant gaps in detecting and tracking nanomaterials in the environment, stressing the need for integrated frameworks that combine ecotoxicology, exposure science, regulation and sustainable design. Her work supports balanced approaches that protect ecosystems while enabling responsible innovation.

Dorte Herzke (microplastics) works to understand how microplastics travel from consumer products into water, soil, air and eventually human tissues. She points to the urgency of harmonised monitoring and robust analytical methods, which are essential to produce comparable data and guide future regulatory efforts.

Taken together, these interviews provide a comprehensive look at the challenges Europe faces in assessing chemical risks and demonstrate how PARC is addressing them through coordinated research, shared infrastructure and collaboration across more than 200 partner institutions.

The campaign reinforces that PARC’s strength lies not only in scientific excellence, but in its ability to bridge science, regulation and society. Each Chemical Leader brings a combination of deep scientific expertise, regulatory understanding and commitment to public health. Their collective work supports Europe’s transition toward safer chemicals, more transparent evidence and innovation that is safe and sustainable by design.