SETAC 2026
Join us in Maastricht to connect with our experts and explore how we’re helping industry, regulators and researchers navigate emerging challenges with confidence.
SETAC is dedicated to advancing environmental science and science-informed decision-making through collaboration, communication, education and leadership.
Ricardo’s ecotoxicology, chemical policy and water specialists will be on the ground at SETAC Europe 2026, sharing insights and engaging with the latest science shaping environmental risk assessment and chemical regulation.
Arrange to meet the team
Participating in the below sessions
Every data point matters – maximising value for regulatory toxicology
Wednesday 20 May 2026, 10:30 | Auditorium 02
Understand how high‑quality academic data can truly accelerate regulatory acceptance of New Approach Methodologies, as this session reveals common reporting pitfalls and introduces a practical template designed to unlock the full regulatory value of OECD TG‑compliant studies. You’ll come away inspired by how academic laboratories can meaningfully drive the mainstream adoption of fish‑alternative NAMs - if they report their work in the right way - and why this shift matters for the future of ecotoxicology and chemical compliance.
Presenting: Simon Gutierrez
Learn more
4.04 - Environmental Hazard and Risk Assessment of UVCBs and Complex Mixtures: From Scientific Challenges to Regulatory Solutions
Thursday, 21 May 2026, 09:30 - 10:50 | Room 2.1
Explore how leading scientists, regulators and industry specialists are breaking new ground in assessing UVCBs and other complex mixtures - substances that challenge traditional testing, defy simple analytical characterization, and are rapidly expanding across modern supply chains. This session will reveal innovative tools, alternative methods and regulatory‑ready strategies that can finally bring clarity, robustness and practical applicability to some of the toughest environmental fate and risk assessment problems under REACH and global frameworks.
Presenting: Simon Gutierrez
Learn more
4.12.P - Next Generation Environmental Risk Assessment: Incorporating NAMs, AI, and Big Data for Real World Decisions
This session explores how next‑generation environmental risk assessment is moving from conservative, animal‑intensive testing toward more realistic, mechanistic and data‑driven approaches that reflect real‑world complexity. Attendees will gain practical insight into how NAMs, AI‑enabled models and integrated frameworks can deliver more predictive, transparent and regulator‑ready decisions for both legacy and emerging chemical stressors.
4.01 - Advancing the Environmental Risk Assessment and Management of Cosmetics, Sunscreens and Personal Care Products
This session brings together cutting‑edge science, regulation and industry practice to transform how environmental risks from personal care, cosmetic and sunscreen ingredients are assessed across real‑world exposure and effect pathways. Attendees will gain practical insight into advanced analytics, NAMs and next‑generation risk frameworks that support smarter decision‑making, sustainable product design and more effective risk management for these high‑use chemicals.
Chair: Elaine Jennings
3.05. Bridging Science, Regulation, and Remediation on PFAS: Addressing Unknowns and Emerging Challenges
This session tackles the growing challenge of managing PFAS beyond legacy substances, shining a spotlight on emerging, overlooked and poorly characterised PFAS that increasingly shape regulatory and commercial risk. Attendees will gain practical insight into cutting‑edge monitoring, assessment, alternatives and remediation strategies that support smarter compliance decisions in a rapidly evolving global policy landscape.
Chair: Simon Gutierrez
Presenting the below posters
1.03.P-Tu019 - Filling in the gaps to support the application of alternative methods (OECD TG 236 and 249) to replace acute fish toxicity testing
How far we can confidently replace animal testing while maintaining – or even improving – protection of aquatic life. Drawing on a major ECHA led data comparison across in vivo and alternative OECD test guidelines, it offers rare, evidence based insight into where fish embryo and cell line assays work well, where uncertainties remain, and what this means for regulatory decision making. Valuable insights for anyone engaged with shaping the future of NAM acceptance in chemical risk assessment.
3.28.P-We314 - The Prevalence of Trifluoroacetic Acid in Drinking Water Supplies across England and Wales
This study lifts the lid on an emerging PFAS risk that is already showing up in European drinking water, yet remains poorly understood by regulators and industry alike. Drawing on the first coordinated monitoring effort across England and Wales, the session offers rare, evidence based insight into where TFA is coming from, how well treatment works really remove it, and what this means for future risk assessment and regulatory action – making it essential insight for anyone tracking PFAS beyond the usual suspects.
4.04.P-Th161 - High-Throughput Assessment of Predicted Hydrocarbon Degradation Products Using Integrated QSAR Workflows and Applicability Domain Analysis
Tackling one of the toughest frontiers in environmental regulation: how to credibly assess the hidden risks of complex petroleum UVCBs when their degradation products outnumber traditional datasets by orders of magnitude. By combining high‑throughput data engineering, multiple QSAR models and regulatory‑ready applicability domain analysis, it offers a compelling glimpse into how scalable, evidence‑based tools can finally bring clarity to PBMT assessment. Unmissable for anyone working at the intersection of computational toxicology, UVCB regulation and next‑generation chemical risk assessment.
4.13.P-Mo309 - Terrestrial Ecotoxicity Studies for Microplastic Particles – Influence of particle size, shape, polymer type and UV aging
Aiming to cut through the noise in microplastics research to ask a critical question regulators and risk assessors are now grappling with: how reliable and environmentally relevant are the data used to judge risk in terrestrial systems? By combining rigorous QA/QC‑driven testing, environmentally realistic exposure scenarios and a tiered approach that reveals how ageing alters toxicity, it offers rare, practical insight into what really matters for microplastics hazard and risk assessment.
4.13.P-Mo312 - Towards a Holistic Hazard Assessment Framework for Microplastics in Terrestrial Environments
Offering a much‑needed reset for how we think about microplastics in soil, the expert team propose moving beyond fragmented studies toward a coherent, regulator‑ready hazard assessment framework. By adapting proven chemical regulatory concepts to the unique challenges of particulate pollutants, it provides practical guidance on tiered testing, particle characterisation and PNEC derivation. Highly relevant for researchers, regulators and industry professionals seeking realistic, evidence‑based approaches to terrestrial microplastics risk.
Advancing environmental chemistry and toxicology for a safer, sustainable futureOur expert team combines scientific excellence with a deep commitment to innovation and sustainability. From health hazard evaluation, conducting monitoring campaigns and assessing the Persistent, Bioaccumulative, and Toxic (PBT) and Persistent, Mobile, and Toxic (PMT) properties of chemicals, to undertaking regulatory risk assessments, we uncover how chemicals move and transform in the environment, assess their potential hazard properties and effects on humans and ecosystems, and develop strategies to mitigate risks. By combining scientific excellence with a deep understanding of the regulatory and policy contexts, we provide expert advice and guide companies and authorities who must navigate complex regulatory processes to make sure the science supports appropriate regulatory decisions regarding the chemicals they use. Learn more |
 |
Persistence Assessment Tool (PAT)
Developed by our environmental chemistry and toxicology experts in conjunction with Concawe and the International Collaboration on Cosmetics Safety, the PAT tool provides a structured and clear methodology to: systematically capture and store information on persistence; evaluate data quality; carry out a robust and transparent weight of evidence determination; and assess persistence in line with global regulatory frameworks.
Establishing the environmental impact of chemical products
Offering practical insight, best practice, and industry case studies on life cycle assessments (LCAs) to demystify their role in driving forward sustainability in the chemical sector, whilst aiding businesses to identify opportunities to enhance product sustainability and reduce environmental impact.
Understanding bioaccumulation for regulatory compliance
As regulatory frameworks evolve, understanding how chemicals bioaccumulate, in which organisms, and through which pathways, is becoming increasingly critical for ensuring regulatory compliance and maintaining market access.