PFAS: Risks, Uses, and Replacements for a Sustainable Future
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been widely used for their water-, heat-, and stain-resistant properties in thousands of products – from medical devices to firefighting foam. But their persistence in the environment, potential health impacts, and growing public concern have turned PFAS into one of the most urgent policy challenges in chemical regulation today.
This workshop brings together leading scientists, policymakers, industry experts, and civil society voices to provide a comprehensive, science-based overview of PFAS, their benefits and risks, and options for future regulation.
🏛️ European Parliament, Brussels, Belgium📍 Room A5E-3
🗓️ 5 March 2026 🕰️ 13:00 – 15:00
Programme is yet to be confirmed.
Emil Damgaard-Møller
Emil Damgaard-Møller, PhD in materials chemistry and senior Consultant at Danish Technological Institute. Emil have been intensively working with PFAS for the past 3 years, mainly focusing on identifying and developing good alternatives for PFAS through close collaboration with the industry, with a track record showing several examples of improved performance when replacing PFAS through innovation processes. Emil is also currently leading the “Danish EPA’s PFAS partnership with the industry”, consisting of +60 Danish companies with a shared purpose of accelerating the minimization and phase-out of PFAS in the industry.
Angela Agostiano
Angela Agostiano is a Full Professor at the University of Bari Aldo Moro, Italy, specialising in Chemical-Physical Processes. Her research focuses on preparing and characterising nanosised semiconductors for applications in photochemistry, environmental science, and sensing.
She served as the first female President of the Italian Chemical Society (SCI) from 2017 to 2019, promoting SCI’s European dimension and connecting diverse chemistry disciplines, academia, industry, and professional organisations. She also worked on major social issues, drafting positions on chemical weapons to support the image and culture of chemistry in society and politics.
In 2022, she was elected EuChems President-Elect and began her full presidency in 2024. Agostiano also chairs the EuChemS Task Group on Inclusion and Diversity.
Floris Rutjes
Floris Rutjes has served the scientific community as President of the Royal Netherlands Chemical Society‘s (KNCV) and as Vice-Dean and Professor at Radboud University in the Netherlands. His area of research is the synthesis of organic molecules: (i) developing new and sustainable (catalytic) synthesis methodology, (ii) the design and synthesis of biologically active small molecules, (iii) new click-probes for bio-orthogonal conjugation, and (iv) continuous flow chemistry in microreactor systems.
He is involved in bridging the gap between the scientific innovation and commercial application of science. For this, he has received the “Most entrepreneurial scientist of the Netherlands” award in 2008, alongside other honours, such as the “2003 AstraZeneca award for research in organic chemistry” and “2002 Gold Medal of the Royal Netherlands Chemical Society (KNCV)”. More information about his work can be found here.
He was elected EuChemS President-Elect in 2019, at the in Bucharest, Romania. Under his presidency, EuChemS adjusted to the COVID Crisis, increased its policy activities and further established the visibility of the EuChemS brand