UKCEH scientists will take part in the 36th Annual Meeting of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) Europe from 17-21 May 2026. It's the most important European meeting for research in the field of chemical pollution and its sources, fate and effects...
This year's meeting, taking place in Maastricht in the Netherlands, has the theme "Embrace the Outlier: In Science, Regulations and Networks". UKCEH scientists will present research on topics including microplastics, metals pollution and PFAS.
Monday 18 May
Plenary
- Michael Pocock will give the plenary presentation on the first full day of the meeting, Monday 18 May. Dr Pocock, an ecologist interested in the interactions between nature, people and data, will talk about the benefits and impacts of citizen science for science and society. His talk will draw on a range of projects to demonstrate that citizen science enables public audiences to be critical stakeholders in science and action, and he will highlight how benefits go beyond data collection to awareness-raising and behaviour change.
Poster presentations
- Richard Cross: Towards fit-for-purpose monitoring of microplastics
- Stephen Lofts: Modelling the impacts of metals and acidity on benthic invertebrates in English and Welsh freshwaters
Tuesday 19 May
Poster presentations
- Emily Eagles: Assessing the toxicity of PFAS to Enchytraeus crypticus - Can compound structure be used to classify relative toxicity?
- Sarah Roberts: Presence and fate of chemicals associated with biosolid application to land to groundwater: Current evidence and knowledge gaps
- Lee Walker: Understanding spatial patterns of PFAS exposure for two terrestrial species in the UK
Wednesday 20 May
Oral presentation
- Sam Harrison: Quantifying and mitigating environmental emissions and exposure of internationally added microplastics in the UK
Poster presentations
- Rana Ozturk (PhD with University of Reading/UKCEH): Microplastics in regurgitated pellets of predatory birds in Southern England: Have we been underestimating exposure?
- Sarah Roberts: A risk prioritisation approach for intentionally added microplastics for a UK regulatory context
Thursday 21 May
Poster presentation
- Nicholas Porter: Can oil (palm) and water mix? Ecological risk of heavy metals in an oil palm plantation
In addition, Sam Harrison, Lee Walker and Elma Lahive are co-convening some of the sessions. Meanwhile, David Spurgeon is chairing the meeting of the Biologics in Agriculture Interest Group on Monday, and Sam Harrison is chairing an Exposure Modelling Interest Group workshop on Tuesday.