Wouter Gebbink is an Exposure Scientist at VITO, an independent Flemish research organisation in the area of cleantech and sustainable development in Mol (Antwerp, Belgium). Within SSbD4CheM, he is leading the work package dealing with the exposure assessment and risk management of chemicals.
Tell us a bit about yourself. What is your area of expertise?
Wouter Gebbink: I am trained as an analytical and environmental chemist studying the fate of chemicals in the environment. In recent years I have expanded my expertise by focusing more on using in silico methods to assess the exposure of chemicals to workers, consumers and the environment to evaluate potential risk.
How does your specific work package “Exposure assessment / risk management” contribute to the project?
WG: Within this work package we are assessing the potential risk of the chemicals that are being evaluated as replacement chemicals in the products covered by the three case studies. We are working closely together with other work packages that e.g., generate experimental data that can be used in the exposure assessment, or with the industry partners in order to develop relevant exposure scenarios. Combining the input from the other work packages allow us to perform the exposure and risk assessments.
What is the most exciting thing about the activities in your work package?
WG: In this work package we are generating data ensuring fewer emissions of chemicals from the products being developed resulting in reduced exposure and/or risk of the chemicals to humans and the environment, making them safer alternatives.
- Wouter Gebbink
Exposure Scientist at VITO“Our work ensures fewer chemical emissions from new products, reducing exposure and making them safer for both humans and the environment.”
From your point of view, who can benefit the most from the project?
WG: By the end of the project, I think the consumer of the products as well as the environment could benefit mostly. The idea behind the implementation of the SSbD framework into product design is to replace chemicals by alternatives that are less harmful and result in lower risk to the consumer. By having reduced emissions or using less harmful chemicals not only the consumers face lower risk but the environment as well.
