Prof. Ian Cousins
Professor of Environmental Chemistry, Stockholm University
PERFORCE3 Project Coordinator
About This Episode
Prof. Ian Cousins, coordinator of the PERFORCE3 project and one of the world's leading PFAS researchers, was interviewed on the Talking PFAS podcast. The conversation covered his research journey, key findings from PERFORCE3, and the future of PFAS regulation.
Topics Discussed
- Ian's path to becoming a PFAS researcher
- The PERFORCE3 project: goals, achievements, and legacy
- Key scientific discoveries about PFAS behavior
- The "forever chemicals" problem and planetary boundaries
- EU PFAS restriction proposal and regulatory landscape
- Training the next generation of PFAS scientists
- Future directions for PFAS research
Key Insights
Prof. Cousins shared several important perspectives on PFAS science and policy:
- The importance of taking a class-based approach to PFAS regulation
- How the persistence of PFAS makes them fundamentally different from other pollutants
- The role of training networks like PERFORCE3 in advancing the field
- Balancing scientific rigor with the urgency of regulatory action
About Prof. Cousins
Ian Cousins is Professor of Environmental Chemistry at Stockholm University's Department of Environmental Science. His research focuses on understanding the sources, transport, and fate of organic contaminants in the environment, with particular emphasis on PFAS.
He has published over 200 peer-reviewed papers and has been instrumental in shaping both scientific understanding and policy responses to PFAS contamination.