Safe & sustainable water cycle, EU Green Deal

Birte Raes, a chemical engineer passionate about sustainability, has spent the past five years at Aquafin, the Flemish wastewater company, driving innovation in water quality, micropollutants, and reuse through local and European R&D projects. Straddling both science and fieldwork, she bridges cutting-edge research with real-world application. Committed to a holistic approach, she advocates for clean water and environmental protection through integrated, forward-thinking solutions.

Director at BioDetection Systems in Amsterdam, The Netherlands since 2006.

Experienced in international effect-based monitoring tool development and applications since 1992. Former Managing Director and Head of several laboratories at Kaneka Corp. (Japan), Eurofins (GER) and SGS (GER/USA). 

University education at Tübingen University (Germany, 1992-1997, PhD), Lancaster University (1997, post-doc) and Kyoto University (1998-2001, post-doc).

He has ample experience in initiating/coordinating of various international collaborative research projects in many kinds of applications (ROHS, REACH, environment, water monitoring & treatment, wildlife & human health). 

His area of expertise spans innovative approaches in application of various (bio)analysis tools with many kinds of chemicals (EDCs, POPs, PFAS) in many different matrices (environment, feed/food, wildlife and human monitoring). 

He has been involved in more than 150  publications & cases related to these pollutants in various countries. 

He is currently involved in several EU Grean Deal water projects such as PROMISCES (PFAS and PMTs in the water cycle), SafeCrew (Desinfection byproducts), OneBlue (Marine water pollution) and HOLISTIC (Urban water pollution) as well as in Risk3Hunter for non-animal methods (NAMs).

Jeroen Van Stappen has obtained his PhD in Geology in 2017 after which he continued in academic research with the focus on geo-chemical changes in the subsurface related to human activity. As of December 2022, Jeroen joined the Flanders Environment Agency as team lead of the inorganic and metal analyses of the laboratory. In 2024, the laboratory invested in the development of a biological section for effect based monitoring via Calux® tests. Since January 2025, Jeroen Van Stappen is the acting head of the laboratory until further notice.

As an experienced professional in water quality and sustainable water management, I have significantly enhanced my expertise through active participation in the Water Platform Brabant and the Water Bank initiatives. Collaborating within the Circular Water Working Group of the Water Alliance, I focus on promoting green-blue water applications and optimizing (rain)water usage to conserve resources for future generations. Additionally, I contribute to the development and application of sensors and AI-driven data platforms to improve water quality monitoring and decision-making. My work aligns with the transition towards a circular water economy, promoting innovation in sustainable water solutions. More details at https://waterplatformbrabant.nl/ and https://www.microlan.nl/ and my profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joepappelsmicrolan/

Prof. Leo Posthuma is an expert in the field of environmental risks and sustainable development at the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) and as Professor by special appointment 'Sustainability and Environmental Risks' at Radboud University Nijmegen.

Leo Posthuma studied biology at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. In 1987 he graduated cum laude, with specialisations in animal ecology, plant ecology, phytopathology and population genetics. His PhD-research at the same University focused on long-term effects of unintended mixtures of chemical pollutants. Working at RIVM since 1992, Leo is concerned with scientific support for decision-making under uncertainty, especially geared towards solving complex (‘wicked’) environmental problems. Keywords are environmental risks, sustainable development, and solution-focused and practical approaches and methodologies.

Leo currently acts as expert and project leader in projects on risks and sustainability ranging from local to global scales. His key interest lie in the provision of strategic goals, to provide universally applicable and validated knowledge, data and approaches. But also on effective application of such knowledge to current problems. His contributions to the latter range from solving problems with slightly contaminated soil, water and sediments up till the design and operationalization of a method for a swift disaster assessment and evaluation approach for United Nations field teams.

As expert and professor, Leo Posthuma focuses on the transposition of environmental problems into sustainable solutions.