SETAC honours Pim de Voogt with Emeritus Membership

Pim de Voogt is a Principal Scientist at KWR and emeritus professor of Environmental Chemistry at the University of Amsterdam (UvA). Previously, he was active at the VU Amsterdam and at public institutes in Sweden and the Netherlands. He was a pioneer in European research into the dispersion, fate and effects of PFAS, which got under way at the start of the millennium. De Voogt leads various international research projects in this field.

Sewage water analysis

De Voogt is one of the founders of the Sewage analysis CORe group Europe (SCORE), an interdisciplinary group of international experts who develop and apply biomarkers in wastewater to map the exposure, lifestyle and health of population groups. He was a member of SETAC Europe’s council for a total of nine years, three of which as treasurer. He also chaired the committee that organised the 7th Annual Meeting of SETAC Europe in Amsterdam in 1997.

Pim de Voogt

‘What a great honour!’, exclaimed a delighted Pim de Voogt. ‘SETAC was crucially important for my career. The organisation formed the basis for numerous scientific collaborations, international projects, but also enjoyable social happenings with lots of humour, laughter and collegial friendships. The first EU-funded research into PFAS, which I was asked to coordinate, originated in the Annual Meeting of SETAC Europe in Vienna in 2002. I thank SETAC and those who nominated me for the recognition that this Global Award represents.’

‘We are, as a team, very proud that our ex-colleague has received this lovely award, and we also wholeheartedly endorsed his nomination. The award crowns a great career, to which we also referred to extensively at the time of his retirement. Moreover, Pim had been associated with the SETAC organisation long before he joined KWR in 2008.’

Stefan Kools PhD

International recognition

De Voogt not only played an important role for his KWR colleagues but also for student interns, who he encouraged to attend congresses. Thanks, among others, to his contacts in the SETAC network, KWR research also became more widely known internationally. His work is still evident in the environmental chemistry research on compounds in water, especially with regard to nanoparticles, pharmaceuticals, and of course the pioneering work on PFAS and drugs of abuse in sewage water.

Stefan Kools, Chemical Water Quality and Health team leader: ‘The SETAC Emeritus Award is a very merited international recognition for Pim. The award places him among a splendid group of environmental scientists. Thanks to this award, and the associated honorary membership, Pim will remain linked with SETAC for many years to come.’

De Voogt’s successor at KWR, senior researcher Thomas ter Laak, has preserved the strong link with research conducted at the University of Amsterdam (UvA).