Personal Profiles

Professor P Douben

CBiol MBiol MCIWEM CSc
Visiting Professor

Short Biography:

Peter Douben studied biology & ecotoxicology at the University of Wageningen, The Netherlands. He holds a PhD from that same university based on work carried out at NERC's CEH Monks Wood Experimental Station. The title of his thesis was "Assessment of factors that determine the metal burden in the fish Noemacheilus barbatulus L. (stone loach)".
Between his graduation and PhD work, Peter lead a project investigating the side-effects of the eradication of river blindness around the River Mô valley, near Kara, Togo, West Africa. During that time he discovered a new spider species Dusmadiores doubeni.
His working career spanned research, regulatory authorities, as well industry. He lead a research group on Ecotoxicology in the Netherlands, followed by a position as Pollution Inspector with HMIP. While there he was asked to join the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution (RCEP) as Assistant Secretary Scientific. With his input the RCEP published two major reports "Setting Environmental Standards" and "Energy - The changing climate". In the latter, although published in 2002, the initiative on future scenarios, an exercise which brought different lines of argument and evidence together. They have withstood the test of time.
Peter's industrial experience includes his time with Unilever as Head of Environmental Protection in its Safety and Environmental Assessment Centre. He was also Director of REACH / Chemicals Policy with Cefic, the European Chemical Industry Council.
In 2007 he founded REACHWise, a consultancy aimed at helping companies, up and down the supply chain, trade organisations, etc. with high-quality advice, information and services, needed to ensure compliance with the new European chemicals legislation.

Research Interests:

Impact of REACH on innovation. As the new European chemicals legislation overhauls old arrangements, it comes at a cost. This increased expenditure will have an impact on the resources available for innovative work. Yet REACH demands innovation for instance in the area of alternative methods, and implementation of those would free up resources.
Competitiveness of the chemical industry. The UK's chemical industry is undergoing massive changes. This can be attributed to government's policies as well as changes at the European and global level. Obvious comparisons can be made at the level of states, but also continents. Industrial as well fiscal policies are important, but also educatin and research.

Teaching:

• REACH training courses include specialist training to educate REACH managers.

Centre/Faculty Duties

• Member of the EngD Management Committee

Selected Publication/Conference Presentations:

Papers and reports

• Douben, P.E.T. (1989) Assessment of factors affecting metal burden in the stone loach (Noemacheilus barbatulus L.). Ph.D. thesis, Agricultural University, Wageningen, The Netherlands. 265 pp.
• Douben, P.E.T. and Harmsen, J. (1991) Diffuse verontreiniging in het landelijk gebied; saneren: doen of niet doen? Bodem 1 157-160.
• Douben, P.E.T. and Siepel, H. (1993) Extrapolation from laboratory to field and from individual to populations: pitfalls to avoid. The Science of the Total Environment. 1993 Supplement 1025-1036.
• Shore, R.F. and Douben P.E.T. (1994) Predicting the ecotoxicological impacts of xenobiotics on terrestrial small mammals. Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 134 49-89.
• Shore, R.F. and Douben P.E.T. (1994) The ecotoxicological significance of cadmium intake and residues in terrestrial small mammals. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 29 101-112.
• Douben, P.E.T., Edulgee, G.H. and Dyke, P. (1995) A Review of Potential PCDD and PCDF emissions in the UK. Organohalogen Compounds 24 131-136.
• Baird, D.J. Maltby, L., Greig-Smith, P.W. and Douben, P.E.T. (1996) ECOtoxicology: ecological dimensions. Chapman & Hall, London. 89 pp.
• Douben, P.E.T., Alcock, R.E. and Jones, K.C. (1997) Congener specific transfer of PCDD/Fs from air to cow's milk: an evaluation of current modelling approaches. Environmental Pollution 95 333-344.
• Douben, P.E.T. (ed.) (1998) Pollution risk assessment and management. John Wiley and Sons, Chichester.
• Douben, P.E.T. (1998) Perspectives on pollution risk. In: Douben, P.E.T. (Ed.) Pollution risk assessment and management. Issues and approaches. John Wiley and Sons, Chichester.
• Douben, P.E.T. (ed.) (2003) PAHs: an ecotoxicological perspective. John Wiley and Sons, Chichester.
• Burgess, R.M., Ahrens M.J., Hickey C.W., den Besten, P.J., ten Hulscher, D. van Hattum, B., Meador, J.P. and Douben, P.E.T. (2003) An overview of the partitioning and bioavailability of PAHs in sediments and soils. In: Douben, P.E.T. (Ed.) PAHs: an ecotoxicological perspective. John Wiley and Sons, Chichester, pp 99-126.
• Schowanek, D., Carr, R., David, H., Douben, P., Hall, J., Kirchmann H., Patria, L., Sequi, P., Smith, S. and Webb, S. (2004) A Risk-Based Methodology for Deriving Quality Standards for Organic Contaminants in Sewage Sludge for Use in Agriculture - Conceptual Framework. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology 40 227-251.
• Comber, M., Gimeno, S., de Wolf, W., Lillicrap, A., Stevens, C., van Egmond, R., Douben, P., Whale, G., Léonard, M. and Holt, M. (2005) Alternative Testing Approaches in Environmental Safety Assessment. ECETOC Technical Report No. 97, ECETOC, Brussels.
• Wolf, W. de, Comber, M., Douben, P., Gimeno, G., Holt, M., Léonard, M., Lillicrap, A., Sijm, D.T.H.M., Van Egmond, R., Weisbrod, A., and Whale, G. (2006) Animal Use Replacement, Reduction and Refinement: Development of an Integrated Testing Strategy for Bioconcentration of Chemicals in Fish. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management

Conference contributions (2007 onwards)

• Douben, P E T (2007) The Development of REACH Guidance Documents for Industry and Authorities. Preparing for REACH - Conference organised by Agra-Informa, 27-28 March 2007 , Brussels.
• Douben, P E T (2007) Chemicals upside down or downside up? Wise up to REACH. Global Forum 2007 - Organised by the Institution of Chemical Engineers, 16-17 May 2007, London.
• Douben, P E T (2007) Update on REACH Implementation Projects. REACH Implementierung - Conference organised by IQPC, 23-24 May 2007, Düsseldorf.
• Douben, P E T (2007) REACH in practice: The Progress of RIPs. European Chemicals Policy - Conference organised by Informa Life Sciences, 25-26 September 2007, Berlin.
• Douben, P E T (2007) General overview of REACH. REACH Implementation - Conference organized by the Institute for International Research Portugal, 14-15 Nov 206, Lisbon.
• Douben, P E T (2007) Chemical Safety Assessment and Report. REACH Implementation - Conference organized by the Institute for International Research Portugal, 14-15 Nov 206, Lisbon.

Books

• Baird, D.J. Maltby, L., Greig-Smith, P.W. and Douben, P.E.T. (1996) ECOtoxicology: ecological dimensions. Chapman & Hall, London. 104 pp. ISBN 0-412-75490-8
• Douben, P.E.T. (1998) Pollution risk assessment and management. John Wiley and Sons, Chichester. ISBN 0-471-97297-5
• Douben, P.E.T. (ed.) (2003) PAHs: an ecotoxicological perspective. John Wiley and Sons, Chichester. ISBN 0-471-56024-3

Contact Details

Email	peter.douben@reachwise.eu
Phone	+44 (0)7714 198 223
Postal Address	c/o Centre for Environmental Strategy Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences University of Surrey (D3) GU2 7XH United Kingdom