Professor Michael Depledge, Chair of Environment and Human Health at the University of Exeter Medical School, has been appointed as a member of the Hazardous Substances Advisory Committee.

The new committee is designed to provide government ministers with expert advice and ensure that rigorous science underpins policy decisions on hazardous substances.

Members of the HSAC will meet four times a year to inform officials of the latest knowledge and developments relating to potentially hazardous substances such as nanomaterials. They will also work to analyse the impact and effectiveness of different policy options designed to tackle the threats from these substances to the environment and human health.

More information on the HSAC can be found here www.defra.gov.uk/hsac