Romain Figuiere

Romain Figuiere is a Postdoctoral Fellow at Stockholm University's Department of Environmental Science, specializing in chemical risk assessment and regulation. His research focuses on implementing the "Essential-Use" concept to manage harmful chemicals and developing methods to evaluate alternatives to substances of concern.

Dr. Figuiere's research interests center on novel approaches to chemical risk management, particularly the implementation of the "Essential-Use" concept in regulatory frameworks like REACH. His work addresses critical challenges in managing Persistent, Mobile and Toxic (PMT) substances and Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), with a focus on preventing regrettable substitution through functional substitution approaches. He examines how regulatory decision-making can be improved to phase out non-essential uses of the most harmful chemicals while ensuring societal needs are met.

His recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on the practical implementation of chemical regulation concepts, with several 2023-2025 papers examining the essential-use concept, PMT/vPvM substances in consumer products, and PFAS alternatives. These works show a progression from theoretical frameworks to practical implementation strategies, with increasing attention to data requirements and assessment methodologies.

• Managing PMT/vPvM substances in consumer products through essential-use concepts (2023)
• The essential-use concept for REACH authorization (2023)
• Hazard screening of contaminants in Swedish lakes (2023)
• PFAS alternatives overview (2025)
• Data requirements for essential-use implementation (2025)
• Identifying non-essential uses under REACH (2024)

Dr. Figuiere contributes to the course "Risk Assessment and Regulation of Chemicals" at Stockholm University and is actively involved in the European ZeroPM project since 2021, which aims to achieve the EU Green Deal's ambition of Zero Pollution from Persistent, Mobile Substances. His work bridges academic research with practical regulatory applications, drawing on his previous experience at the European Chemicals Agency where he worked on substitution of substances of very high concern.