Prof. Dr. Walter Klopffer studied chemistry at the Karl-Franzens-University in Graz, Austria. He then joined the Battelle Institute in Frankfurt/Main, Germany, and since 1975 he is also Professor for Physical Chemistry at the University of Mainz.
Dr. Klopffer's main fields of interest include the spectroscopy and photophysics of aromatic polymers, and the environmental assessment of chemicals (persistence, abiotic degradation) and products (Life Cycle Assessment).

Dr. Burkhard Wagner obtained a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Heidelberg, Germany. He completed a postdoctoral period at the California Institute of Technology with George Hammond before joining the German Federal Environmental Agency (Umweltbundesamt), where he was the long-time section head for environmental impact assessment of chemicals.