Samantha Deacon leads Ramboll’s ecological risk assessment practice in the UK and is a core member of Ramboll’s ecosystem services task force. She has over 15 years’ experience in environmental regulation, consultancy and research in the assessment of chemicals in the environment. Her recent work at Rambollincludes advising clients on ecosystem services analysis, environmental damage under the Environmental Liabilities Directive, chemical risk assessments for REACH, ecological risk assessment of contaminated soils, river and harbour sediments, and the risk assessment of composting bioaerosols (as expert witness in a national planning inquiry). Samantha has previously managed a regulatory programme of research to develop a decision-making framework for assessing risks to ecosystems from land contamination. In her eleven years in regulation, she contributed to over 65 publications, scientific papers and conference presentations including more than 50 Environment Agency technical reports. She holds an MSc in Ecotoxicology of Natural Populations from the University of Reading and a BSc (Hons) in Biology from Royal Holloway, University of London