Known Unknowns: Knowledge Utilisation in the Regulation of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals in the European Union, United States and Australia

Dr Lodewyckx investigated how new knowledge was utilised to regulate an emerging chemical risk in the European Union, United States, and Australia. The research found that in the face of scientific uncertainty, regulators were most likely to utilise new knowledge to inform regulatory actions when political conflict was low. Higher levels of conflict led to political utilisation of knowledge, but the exact actions differed depending on how much autonomy the regulators were afforded over their responses. The findings contribute to the knowledge utilisation literature and provide insight into chemical regulation processes and future regulatory design.