Hans Peter Arp is a Professor in Environmental Chemistry at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and also an Expert Advisor at the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute. His research interests intersect fundamental and applied aspects related to pollutants in the environment. On the fundamental level, he is interested in how different types of persistent pollutants, such as plastic particles, PFAS, PAHs and metals behave in the environment.  On the applied level, he uses this fundamental knowledge to develop policy mechanisms and emerging waste management strategies that aim to achieve a zero pollution society.

For example, he has been recently working with the German Environment Agency with developing the scientific basis for new regulations on "Persistent, Mobile and Toxic (PMT)" substances, which are chemicals that can enter and remain in drinking water and human blood for decades once emitted, such as many PFAS chemicals. Currently, the PMT criteria to emerge from this work is being discussed for adaptation by the European Commission to be part of diverse European chemical regulations, including CLP and REACH. If successful, this would put warning labels on products that contain PMT chemicals and also give regulators a mechanism to restrict their usage in Europe. On the waste management side, he has projects related to finding sustainable ways to remove hazardous chemicals from waste streams, such as E-waste and contaminated biosolids, in an effort to remove hazardous chemicals from the circular economy. Recently he started co-leading with his colleague Sarah Hale a large 11.6 million Euro project called "ZeroPM – Zero Pollution of Persistent, Mobile substances" which seeks ways to eliminate hazardous chemicals by preventing their use, prioritizing which ones society should focus on, and sustainable techniques to remove them.