Regulatory intermediaries—organizations that operate between regulators (public and private) and target groups—perform a range of important functions. While most previous research has focused on intermediaries that have been delegated official authority, in this paper we focus on unofficial and informal intermediary functions aiming to advance the governance of per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemicals. Chemical pollution is a growing environmental and health concern, leading to both public and private regulatory initiatives. By studying a particular segment—paperboard food packaging in Sweden—the study generates insights into critical functions performed by unofficial intermediaries (Svenskt Vatten and ChemSec) in this regulatory regime, which extend and expand regulatory reach in various ways. The study also shows the importance of different types of intermediaries that interact in dynamic ways, and the role of material artifacts in processes of intermediation. These unofficial functions are arguably important for the functioning of complex, hybrid forms of governance, but they also prompt critical questions about the effectiveness, legitimacy, and role of intermediaries in generating needed transformative change.

中文翻译：

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危险化学品监管治理中的非正式中介

监管中介机构——在监管机构（公共和私人）和目标群体之间运作的组织——履行一系列重要职能。虽然之前的大多数研究都集中在被授予官方权力的中介机构，但在本文中，我们重点关注非官方和非正式的中介机构职能，旨在推进全氟烷基物质和多氟烷基物质（PFAS）化学品的治理。化学污染是一个日益严重的环境和健康问题，导致公共和私人监管举措的出台。通过研究瑞典的纸板食品包装这一特定领域，该研究深入了解了非官方中介机构（Svenskt Vatten 和 ChemSec）在这一监管制度中所履行的关键职能，这些职能以各种方式延伸和扩大了监管范围。该研究还表明了以动态方式相互作用的不同类型中介的重要性，以及物质制品在中介过程中的作用。这些非官方职能对于复杂、混合形式的治理的运作可以说很重要，但它们也引发了关于中介机构在产生所需变革方面的有效性、合法性和作用的关键问题。