Air quality in the Netherlands in 2021 almost the same as in 2020 In 2021, the Netherlands once again met the European limit values for nitrogen dioxide emitted at ground-level by road traffic. This was also the case for particulate matter along the roads, with the exception of a small stretch of road near Velsen.
PFAS levels in drinking water from river water need to be brought down The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) advises to reduce PFAS concentrations in the drinking water in parts of the Netherlands in the coming years. This concerns drinking water produced from river water.
High rates of RSV in children over the summer, and a late flu epidemic in the 2021-2022 season Hospitals reported an unusually large number of children presenting with RSV over the summer of 2021. The number of positive coronavirus tests rapidly increased after the summer of 2021.
Better monitoring of RSV thanks to new European project RIVM and Nivel contribute to building a European RSV monitoring network. Through the network, European health institutions and laboratories will exchange data on the spread of RSV. This will help us to better monitor the virus.
Control measures against the spread of Legionella from wastewater treatment plants Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) may spread Legionella via the air and cause pneumonia if people inhale them.
Temporary background values for PFAS in Dutch soil RIVM has derived temporary background values for two types of PFAS in Dutch soil: PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate) and PFOA (perfluoro octanoic acid).
EU air policy gives an average of 6 extra years of life in the Netherlands Since the 1970s, European policies to improve air quality have resulted in fewer emissions in many countries.
RIVM will calculate temporary background value for PFAS in soil In the coming weeks, RIVM will derive a temporary background value for PFAS in Dutch soil. This will be done based on measurement data from the provinces in the Netherlands.
Dutch air quality shows little improvement in 2017 In 2017, concentrations of nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter in most parts of the Netherlands were below European limit values.
New method for toxicological assessment of perfluoro mixtures Perfluoro (PFAS) is a group of substances that contains PFOS, PFOA and GenX. Perfluoro substances often occur as pollution in ground water and drinking water.