More attention needed for potential impact of drug waste on drinking water quality Drug waste contains substances that are harmful to the quality of drinking water. Because this waste is dumped illegally, these substances can end up in sources of drinking water.
New risk limits for PFAS in surface water The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) has derived new risk limits for PFAS in surface water. The guiding principle for these limits is that people should be able to consume fish sourced from surface water throughout their lives without ingesting excessive levels of PFAS.
Launch of the European project RISK-HUNT3R The new Horizon 2020 project RISK-HUNT3R: RISK assessment of chemicals integrating HUman centric Next generation Testing strategies promoting the 3Rs was launched on 1 June.
Report on the developments of the National Immunisation Programme: national immunisation coverage increased slightly for the first time in five years National immunisation coverage has increased for the first time in five years, for almost all vaccinations. For children born in 2017, vaccination coverage against mumps, measles and rubella (MMR) increased by 0.7% to 93.6%.
Updated immunisation recommendation for measles: early vaccination before travel A number of European countries are currently seeing outbreaks of measles. Before the start of the summer season, RIVM has therefore updated its immunisation recommendation for measles.
Discussion regarding health-based guidance value of PFOA The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published a provisional health-based guidance value for perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA).
Animal-free innovations in safety assessment of chemicals How can the process of validation, acceptance and use of animal-free innovative approaches to assess the safety of chemicals be facilitated?
Promising biobased alternatives to controversial polar aprotic solvents There are a number of promising biobased alternatives to controversial polar aprotic solvents, as revealed in a report from Wageningen Food & Biobased Research commissioned by RIVM .
Risk of measles outbreaks increases with decreasing vaccination coverage Vaccination coverage for vaccinations in the Dutch National Vaccination Program (NIP) decreased slightly by about half a percent for the third consecutive year.
Alertness about the Zika virus still needed for pregnant women Since May 2015, there has been a Zika virus outbreak in South and Central America, including the Caribbean. The Zika virus can cause birth defects, including microcephaly (small head size).