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).
The Circular Economy: starting progress measurement in the Netherlands A new report by Statistics Netherlands (CBS), the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) and RIVM outlines a draft monitoring system to measure progress throughout the planned trans
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 .
Substances of very high concern hamper recycling Substances of very high concern (SVHC) can hamper the safe recycling of waste streams in the Netherlands. These substances occur in a wide range of waste streams.
Influenza-like Illness Incidence Is Not Reduced by Influenza Vaccination Influenza vaccination reduces the number of influenza virus infections but not the overall number of illness.
Moderate flu season Last winter season, the duration and severity of the influenza epidemic was moderate compared to previous years.
RIVM and German BfR enter cooperation agreement on animal protection and food safety The German Federal Institute of Risk Assessment (BfR) and the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, RIVM have signed a cooperation agreement, focused on developing new sci
Need for circular use of materials in construction Construction and demolition waste are being recycled on a large scale to use as a foundation for e.g. roads, but recycled building materials are hardly ever used in the construction of buildings.
Breakthrough on cumulative risk assessment exposure to pesticides in food The European Commission, Member States and EFSA have taken a major step forward in their work on assessing the cumulative risks from exposure to pesticides in food.
Flu season in the winter of 2014 / 2015 more severe and longer than preceding years The flu epidemic in the winter of 2014 / 2015 lasted 21 weeks and as such was the longest epidemic ever recorded in the Netherlands. Nearly two million people suffered from flu-like symptoms.