Radioactive material used in hospitals detected in sewage water RIVM has, for the first time, investigated the possibility of detecting radioactive substances in sewage. This appears to be the case, as RIVM has found iodine-131 and lutetium-177. Hospitals use these substances in the treatment of patients.
Remove ticks quickly, reduce your risk of Lyme disease Ticks are active again, as shown by the increase in tick bite reports on Tekenradar.nl. Quick action is important: the faster you remove a tick after it bites you, the lower your risk of contracting Lyme disease.
Rapid developments in modern biotechnology are a challenge for risk assessment Due to developments in modern biotechnology, such as genome editing, synthetic biology and regulation of gene expression, many new applications are expected in the next ten years.
Bacteriophages: insufficient understanding of phage treatment of human infections Bacteriophages are viruses that can kill bacteria. The question is whether bacteriophages can be used to treat infections in humans.
National Action Plan for sexual health The Dutch National Action Plan for STI, HIV and sexual health describes the most important goals for the next five years.
Greenhouse gas emissions slightly down in 2017 Despite the growth of the economy, greenhouse gas emissions in the Netherlands in 2017 were1 percent lower than in the previous year.
Addictive nicotine and harmful substances also present in heated tobacco Heated tobacco products are newly available on the market. An example of such a product is the heatstick which is heated with an iQOS, a device that looks like an e-cigarette.
Continued high effectiveness of vaccines against Hib disease A recent study by RIVM and AMC shows that the effectiveness of vaccination against Hib is still high.
RIVM withdraws from tobacco committees The Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment will leave the NEN/CEN/ISO committees for tobacco and e-cigarettes with immediate effect.
RIVM advises on health risks after using make-up with asbestos RIVM was asked to give advice to the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate in the Netherlands after asbestos was found in two make-up products.