Pure fruit juice is less bad for your health than drinks with added sugar, such as soft drinks. At the same time, it is not suitable as a direct substitute for eating fruit. This is Floor Scheffers' conclusion in her doctoral thesis.

Each year, approximately 27,000 people are diagnosed with Lyme disease. For most, the symptoms disappear after treatment with antibiotics. Unfortunately, 25% of those treated have chronic symptoms, such as fatigue, concentration disorders or pain.

In 2022, a slightly higher number of people in the Netherlands contracted diseases covered by the National Immunisation Programme (NIP) compared to 2021. This increase is likely due to the easing of coronavirus measures, such as social distancing.

The number of people in the Netherlands aged four and over who meet the Physical Activity Guidelines has fallen since 2020. In 2022, 44.3% of the population was sufficiently physically active.

Throughout 2022, the Netherlands faced a persistent avian flu outbreak, affecting 76 poultry farms. The virus also infected numerous wild birds and various wild mammals. These findings are presented in the Zoonoses Report, an annual publication issued jointly by RIVM and the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA).

No changes will be made to the list of adverse health effects that may be caused by exposure to chromium (VI) in the workplace. According to RIVM, the latest scientific literature has resulted in no new insights.

The amount of nitrogen deposited on nature reserves that are vulnerable to this is falling. However, this decline is not sufficient to meet the targets the Dutch government has set itself. This is the conclusion of the RIVM monitoring report ‘Nitrogen deposition in Natura 2000 areas 2023’.

Biocides are pesticides that are used commonly and often necessarily. They are used as disinfectants to prevent diseases from spreading in hospitals and during livestock transport. In addition, biocides are indispensable when it comes to controlling populations of rats and other pests.