RIVM Publications Repository

Each year the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) produces numerous reports and publications on all aspects of public health, nutrition and food, health care, disaster management, nature and the environment. 
In addition, RIVM employees publish scientific articles in national and international journals.

Elk jaar brengt het Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu (RIVM) talloze rapporten en adviezen uit over volksgezondheid en gezondheidszorg, voeding, natuur en milieu en rampenbestrijding. 
Daarnaast publiceren RIVM-medewerkers wetenschappelijke artikelen in (inter-)nationale tijdschriften.

We are constantly working to improve the Repository. Please contact our administrator if you have any further questions or remarks. 

Recent Submissions

  • PublicationMetadata only
    NEWS - Natuur Effecten Water en Stikstof: Voorverkenning: kansen en knelpunten voor monitoring en evaluatie (M&E)
    (Wageningen, Wageningen Environmental Research, 2026, 2026-02-01) Smits, NAC; Claessens, J; Rubach, MN; Visman, P; van der Bolt, FJE; Westerhoff, PW; Pit, IR
  • PublicationMetadata only
    Monitoring en evaluatie van het programma stikstofreductie en natuurverbetering. Syntheserapport 2026
    (Consortium PBL, RIVM, WUR | PBL Planbureau voor de Leefomgeving, Den Haag, 2026, 2026-03-12) Troelstra, JH; van Bussel, LGJ; van Dijk, WFA; Mook, AC; Plantinga, R; van der Werf, EH; Poppeliers, SWM; Reinds, GJ; Smits, NAC; Hazelhorst, SB; Brandt, KMF; Glaese, LPI; de Jongh, LA; Marra, WA; Nguyen, TNP; Schram, JM; Soenario, I; Stolwijk, GJC
    De stikstofgevoelige natuur in Nederland staat al decennialang onder druk. Maatregelen om de toestand van de natuur te verbeteren leveren tot nu toe te weinig op. Het ministerie van LVVN verzocht het PBL, het RIVM en de WUR om de voortgang van het Programma Stikstofreductie en Natuurverbetering (hierna: PSN) te monitoren en te evalueren. In dit rapport staan de belangrijkste bevindingen van de tweede ronde binnen ons programma Monitoring en Evaluatie Stikstofreductie en Natuurverbetering (MESN). We kijken in hoeverre het PSN, maar ook de sinds die tijd genomen maatregelen, de wettelijke omgevingswaarden voor stikstofgevoelige Natura 2000-gebieden en de instandhoudingsdoelstellingen dichterbij brengen, en daarmee de toestand van de natuur verbeteren.
  • PublicationMetadata only
    Estimating the prevalence of visual impairment in the Netherlands, with forecasts up to 2050: a meta-analysis of national databases
    (2026-04-01) Elsman, Ellen BM; Rausch-Koster, T Petra; van der Aa, Hilde PA; Hoogland, Jeroen; Wisse, Robert PL; Picavet, H Susan J; Verschuren, WM Monique; Berendschot, Tos TJM; Vanhommerig, Joost W; Ramdas, Wishal D; de Vries, Victor A; Huisman, Martijn; Brussee, Tamara; van der Windt, Cees; Muijzer, Marc B; van Es, Petra; Keunen, Jan EE; Klaver, Caroline CW; van Nispen, Ruth MA
    Background Current prevalence estimates of visual impairment (i.e., low vision and blindness) in the Netherlands are lacking. Based on representative databases, we aimed to estimate the prevalence of visual impairment among Dutch adults and to forecast estimates to 2050. Methods We undertook a meta-analysis of national databases. Databases were primarily identified through expert consultation and included when representative of the Dutch population and containing recent (≥2010) data on vision (visual acuity <6/18, self-reported visual functioning, or relevant International Classification of Primary Care [ICPC] codes). We classified self-reported visual functioning according to four definitions: A) only near vision difficulties; B) only distance vision difficulties; C) both near and distance vision difficulties; D) any vision difficulties (combining A–C). Population-based prevalences were calculated and pooled using four meta-analyses, including heterogeneity assessment and subgroup analyses. Age-effects were modelled using logistic mixed-effects models. Findings We included eight databases with data collected data between 2010 and 2024, accounting for 1,814,716 individuals (894,541 males and 920,175 females). Five databases were prospective population-based cohort studies, two were periodically administered cross-sectional health surveys, and one contained registrations from general practices. Five databases had self-reported data on visual functioning, two had data on best-corrected distance visual acuity, and one included ICPC codes. There was substantial heterogeneity with assessment method as moderator (i.e., self-reported vs. visual acuity vs. ICPC; I2 statistic >98%, p < 0.0001). The pooled prevalence of visual impairment was 0.28% (95% CI: 0.11–0.73) for visual acuity (2 databases), whereas it was 0.51% (95% CI: 0.50–0.52) for ICPC (1 database). The prevalence for self-report (five databases) depended on the definition. For only near vision difficulties (A), prevalence was 1.81% (95% CI: 1.01–3.21); for only distance vision difficulties (B), prevalence was 0.63% (95% CI: 0.50–0.80); for both near and vision difficulties (C), prevalence was 0.51% (95% CI: 0.31–0.83); and for any vision difficulties (D), prevalence was 3.21% (95% CI: 2.15–4.77). After applying age-specific and assessment-specific prevalence estimates to projected population structures, we estimate that 39,100–406,400 Dutch adults have visual impairment in 2025, and this is estimated to increase to 48,800–489,100 by 2050 owing to population growth and ageing, depending on definitions. Interpretation Despite inherent limitations (including databases mostly containing self-reported data on visual functioning) and substantial uncertainty in estimates, this study provides population-level estimates of visual impairment in the Netherlands. Although these estimates span a wide range of values, they reveal trends and plausible uncertainty intervals, illustrating the potential magnitude of the current and future burden of visual impairment. Funding Dutch Eye Foundation (Oogfonds).
  • PublicationMetadata only
    Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) landscape: Mapping state of the art approaches along the innovation process and developing good practices
    (2026-02-24) Apel, Christina; Kümmerer, Klaus; Mendoza, Gemma; Cerrillo, Cristina; Ormazabal, Guillermo; Colin, Catherine; Walter, Lutz; Nam, Andrea; Denisenko, Rita; Meeus, Marcel; Petrovykh, Dmitri Y; Batel, Annika; Garmendia Aguirre, Irantzu; Soeteman-Hernández, Lya G
    Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) is a transformative approach to innovation that integrates functionality with safety, sustainability, and circularity from the earliest stages of development. By adopting a lifecycle perspective, SSbD not only minimizes risks to human health and the environment but also fosters purpose-driven innovation and strengthens industrial competitiveness. However, the practical integration of SSbD into iterative innovation processes remains a key challenge. To address this gap, this study conducted a comprehensive literature review of existing SSbD roadmaps, guidelines, and frameworks, aligning them with the early, mid, and late stages of innovation. Building on insights from the literature findings and practical examples from the packaging, textiles, automotive, energy materials, electronics, construction, and fragrance sectors, good practices were identified and structured across corporate, managerial, and operational levels. This study provides an up-to-date overview of the SSbD landscape and illustrates its implementation through good practices and value chain case examples. It demonstrates how SSbD can drive the development of safer and more sustainable chemicals, materials, products, and processes, contributing to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG3 ‘Good Health and Wellbeing’, SDG12 ′Responsible Consumption and Production’, and SDG6 ‘Clean Water and Sanitation’. As SSbD methodologies and tools continue to evolve, particularly for early-stage innovation, the approach is set to accelerate the transition toward sustainable, competitive, and resilient global markets in line with the European Union's goal for industrial competitiveness.
  • PublicationMetadata only
    Enabling dual hazard assessment for single-chain polychlorinated n-alkane mixtures at environmentally relevant levels: A proof of concept
    (2026-03-20) van Mourik, Louise M; Legradi, Jessica; Groenewoud, Quinn; Perez, Caroline; Cenijn, Peter; van Velzen, Martin; Leonards, Pim EG
    Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are widely used industrial substances composed of complex mixtures of polychlorinated n-alkanes (PCAs). Regulatory classification typically groups CPs into short-, medium-, and long-chain categories, yet this grouping does not reflect the composition of current commercial products and complicates hazard assessment and regulation. Here, we present the first dual-endpoint aquatic hazard assessment of one of the most dominant single-chain PCA mixtures (C14, 55% Cl) present in commercial mixtures, tested at environmentally realistic concentrations using passive dosing. Using this approach, biodegradation and aquatic toxicity can simultaneously be assessed in lake and municipal wastewater effluent systems. Over time, microorganisms decreased the concentrations of the PCA-C14 in the water phase, with chlorine-content-dependent degradation and fitted half-lives of approximately two days. In contrast, no decline was observed in abiotic controls or in the solid phase. Concomitant increases in total organic carbon and chemical oxygen demand further support the presence of microbial transformation. This proof-of-concept study demonstrates that simultaneous degradation and toxicity testing of single-chain PCA mixtures is feasible under environmentally realistic conditions and offers a foundation for further refinement of persistence and hazard evaluation for PCAs.
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