Risks to health and the environment from chemicals including plastics
VU University Amsterdam, Faculty of Science
How dangerous are chemicals to human health and the environment? Researchers at the Environment and Health department are committed to making society aware of the risks of, for example, plastics, Teflon, rubber granules on football fields, pesticides, and toxic substances in, for example, cosmetics. Communicating their scientific knowledge also ensures that certain issues are placed on the political agenda.
Besides interviews on TV and radio and in daily and weekly newspapers, they make their research accessible to the general public by means of documentaries (for example on microplastics), infographics, and animations. They give online public lectures, for example for children at the NEMO Science Museum, paediatricians, and directly affected stakeholders in high-risk areas. They are also actively involved in putting environmental risks on the political agenda in the Netherlands and abroad, doing so by means of briefings at the Nieuwspoort press centre and membership of expert panels.
Websites:
NPO3 – Keuringsdienst van waarde: microplastic (Heather Leslie)
Radar – uitzending: PFAS in het bloed (Marjorie van Duursen)
VU – Endocrine disrupting chemicals
Coordinator:
Majorie van Duursen, afdelingshoofd
Overige groepsleden:
Jacob de Boer, hoogleraar
Heather Leslie, assistant professor
Marja Lamoree, hoogleraar
Dick Vethaak, hoogleraar
Jelske van der Burg, assistant professor
Eva Sugeng, assistant professor
Jessica Legradi, assistant professor
Timo Hamers, associate professor
