Microplastics zijn overal: reductie met 70% haalbaar: Autobanden, verpakkingen en landbouwfolie zijn in Nederland de grootste bronnen van microplastics [microplastics are everywhere: 70% reduction achievable: In the Netherlands,the main sources of microplastics are from tyre abrasion, packaging, and the use of agricultural foil]

Microplastics are man-made (anthropogenic), persistent, ubiquitous, and potentially harmful. According to the precautionary principle, we must minimise exposure to them.

Fijnstof: norm gehaald probleem niet opgelost: better onderscheidt leidt tot meer gezondheidswinst [Particulate matter: standard archieved, problem unsolved: better differentiation leads to more health benefits]

The air quality limit value for particulate matter currently used in the Netherlands is based on the mass of all particulate matter present in a cubic metre of air. There is a better way to do this. Not all particulate matter has the same impact on health. The health impact is related to the reactivity of the particles in the particulate matter,...

Verspil het niet: pak de schaduwzijde van plastics met urgentie aan! [don't waste it! solving the dark side of today's plastic]

Plastics (bulk, coatings, and glues), like many other commodities, including metal, wood, glass, and ceramics, are of essential importance to the wellbeing of today’s society. This will not be any different in the decades to come. We expect plastics to remain important due to their unique properties and the possibilities for mass production...

Nanocomposite materials: From lab-scale experiments to prototypes

A porous PMMA material has been reinforced by clay particles, and properties of the resulting material were evaluated. The clay has been intercalated in a first step by melt-extrusion with a suitable block copolymer. A radical polymerisation reaction after swelling of the intercalated clay with monomer leads in a subsequent step to a...