MP wants minister to visit Rijssen residents over foam insulation
MP Hanneke Steen will press the minister on formaldehyde limits for UF foam insulation, which she says are far above health advice.
MP Hanneke Steen visited residents of the Pottebakkerserf in Rijssen on Friday and wants to invite the minister to join her. "Then the residents' stories get a face for her too," Steen said.
Steen said she will question the minister more sharply about the legal limits for formaldehyde, a gas that can be released from UF foam insulation. "They are many times higher than what the GGD and the RIVM advise," she said.
The legal formaldehyde norm is far above RIVM advice
Micrograms per cubic metre
The legal formaldehyde norm is far above RIVM advice (micrograms per cubic metre). Highest: Legal norm, 120; lowest: RIVM advice, long-term exposure, 7; 3 items. Source: RIVM.
View data
| Item | Micrograms per cubic metre |
|---|---|
| RIVM advice, long-term exposure | 7 |
| RIVM advice, temporary exposure | 20 |
| Legal norm | 120 |
The government stopped subsidising UF foam in April after the GGD advised against its use. At the start of this month the minister said she would look at whether the legal limit should be tightened.
Steen questions whether the minister is going far enough.
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Follow the story: RIVM
RIVM (Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu)
The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, the government institute that monitors infectious diseases, runs the national vaccination programmes and measures air quality and nitrogen deposition.
UF-schuim (ureumformaldehydeschuim)
UF foam is urea-formaldehyde foam, a foam insulation material that was injected into cavities in walls of buildings. Over time it can release formaldehyde, a gas that may cause irritation and other health complaints. Because of this, its presence in homes is a health concern in the Netherlands, and the formaldehyde levels it produces are monitored against health advice from public health bodies.
GGD (Gemeentelijke Gezondheidsdienst)
The GGD is the municipal public health service, and the Netherlands has one for each region. It carries out public health tasks such as infectious disease control, vaccination, and health monitoring, and it gives advice on health risks in its area, including environmental health issues. Its advice is often used by local and national authorities when assessing health risks for residents.