Every single person in the Netherlands has multiple types of PFAS in their blood. In almost everyone, the PFAS levels are above the health limit, the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) reported on Thursday.
The RIVM looked at 28 different PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) in almost 1,500 blood samples from 2017 and 2018. It found at least seven different PFAS in almost all blood samples (PFOA, PFNA, PFDA, PFUnDA, PFHxS, PFHpS, and PFOS). PFOS and PFOA were most common. These two chemicals were banned in 2008 and 2020, respectively.
In 2021 and 2023, RIVM research showed that Netherlands residents get a lot of their PFAS exposure through food and water. “The results of the blood test confirm this,” the RIVM said. The health institute stressed that having more PFAS in your blood than the health limit does not immediately mean getting sick from PFAS. But it does mean that PFAS affect your body. “For example, the immune system can function less well. The effects depend on the amount of PFAS, the duration of exposure, and someone's personal health situation.”
PFAS are a large group of manmade chemicals used in consumer products since the 1950s. They are particularly known for being almost impossible to break down. Despite this, it is possible for PFAS to slowly disappear from the body, the RIVM said. But for that to happen, it is essential that people ingest less PFAS.
“People can hardly avoid contact with PFAS. These substances are found throughout the Netherlands in the soil and in food and drinking water,” the RIVM said. The Nutrition Center advises a varied diet to ingest less PFAS. People can also pay attention to whether there are PFAS in the products they use.
But to really make a difference, companies and the government will have to take measures to reduce PFAS, the RIVM said.
The RIVM is also examining blood samples from 2025 for PFAS. “With this knowledge, we can monitor in the future whether measures to reduce exposure have an effect,” the institute said.
