Peregrion Leiden granted a draft licence for research using radioactive substances
The ANVS intends to grant Peregrion B.V. a licence that gives the company permission to conduct research involving radioactive substances and devices that use radiation. The company carries out these activities at Zernikedreef 9 in Leiden. Our draft licence specifies the safety requirements that Peregrion must meet. Anyone can submit a response to this draft licence until 3 January 2025.
Studying samples
In its laboratory, Peregrion conducts research on sample materials. These samples take the form of a small quantity of a solid or liquid, such as human tissue or a bodily fluid. Among other things, this research enables the company to study how drugs are processed by the body.
For this research, Peregrion needs small amounts of C-14 (a radioactive isotope of carbon). The company uses accelerators to measure how much C-14 the samples contain, even if the amounts are minuscule. Radiation is released when these devices are used.
Peregrion was formerly part of TNO Leiden and is now continuing as an independent organisation. Due to this change in status, the company also requires its own licence.
Protecting people and the environment
To use radioactive substances and devices, Peregrion needs a licence under the Nuclear Energy Act. In order to obtain the licence, Peregrion must demonstrate safe practices in its handling of the radioactive materials and devices.
For example, it takes specific safety precautions to protect its employees. These include ensuring that employees wear personal protective equipment when working with radioactive materials in the laboratory. Peregrion has also drawn up a plan to safely store and dispose of radioactive materials.
Responses welcome until 3 January 2025
You can review the draft licence for Peregrion (in Dutch) until midnight on 3 January 2025. If, after reading the draft licence, you have any views on its content, you can respond by submitting a statement of opinion.
There are 3 ways to respond:
- By email: send an email to Postbus.Aanvragenenmelden@anvs.nl and put ‘Statement of Opinion concerning draft licence for Peregrion’ in the subject line of your email.
- In writing: send a letter to the ANVS, Statement of Opinion concerning draft licence for Peregrion, P.O. Box 16001, 2500 BA The Hague.
- By phone: call the Information Desk for Nuclear Energy Act permits at +31 (0)88 489 05 00, available from Monday to Friday between 8.30 and 17.00.
Response in final licence
We will respond to the statements of opinion when we take a final decision on Peregrion’s licence application. We will include the statements of opinion and our response to them in our final decision on the licence. We will publish this decision on Publicatieplatform UitvoeringsContent (in Dutch).
If you have submitted a statement of opinion, you can also receive a link to the definitive licence. Please indicate in your statement of opinion if you wish to receive this link.
Want to know more?
For more information, see the official announcement in the Government Gazette (in Dutch).