Short-term health effects in the general population following a major train accident with acrylonitrile in Belgium

Grants

Funding Acknowledgements

This study has been financed by the FPS Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment, following an advice of the Belgian Minister of Social Affairs and Public Health. The funding source was responsible for the logistical organisation of the study. The authors thank the inhabitants of Wetteren for their participation in the study and the local practitioners for their assistance in the sampling and their close involvement throughout the whole study. The authors thank Geert Gijs, crisis coordinator of the FPS Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment, and his team for the logistical organisation of the study. The authors are grateful to Wesley Van Dessel and Jan Eyckmans, respective heads of the communication services of the WIV-ISP and of the FSP Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment, and their team members, for the continuous support in the communication of the study and its results. The authors also want to thank Stephanie Fraselle and her colleagues (WIV-ISP) for the preparation of the blood samples before sending them to the German labs. Finally, the authors thank Sabine Janssens and Tadek Krzywania and his team (WIV-ISP) for the enormous efforts with regard to data input, data processing and administrative support.