Project
LWV22012 Onsite Monitoring and Removal of Pharmaceuticals, Antibiotics and Antimicrobial Resistance Genes (ARG, AMR) at Source - BO-60-004-006
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when microorganisms, e.g., bacteria and fungi, tolerate the effects of antimicrobial pharmaceuticals, such as antibiotics, hence rendering these pharmaceuticals ineffective. AMR is an essential characteristic for the adaptation and survival of microorganisms but represents a serious and emerging threat to public health and our ability to treat infectious diseases. Healthcare institutions, such as hospitals, are hotspots for the emissions of large quantities of pharmaceutical residues and bacteria, which promote the propagation of AMR.
After being discharged to the sewage network, pharmaceutical products find their way to the environment mainly through the discharges from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). It is estimated that emissions of antibiotics from healthcare institutions on the total antibiotics load of municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) can be up to 40%. There is a growing awareness in the healthcare sector of the urgency to take effective measures to reduce AMR by removing the antibiotics, resistant microorganisms, and their genes directly at the source through decentralized treatment.
In this project, different stakeholders are joining forces to develop compact technological solutions for the decentralized treatment of wastewater from healthcare institutions. We aim to develop sustainable and cost-effective solutions by adapting, further developing, and combining state-the-art water treatment and monitoring technologies. A standardized and uniform approach will be created and used as a reference to evaluate the performance of various technologies applicable to large and small healthcare institutions. Water treatment technologies will be adapted to remove pharmaceuticals, antibiotics, as well as antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms, and genes. This project intends to demonstrate feasible solutions for limiting the spread of AMR and to create a framework with guidelines for the early detection and removal of pharmaceuticals and AMR.