Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English en
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS

Antimicrobial resistance in engineered wastewater systems – Predicting the impacts of dynamic exposure levels to antimicrobial agents on AMR attenuation and amplification

Project description

Predicting antimicrobial resistance spread in wastewater treatment systems

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing health concern worldwide. AMR spread in the aquatic environment poses a serious threat to wastewater treatment (WWT) used to address water and food scarcity. The scope of the EU-funded IDYEA project is to experimentally model the dynamics of the occurrence and fate of selected antimicrobials and develop simulation models for predicting AMR spread at different stages during WWT. The project will help develop techno-economic solutions for assessing the risk of AMR spread in WWT and make suggestions for optimal design and operation processes for safe and sustainable water recycling.

Objective

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) spread in the aquatic environment poses a growing public health risk with wastewater treatment (WWT), being the most important but still un-optimised barrier in confronting the global water and nutrient scarcity challenges.
Europe’s Water Framework Directive aims to achieve good qualitative and quantitative status of all water bodies. Challenges to the effective separation and recovery of water resources from hazardous materials, notably, antibiotic residues and AMR in WWT were recently identified.
In the past, AMR spread was experimentally assessed at static antimicrobial exposure levels that may suffer from lack of environmental representativeness as a result of significant variations in the emission of antimicrobials in urban catchments.
IDYEA takes on this challenge by (i) experimental modelling of dynamics in the occurrence and fate of selected antimicrobials; and (ii) developing dynamic simulation models for predicting AMR spread at different time scales in WWT.
The inter-sectorial and interdisciplinary IDYEA will be hosted at University of Bath, and supported by the Norwegian Institute for Water Research. It trains one experienced researcher in areas of process modelling, analytical chemistry, molecular microbiology and bioinformatics. IDYEA will offer excellent opportunities for mutual knowledge exchange and technology development.
IDYEA’s success is based on achieving the project objectives via seven work packages, including laboratory- and full-scale experimentation, model identification and risk assessment.
To provide techno-economic solutions to AMR risk assessment as well as optimised process design and operation, the expected main outcome comprises dynamic process rate and stoichiometric relations for AMR spread. IDYEA will disseminate results via public engagement, reaching out to especially young people, inspiring them to get involved with science to solve real-world problems, thus building our global water futures.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

Keywords

Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Funding Scheme

MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)

See all projects funded under this funding scheme

Call for proposal

(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2019

See all projects funded under this call

Coordinator

UNIVERSITY OF BATH
Net EU contribution
€ 224 933,76
Address
CLAVERTON DOWN
BA2 7AY BATH
United Kingdom
Region
South West (England) Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Bristol/Bath area Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost
€ 224 933,76