HOTMATS

The aim of HOTMATS is to design, implement and assess modular advanced solutions for effective and decentralized wastewater treatment at selected point sources of AMR emergence. The applied technologies are primarily targeting AMR pollution and pathogens in wastewater streams directly at AMR hotspots.

Hence, we move away from ‘end-of-pipe’ approaches applied at wastewater treatment plants and address intervention in all three pillars of One-Health. The principles of the used technical solutions are based on light-driven disinfection, ozonation, UV-irradiation and membrane filtration. The superiority of the novel pilot-scale treatment systems as opposed to state-of-the art solutions by collecting and treating effluents from AMR hotspots, including a hospital, nursing homes, and a slaughterhouse, is demonstrated.

Our approach intends to reduce the risk associated with antibiotic resistant bacteria, antibiotic resistant genes, facultative pathogenic bacteria spreading from hotspots to the downstream natural environment, and to unburden central wastewater treatment plants (WWTP).

A cost-benefit analysis is conducted to demonstrate the potential benefits e.g. avoidance of health risks, and costs adopting the newly developed approaches. The modalities for transferring the technology from high-income countries to low-income countries by conducting a willingness to pay study for uptake of decentralized treatment of AMR in low-medium countries, is assessed.