WatRes: antibiotic resistance in Hias inlet and effluent water
The WatRes project investigates the occurrence and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antibiotic-resistance genes from the Hias wastewater treatment plant to Lake Mjøsa, a main source of drinking water and irrigation.
.jpg?quality=80)
- Project period
- -
- Funders
- RFF Innlandet
- External webpages
- inn.no
- Research section
- Urban environments and infrastructure
- Contact persons
-
Pawel Krzeminski
- Involved from Niva
-
Marc Anglès d'Auriac
About the project
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARBs) and antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs) have been found in various environmental settings, including drinking water and wastewater treatment plants.
The Hias wastewater treatment plant uses a unique biofilm technology to process approximately 7 million cubic meters of sewage annually from around 65,000 residents and industrial units in four municipalities near Lake Mjøsa. The treated water is discharged into Lake Mjøsa, Norway’s largest lake and an essential source of drinking water for the region.
Currently, there is no data on the frequency of ARBs and ARGs entering the Hias system. Additionally, the presence of ARGs, ARBs, antibiotic residues, and other chemicals that contribute to resistance in the effluent water is not well understood. Therefore, the effectiveness of the Hias treatment process in removing these elements is unclear.
The WatRes project seeks to monitor the release of ARGs and ARBs from sewage into Lake Mjøsa. It will also assess the occurrence of ARGs and ARBs in both the inlet and effluent of the Hias wastewater treatment plant.
Led by the Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences (HINN), the project involves Hias IKS and NIVA as partners. NIVA is responsible for providing and evaluating a nanofiltration method to reduce ARBs and ARGs, helping to minimize the release of antibiotic resistance from the Hias plant.