Archive News

April 28, 2016The interactive and free available Groundwater Assessment Platform (GAP) is now online. Over 300 million people worldwide use groundwater contaminated with arsenic or fluoride as a source of drinking water. Researchers in the Department of Water Resources & Drinking Water have developed a method whereby the risk of contamination in a given area can be estimated using geological, topographical and other environmental data without having to test samples from every single groundwater resource.

April 13, 2016The pipe material used for shower hoses or tap connections influences the type and amount of bacterial growth. This was shown by an Eawag study in which the microbiological impact of six commonly used plastic pipe materials was compared in a shower simulator over an eight-month period.

March 7, 2016Individual bacterial cells have short memories. But groups of bacteria can develop a collective memory that can increase their tolerance to stress. This has been demonstrated experimentally for the first time in a study by Eawag and ETH Zurich scientists published in PNAS.

November 24, 2015According to a new international study – in which Eawag scientists played a leading role – the global climate shifted to a warmer state in the late 1980s. The research also indicates that the cooling initially caused by the eruption of El Chichón was followed by a rapid rebound in global temperatures.

October 12, 2015Since it was founded in 2004, the Swiss Fisheries Advisory Service, Fiber, has established itself as an important interface between research and practice. Fiber is jointly funded by the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment and the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag).

September 30, 2015In collaboration with Griffith University in Australia, an Eawag research group has succeeded in developing humpback whale cell cultures in the laboratory.

September 3, 2015The new water protection law takes effect on 1 January 2016. Today in Lausanne, around 200 experts from political, administrative, business and scientific spheres met for the annual Eawag Info day, exchanging information and viewpoints on the current challenges in implementing the law, and sharing the latest research results.

September 2, 2015Microplastics – plastic particles less than five millimetres in diameter – can be found in oceans, lakes and rivers worldwide. It has been estimated that over 21,000 tonnes of microplastics are floating in the world’s seas.

August 7, 2015Before new chemicals can be approved, environmental risk assessments have to be carried out. But conventional toxicity testing with live fish is costly and time-consuming, and new substances continue to be produced without being adequately assessed. 

August 5, 2015Ozone treatment efficiently removes many micropollutants contained in wastewater, but in some cases, it can lead to the formation of toxic byproducts.