Archive News

June 5, 2018Biological processes in rivers and brooks emit CO2, partly as a result of decaying plant litter that is deposited in the watercourses from surrounding land. Flowing water thus contributes more to the natural carbon cycle than would a terrestrial ecosystem covering the same area. Up until now, global carbon measures have only taken account of rivers that flow continuously. But about half of the world’s river networks consist of streams that are only periodically flooded. Their CO2 turnover has now been examined for the first time by 94 research institutes from all over the world, among them Eawag and the University of Zurich.

June 1, 2018Southerly countries are rich in genetic resources. The companies that exploit this natural treasure commercially are very often from the northern, developed world, however. The Nagoya Protocol was created in order to ensure fair use of genetic resources and appropriate compensation. 

May 28, 2018Microorganisms that live in symbiosis can sabotage biological methods of pest control by protecting their host from attackers, and host organisms can even pass on these beneficial “passengers” to their offspring. This phenomenon is one which has been paid little attention to date, but thanks to new research findings measures can now be taken to counteract it.

May 24, 2018Payment via mobile, replacement parts made on a 3D-printer, error messages via NFC-tag – Eawag doctoral student Caroline Saul has found some remarkable innovations in companies that market container toilets in developing countries. She sees great potential in making such technologies more widely available.

May 18, 2018For the second time within short time, Eawag research made it to the cover of the journal “Environmental Science & Technology”. In April, Eawag researcher Urs von Gunten and his team’s paper on understanding the ozonation of phenols was selected for the ACS Editor’s Choice Article and put on the cover of the journal. 

May 17, 2018The National Water Research Institute (NWRI) awarded Eawag director Janet Hering with the 2018 NWRI Clarke Prize for outstanding achievement in water science and technology and to honoring her contributions to the safety of drinking water. Janet Hering will receive the Clarke Prize on October 26, 2018, at the Twenty-Fifth Annual NWRI Clarke Prize Award Ceremony in Orange County, California.

May 16, 2018Ultrafiltration is one of the techniques currently used for disinfecting water – viruses and bacteria are reliably retained by a membrane with extremely small pores. For more than ten years, Eawag has successfully been carrying out research to determine how this method can function using the effect of gravity on water instead of high pressure, cleaning and chemicals. These new discoveries are being applied in increasing numbers of ways. In addition to decentralised drinking water purification, Eawag is now researching uses in areas such as greywater recycling and pre-treatment of seawater for desalination.

May 9, 2018Lake Victoria in East Africa is known for its vast biodiversity. But according to a report published recently by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), to which Eawag also contributed, many species of fish, molluscs, crustaceans and aquatic plants are currently at risk.

May 2, 2018How can we reduce inputs of plant protection products from agricultural areas into streams and rivers? Experts working in agricultural and surface-water research have undertaken a qualitative evaluation of the effectiveness and practicability of various measures.

April 30, 2018There is a wealth of energy and nutrients in wastewater. New processes enable the recovery of these resources from wastewater and sewage sludge, with the goal of redefining the function of the wastewater-treatment plants. Formerly energy users, they will become energy producers and the source of valuable fertilizer. This new technology has convinced the Swiss Climate Cent Foundation. It is contributing financial support to the construction of the new installation in the ARA Altenrhein.