Citizen Science: Knowledge as a weapon in the fight for clean water

Mining can have serious consequences for nature and the health of the population in countries of the Global South, where environmental laws are often only inconsistently implemented. In Hwange, in western Zimbabwe, people have been fighting water pollution from coal mining for years. But they were powerless against the operators – until doctoral student Désirée Ruppen launched a citizen science project in 2018. Read more

Photo: Fritz Brugger

A bacteria-killing helper against hospital-acquired infections

Photo: istock

Those who have just undergone surgery in the hospital, with their weakened immune systems, are easy prey for pathogens. One hope in the fight against the bacteria are bacteriophages. Eawag researchers were able to show that they improve the removal of pathogens from surfaces. Read more
Climate protection in the wastewater treatment arena


Photo: Andrin Moosmann, Eawag)

Switzerland has around 800 municipal wastewater treatment plants. A recent study by Eawag researchers reveals the burden these plants place on the climate, and explores how emissions of climate-damaging nitrous oxide can be reduced. Read more

Revealing the genetic code of Europe’s species diversity

Photo: istock

Scientists from 48 countries initiated the “European Reference Genome Atlas”. Within this project, they aim to decode the genetic repertoire of all species of the continent by generating reference genomes for the roughly 200,000 eukaryotic species. The hope is to strengthen the foundations for conservation of biodiversity. Read more
Remove micropollutants with granular activated carbon?

Photo: J. Fleiner

Eawag researchers investigated this question in two extensive pilot studies at the Furt-Bülach and Glarus wastewater treatment plants. The findings: Granular activated carbon filtration efficiently removes micropollutants, is technically feasible and is an equal alternative to other processes. Read more 




Eawag

Around 100 wastewater treatment plants in Switzerland are currently being equipped with an additional treatment step to remove micropollutants from wastewater. In this context, Eawag is investigating the effects of differently treated wastewater on the tolerance of biofilm to micropollutants in the project EcoImpact.







(Photo: Eawag, Andri Bryner)
The five most read articles in 2021
Unsurprisingly, two news items about the coronavirus made it into the top 5 – on the one hand, the coronavirus from high-touch surfaces, on the other hand the coronavirus wastewater monitoring. But also the 1200 newly discovered Swiss glacial lakes, the fish inventory in 35 lakes in the Alpine region and the new Eawag test with fish cells attracted interest.

Photo: Eawag
New platform for ground water topics launched
The newly created Swiss Groundwater Network, CH-GNet for short, has now launched its online presence. A big step for Eawag’s new exchange, information and networking platform.
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Photo: Eawag
Highest accolade for Eawag researchers
The Swiss Waste Water Association (VSA) appoints three Eawag researchers as honorary members: Prof. Janet Hering, Director of Eawag, Prof. Rik Eggen, Deputy Director of Eawag, and Prof. Alfred Johny Wüest, a member of the Eawag Directorate up until 2021.

Photo: Eawag
ETH medals for Moritz Gold and Aryeh Feinberg
Moritz Gold and Aryeh Feinberg have been awarded the 2021 ETH medals for their outstanding doctoral theses. The topics of the two dissertations were the utilization of organic waste for breeding the larvae of the black soldier fly, and the modelling of atmospheric sulphur and selenium cycles.





March 10, 2022, 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Eawag Seminar, Online
April 7, 2022, 9.00 am - 5.00 pm

In our Agenda you will find further events of Eawag.






Eawag fact sheet on heat extraction for heating  and disposal for cooling purposes


Strategy for assessing sediment quality in Switzerland
Ecotox Centre expert report on behalf of the Federal Office for the Environment FOEN





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Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology

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