Launch of the new ARISE project - Antibiotic resistance surveillance in wastewater

The kick-off event for the ARISE project - "Evaluation of innovative molecular analysis methods and approaches for surveillance of antibiotic resistance in wastewater" - will take place at KL on 22 April.

© Michal Jarmoluk | Pixabay

The kick-off event for the ARISE project - "Evaluation of innovative molecular analysis methods and approaches for surveillance of antibiotic resistance in wastewater" - will take place at KL on 22 April. The planned amendment to the European Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive will oblige member states to monitor wastewater treatment plants with more than 100,000 PE for antibiotic resistance emissions. However, in contrast to viral pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2 or polio, antibiotic resistance wastewater monitoring is still in its infancy. The aim of the ARISE project is to create the essential methodological basis and to develop, test and realise forward-looking analysis concepts for the surveillance of antibiotic resistance in wastewater.

The project is being funded by the FFG as part of the KIRAS safety research programme with a total sum of > 1.5 million euros, with both the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture acting as essential users. Claudia Kolm and Andreas Farnleitner are leading the project with the involvement of other ICC Water & Health partners from MedUni Vienna (Alexander Kirschner), TU Vienna (Julia Vierheilig) and MedUni Graz (Gernot Zarfel). The early realisation of this flagship project will enable the ICC Water & Health to set national and international standards in this field.

Further information can be found on the FFG project website.