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Environment - Chemistry - 10.05.2023 
Climate change leads to disproportionately high pollutant absorption
Pesticides and other chemicals harm biodiversity, and climate change is also threatening many habitats. With his study, Eawag researcher Johannes Raths has shown that these two challenges for our society may even worsen. Amphipods absorbed pollutants faster as water temperatures rose. The researcher has received an award from the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry for his paper on the toxicokinetics of amphipods in combination with increased water temperatures.
Environment - Life Sciences - 09.05.2023 
New Eawag spin-off advises wastewater treatment plant
Environmental engineer Wenzel Gruber and microbiologist Robert Niederdorfer - both Eawag postdocs - founded the spin-off Upwater together with two other partners at the beginning of November 2022. It offers measurements for wastewater treatment plants to support them in reducing process instabilities, greenhouse gas emissions as well as energy consumption.
Environment - 08.05.2023 
Glacial melt threatens habitats of alpine river organisms
Glacial melt affects numerous organisms that are native to streams fed by glacial water. As the ice masses increasingly retreat, the bodies of water warm up, threatening the habitats of their cold-water inhabitants. Researchers from Eawag, WSL and an international team have now found a method of identifying future potential refugia for these cold-water organisms.
Environment - Life Sciences - 03.05.2023 
DNA traces in groundwater
May 3, 2023, An Eawag study shows that a large variety of living organisms leave their DNA traces in groundwater - which also depends on the land use in the catchment area. In future, these biological parameters could be used to assess groundwater quality. Groundwater is an invisible - and therefore often disregarded - treasure that is threatened worldwide due to overuse and pollution.
Environment - 25.04.2023 
Addressing diversity with diversity: Interdisciplinary collaboration in the habitat mosaic of rivers
Restoration and nature conservation projects have the great potential to restore and maintain important functions of our watercourses for future generations. Researchers from four research institutes of the ETH Domain, in collaboration with the FOEN, have investigated how sediment transport and connectivity affect flood safety and river ecology.
Environment - Life Sciences - 20.04.2023 
Improving the microbial quality of recycled water in Bengaluru
In urban India, rising water scarcity and increasing pressure on water supply utilities have prompted the use of treated wastewater as an alternative source. A study of Eawag together with Indian partners explains how the use of sensors and automated chlorination can improve microbial water quality in on-site water reuse systems for increased user safety.
Environment - 13.04.2023 
Tracing mine accidents with satellite data
Mining repeatedly causes water pollution, with devastating consequences for people and the environment. In the countries of the Global South, polluters often get away with it because the waters are seldom monitored and thus there is a lack of clear evidence. This is where the view from above can help: satellite data provides important evidence on the origin, spread and extent of such environmental disasters, as Désirée Ruppen shows as part of her doctoral thesis.
Environment - 11.04.2023 
Wastewater treatment plants: On the trail of the climate pest nitrous oxide
Nitrous oxide is one of the main greenhouse gases and also contributes to the destruction of the ozone layer. One of the places where it is released is in wastewater treatment plants. A study has now investigated how much of this is due to the treatment of sludge liquid, which is to be expanded over the next few years.
Environment - Life Sciences - 28.03.2023 
Fish diversity documented in Switzerland’s rivers
In a major survey of Swiss rivers and streams, more than 50 different fish species were recorded. For the first time, more than one species was also found in the case of smaller types of fish such as the bullhead. In "Progetto Fiumi", riverine fish were surveyed using standardised methods and both morphological and genetic characteristics were analysed.
Environment - Life Sciences - 27.03.2023 
Sensitive microorganisms in the stream benefit from forested banks
A forest is crucial for life in streams, particularly in the catchment area and in the headwaters. Eawag researcher Rebecca Oester has quantified the extent of this influence of forests in the riparian zone and found a significant effect, particularly for sensitive species. This work shows once again how closely terrestrial and aquatic habitats are linked.
Environment - 23.03.2023 
Climate change and nutrient fluctuations disrupt networks in lakes
Thanks to a unique data set from ten Swiss lakes, an international team of researchers led by Eawag has succeeded in reconstructing entire ecological plankton networks and determining how they respond to climate change and phosphate levels. The results make one sit up and take notice. In most lakes, there are millions of small creatures that generally remain hidden from our eyes.
Physics - Materials Science - 06.03.2023 
Forecast for accidents with nanomaterials
Researchers have for the first time estimated how probable the accidental release of nanomaterials will be in the future. They based this on models from the nuclear industry. For a risk assessment, the results now have to be linked to information about the hazardous nature of the materials. Every year, more than two million tonnes of nanomaterials are produced and used for a wide variety of consumer goods.
Environment - Innovation - 16.02.2023 
Decentralised water treatment: from motivation to implementation
Putting decentralised water treatment technologies into practice is not always easy. It often takes many small steps to motivate people to use these technologies. In a recent article, two environmental health psychologists from Eawag summarise in a "Theory of Change" what is known so far about the psychological factors influencing the use of decentralised water treatment technologies and the measures that could promote their adoption.
Environment - Life Sciences - 27.01.2023 
The wondrous world beneath our feet - researching groundwater fauna
Switzerland's groundwater is home to a multitude of hitherto unknown organisms. An Eawag research project is shining a light into the darkness and revealing this habitat's exceptional biodiversity. Switzerland has plentiful groundwater reserves. Found in cavities under the earth, groundwater is almost ubiquitously present, and is the country's biggest source of drinking water.
Environment - Earth Sciences - 26.01.2023 
Who done it? Searching for clues with sediments
The sediments near Horn Richterswil - today a recreation and bathing resort on Lake Zurich - are contaminated with toxic metals, particularly mercury. On behalf of the Canton of Zurich, researchers have used sediment cores to reconstruct when the pollutants entered the lake. In this way, they could help clarify the origin of the contaminants.
Environment - 23.01.2023 
Optimising nitrogen removal from wastewater
Too much nitrogen continues to enter many water bodies, negatively impacting ecosystems and human health. The anammox process co-developed by Eawag can make an important contribution to reducing outputs from wastewater treatment plants and also saves energy and resources. It has now been further optimised by researchers at Eawag.
Environment - Earth Sciences - 17.01.2023 
Protecting ecosystems with ecological theory
Ecosystems respond sometimes very differently to human impacts. However, it is still poorly understood what causes these differences. A team of researchers from Eawag and WSL is now proposing an integrative approach based on four fundamental processes shaping biodiversity on land and in water. The approach provides guidance for how biodiversity in blue (water) and green (land) ecosystems can be better protected.
Life Sciences - 09.01.2023 
How fungi promote bacterial diversity
In theory, the genetic diversity of populations should decrease as they expand across space. But this is not true for bacteria. Researchers at Eawag are now showing that fungi play an important role in this context. They make it easier for bacteria to spread and thus also promote genetic exchange between different bacteria.
Environment - 06.12.2022 
Remove micropollutants with granulated activated carbon
Currently, the first Swiss wastewater treatment plants are being upgraded with an additional treatment stage for the removal of micropollutants using granulated activated carbon (GAC), including the WWTP at Muri.
Environment - 24.11.2022 
Pollution of the Glatt by trace substances is decreasing
Together with the Canton of St. Gallen, Eawag has been investigating the impact of the expansion of the wastewater treatment plant at Flawil to include a stage for the removal of micropollutants on water quality in the River Glatt. Initial results now show a very positive picture. The expansion of the Oberglatt WWTP in Flawil with an additional treatment stage to remove micropollutants is having an effect.
EAWAG, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology
Results 1 - 20 of 203.
Pesticides and other chemicals harm biodiversity, and climate change is also threatening many habitats. With his study, Eawag researcher Johannes Raths has shown that these two challenges for our society may even worsen. Amphipods absorbed pollutants faster as water temperatures rose. The researcher has received an award from the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry for his paper on the toxicokinetics of amphipods in combination with increased water temperatures.
Environmental engineer Wenzel Gruber and microbiologist Robert Niederdorfer - both Eawag postdocs - founded the spin-off Upwater together with two other partners at the beginning of November 2022. It offers measurements for wastewater treatment plants to support them in reducing process instabilities, greenhouse gas emissions as well as energy consumption.
Glacial melt affects numerous organisms that are native to streams fed by glacial water. As the ice masses increasingly retreat, the bodies of water warm up, threatening the habitats of their cold-water inhabitants. Researchers from Eawag, WSL and an international team have now found a method of identifying future potential refugia for these cold-water organisms.
May 3, 2023, An Eawag study shows that a large variety of living organisms leave their DNA traces in groundwater - which also depends on the land use in the catchment area. In future, these biological parameters could be used to assess groundwater quality. Groundwater is an invisible - and therefore often disregarded - treasure that is threatened worldwide due to overuse and pollution.
Restoration and nature conservation projects have the great potential to restore and maintain important functions of our watercourses for future generations. Researchers from four research institutes of the ETH Domain, in collaboration with the FOEN, have investigated how sediment transport and connectivity affect flood safety and river ecology.
In urban India, rising water scarcity and increasing pressure on water supply utilities have prompted the use of treated wastewater as an alternative source. A study of Eawag together with Indian partners explains how the use of sensors and automated chlorination can improve microbial water quality in on-site water reuse systems for increased user safety.
Mining repeatedly causes water pollution, with devastating consequences for people and the environment. In the countries of the Global South, polluters often get away with it because the waters are seldom monitored and thus there is a lack of clear evidence. This is where the view from above can help: satellite data provides important evidence on the origin, spread and extent of such environmental disasters, as Désirée Ruppen shows as part of her doctoral thesis.
Nitrous oxide is one of the main greenhouse gases and also contributes to the destruction of the ozone layer. One of the places where it is released is in wastewater treatment plants. A study has now investigated how much of this is due to the treatment of sludge liquid, which is to be expanded over the next few years.
In a major survey of Swiss rivers and streams, more than 50 different fish species were recorded. For the first time, more than one species was also found in the case of smaller types of fish such as the bullhead. In "Progetto Fiumi", riverine fish were surveyed using standardised methods and both morphological and genetic characteristics were analysed.
A forest is crucial for life in streams, particularly in the catchment area and in the headwaters. Eawag researcher Rebecca Oester has quantified the extent of this influence of forests in the riparian zone and found a significant effect, particularly for sensitive species. This work shows once again how closely terrestrial and aquatic habitats are linked.
Thanks to a unique data set from ten Swiss lakes, an international team of researchers led by Eawag has succeeded in reconstructing entire ecological plankton networks and determining how they respond to climate change and phosphate levels. The results make one sit up and take notice. In most lakes, there are millions of small creatures that generally remain hidden from our eyes.
Researchers have for the first time estimated how probable the accidental release of nanomaterials will be in the future. They based this on models from the nuclear industry. For a risk assessment, the results now have to be linked to information about the hazardous nature of the materials. Every year, more than two million tonnes of nanomaterials are produced and used for a wide variety of consumer goods.
Putting decentralised water treatment technologies into practice is not always easy. It often takes many small steps to motivate people to use these technologies. In a recent article, two environmental health psychologists from Eawag summarise in a "Theory of Change" what is known so far about the psychological factors influencing the use of decentralised water treatment technologies and the measures that could promote their adoption.
Switzerland's groundwater is home to a multitude of hitherto unknown organisms. An Eawag research project is shining a light into the darkness and revealing this habitat's exceptional biodiversity. Switzerland has plentiful groundwater reserves. Found in cavities under the earth, groundwater is almost ubiquitously present, and is the country's biggest source of drinking water.
The sediments near Horn Richterswil - today a recreation and bathing resort on Lake Zurich - are contaminated with toxic metals, particularly mercury. On behalf of the Canton of Zurich, researchers have used sediment cores to reconstruct when the pollutants entered the lake. In this way, they could help clarify the origin of the contaminants.
Too much nitrogen continues to enter many water bodies, negatively impacting ecosystems and human health. The anammox process co-developed by Eawag can make an important contribution to reducing outputs from wastewater treatment plants and also saves energy and resources. It has now been further optimised by researchers at Eawag.
Ecosystems respond sometimes very differently to human impacts. However, it is still poorly understood what causes these differences. A team of researchers from Eawag and WSL is now proposing an integrative approach based on four fundamental processes shaping biodiversity on land and in water. The approach provides guidance for how biodiversity in blue (water) and green (land) ecosystems can be better protected.
In theory, the genetic diversity of populations should decrease as they expand across space. But this is not true for bacteria. Researchers at Eawag are now showing that fungi play an important role in this context. They make it easier for bacteria to spread and thus also promote genetic exchange between different bacteria.
Currently, the first Swiss wastewater treatment plants are being upgraded with an additional treatment stage for the removal of micropollutants using granulated activated carbon (GAC), including the WWTP at Muri.
Together with the Canton of St. Gallen, Eawag has been investigating the impact of the expansion of the wastewater treatment plant at Flawil to include a stage for the removal of micropollutants on water quality in the River Glatt. Initial results now show a very positive picture. The expansion of the Oberglatt WWTP in Flawil with an additional treatment stage to remove micropollutants is having an effect.
