PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
One of the most alarming categories of contaminants of emergency concerns (CEC) is pharmaceuticals because of its potential for disrupting ecosystems, through contamination of water and release into the environment. In particular, the presence of antibiotics in the environment is driving the proliferation of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which poses a significant risk to public health by impeding the effectiveness of crucial medical treatments against infectious diseases. In 2022, the European Commission and EU Member States identified AMR as one of the top 3 health threats facing EU countries. It is currently estimated to cause 1.27 million deaths globally, and this number is expected to rapidly increase, with AMR expected to be the main cause of death by 2050 alongside cancer. The European One Health Action Plan Against Antimicrobial Resistance aims to fight the spread of AMR by using a holistic approach that covers human, animal and environmental dimensions.
Hospitals are significant sources of the release of pharmaceuticals, antibiotics, Antibiotic Resistance Genes (ARG) and Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria (ARB) into the wider environment. The intensive use of antimicrobial agents leads to higher concentrations in hospital wastewater streams, which in most cases are discharged into the urban sewer network without any treatment. The mixing of hospital wastewater, containing high concentrations of antibiotics and ARB, with urban wastewater – which has a high microbial load – encourages the spread of ARBs and ARGs in the sewer system through the selection of resistant bacteria. Resistant genes can also pass between species, through horizontal gene transfer. Moreover, the simultaneous presence of multiple emerging pollutants in hospital wastewater can lead to complex interactions and potential synergistic effects, further complicating their removal and management.
The persistent and recalcitrant nature of certain emerging contaminants from hospital effluents requires the development and adoption of specialised treatment technologies to ensure their proper elimination.
OBJECTIVES
The main objective of the LIFE GENESYS project is to demonstrate an innovative and cost-efficient treatment for eliminating pharmaceuticals, antibiotic resistant genes and bacteria from hospital discharge, helping these institutions to produce toxic-free water effluents. The GENESYS solution is based on a treatment train consisting of a membrane bioreactor coupled to UV-LED reactor with H2O2 dosage. It allows an efficient and low-energy oxidation process. It also uses a digital tool to estimate antibiotic loads in hospital effluent, allowing hospitals to make informed decisions on antibiotics prescriptions.
The specific objectives of the project are listed below.
- To develop and demonstrate the GENESYS solution at the Tauli Hospital wastewater collector in Sabadell, Spain, in a full-scale deployment capable of handling 240 m3/day of wastewater. There is currently no decentralised wastewater system in the Taulí Hospital collector, which is the main contributor of health-relevant ARG, ARB and recalcitrant pharmaceuticals to the sewer network.
- To reduce the amount of CEC (pharmaceuticals, antibiotics, ARG and ARB) released in Tauli Hospital effluent and avoid its arrival into the Tiu Ripoll Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), which was not designed to eliminate pharmaceutical compounds.
- To prevent the release of recalcitrant human health relevant pharmaceuticals, ARG and ARB into the sewer system and consequently into the environment.
- To demonstrate the technical performance and energy efficiency of UV-LED lamps compared to conventional mercury-based lamps.
- To support hospitals and healthcare centres to make informed decisions on pharmaceuticals administration by considering the environmental and health risks of antimicrobial resistance dissemination.
- To develop a sustainable business model for the commercialisation of the GENESYS solution and its main components.
RESULTS
The expected results of the LIFE GENESYS project are the:
- improvement of water quality through the implementation of the GENESYS treatment train to avoid recalcitrant pharmaceuticals, antibiotics, ARG and ARB from entering the Riu Ripoll WWTP and consequently the Ripoll River
- reduction of the impacted area from 13km to 1.3km by the end of the project
- 90% removal efficiency for the specific pharmaceuticals generated in the Tauli Hospital by the end of the project (the baseline situation is 14% of elimination)
- a log reduction >2 of ARG by the project end (the baseline situation is 0 log reduction)
- a log reduction >5 of ARB by the project end (the baseline situation is 0 log reduction)
- a 33% reduction of energy consumption through the use of LED lights in the GENESYS treatment train UV system from 26.3 MWh/year with mercury-based lamps to 17.5 MWh/year
- development of the GENESYS digital tool to allow hospitals to make informed decisions on antibiotic prescriptions based on the environmental risks and the risk of dissemination of antimicrobial resistance, including prescribing antibiotic substitutes when clinically feasible
