The latest news from Eawag

Consultations
Revision of the Plant Protection Products Ordinance: ...
April 3, 2024

Eawag and the Ecotox Centre welcome a total revision of the Plant Protection Products Ordinance (PPPO). However, the two institutes are calling for improvements on important points, such as the adoption of EU authorisations or the precautionary principle. The ordinance must ensure that other regulations such as the Water Protection or the Environmental Protection Act are not undermined.

Frozen wastewater samples for analysis for SARS-CoV-2 virus material. (Photo: Keystone, Gaetan Bally)
Consultations
Eawag welcomes revision of the Epidemics Act
March 22, 2024

Eawag welcomes the planned revision of the Epidemics Act as part of the public consultation process. The amendments will improve cooperation between all stakeholders in order to protect the population even better against transmissible diseases and antibiotic resistance. The opinion of the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology particularly emphasises the holistic approach, which includes human, animal and environmental health.

Environmental engineer Lena Mutzner installs a passive sampler in an overflow basin to find out how many micropollutants are entering the water. (Photo: Christian Grund / 13Photo)
News
Cutting-edge research underground
March 11, 2024

In Fehraltorf in Zurich Oberland, Eawag and the ETH Zurich have set up a globally unique field laboratory for wastewater research.

The mobile mass spectrometer MS2field – deployed here at a wastewater treatment plant – permits automated measurement of contaminants at extremely low concentrations with high temporal resolution. (Photo: Eawag)
News
More targeted treatment of industrial wastewater thanks ...
March 5, 2024

The development of Swiss wastewater treatment is ongoing. Eawag studies now show that there is also potential for improvement in the case of emissions from chemical and pharmaceutical plants – both at wastewater treatment plants and within industrial facilities.

Eawag researchers Christa McArdell and Marc Böhler explain how ozone removes micropollutants in wastewater. (Photo: Eawag, Claudia Carle)
News
Eawag presents one of its success stories on the ...
January 18, 2024

To coincide with the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, the ETH Domain invited 50 dignitaries from the political, research and business spheres, to Davos and presented highlights from its current research. Eawag demonstrated how its work has successfully paved the way for advanced wastewater treatment.