Deutschland-Nederland MEDUWA Vecht(e)

MEDUWA-Vecht(e) was a cross-border project funded by the INTERREG Deutschland-Nederland Programme. MEDUWA stands for MEDicines Unwanted in WAter / MEDizin Unerwünscht im WAsser / MEDicijnen Uit het WAter. The pilot area of the project was the watershed of the German-Dutch Vechte River and its tributaries.

Medicines and antimicrobial resistant microorganisms in the environment are a growing phenomenon. During treatment human and veterinary medicines, their transformation products and antimicrobial resistant micro-organisms are excreted and enter the environment via raw and insufficiently treated sewage water and manure. Antibiotics in particular are known to promote multi-resistant bacteria in the environment as well. These chemical and biological contaminants can then return to humans and animals through (drinking) water, soil and food, and even through the air. It is likely that this medicinal environmental cycle will be further accelerated by climate change.

12+1 innovations

Over the past four years 16 small to medium-sized companies worked closely with 8 research institutions as well as a water authority and two civil organisations. Osnabrück University was lead partner of MEDUWA-Vecht(e). This intersectoral and interdisciplinary consortium has developed 12 innovative solutions that measure, model, communicate and reduce the problem. The design of the project itself is new and constitutes the thirteenth innovation: project partners worked together across borders from different stages of the life cycle of medicines: development, use and emission into the environment.

Results

An internet platform has been developed that combines various tools to simulate the emission and spread of medicines and antimicrobial resistant bacteria in a river basin, and to evaluate their existence. Furthermore, a device has been developed that enable the continuous and wireless measurement of medicines in water. Other products serve to provide the more effective removal of medicines, their transformation products and micro-organisms from sewage water through innovative technologies such as nanofiltration and plasma-activated water. Biodegradable medicines have been developed that can prevent the need for treatment with antibiotics and other medicines. For the veterinary sector, feed based on plants and algae was developed that promotes animal health and can thus also avoid the need for treatment with antibiotics. In addition, a monitoring system was developed for use in livestock farming, which allows conspicuous behaviour associated with illness in animals to be identified in order to treat them early and in a targeted manner and thus reduce the reliance on antibiotics and other medicines.

All innovations will be further developed and marketed after the project’s completion.

Through the development of these innovations the regional economy was strengthened and promoted especially in the sectors of Agribusiness/food, Health and Life Science, High Tech Systems and Materials (HTSM).

All media contributions from the MEDUWA project are available on the project website: www.meduwa.eu.