Researchers in the Nordic region are currently working to find solutions to avoid the consequences that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) can have on societal security in the Nordic region, reports NordForsk.

Adriana Krolicka from NORCE Norwegian Research Centre is leading the project Wastewater Treatment plants as a trusted Source of Timely information on antimicrobial resistance threat (TruSTme), which has investigated how wastewater treatment plants can be a reliable source of timely information on antimicrobial resistance.

During the COVID pandemic, wastewater samples from wastewater treatment plants were used to analyze the level of infection in the population, and we can do the same with AMR.

“There is great awareness that we are facing a potential public safety crisis when it comes to AMR. In our project, we focus on wastewater treatment plants because wastewater can be a source of important knowledge about AMR and human pathogens. During the COVID pandemic, wastewater samples from wastewater treatment plants were used to analyze the level of infection in the population, and we can do the same with AMR,” says Krolicka.

Hotspots for antimicrobial resistance genes

Wastewater treatment plants can be seen as large sinks that collect antimicrobials that are used as medicines and are excreted into the sewer networks connected to the treatment plants, describes Krolicka. Treatment plants thus become hotspots for antimicrobial resistance genes.

Related article

Nordic solutions for handling pharma waste

Nordic efforts to prevent pharmaceuticals affecting the environment include Danish management of hospital wastewater and a Swedish large-scale sewage plant for removal of pharmaceutical residues. Wastewater from hospitals can contain traces of viruses, multi-resistant bacteria, medical contrast agents, chemicals for cancer treatment, small amounts of hormone-disrupting substances, and other medicine residues. For this reason it […]


When you analyze wastewater at a treatment plant that comes from a large area with many households, it is not possible to see which house the infection comes from. But you can inform the people who can benefit from the information. This could be healthcare professionals who can get an overview of what kind of resistance exists in the area.

It’s about strengthening the next pandemic preparedness.

“It’s about strengthening the next pandemic preparedness. If society has the resilience that we are trying to contribute to with the project’s results, we will be stronger if an AMR crisis breaks out. It will be crucial that we can tell from wastewater samples at an early stage that something is going on that the authorities need to be aware of. By regularly monitoring wastewater samples, we can be one step ahead. As soon as we have an identification that a disease outbreak is coming, authorities have time to prepare,” says Krolicka to NordForsk.

Related article

Pharmaceuticals in the Baltic Sea Environment

Pharmaceutical ingredients have been detected in the environment – on every continent. The same properties that make pharmaceuticals effective increase the risk of undesired effects in the environment. Pharmaceutical residues in the environment are a growing concern. Active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) are a wide and diverse group of compounds. They are designed to cure, treat, […]


A new EU Urban Wastewater Treatment directive

Adriana Krolicka emphasizes to NordForsk that it is important to better coordinate wastewater monitoring efforts at both national and Nordic level. Although Finland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway have many things in common, the approach to wastewater monitoring is very different from one country to another.

A new EU Urban Wastewater Treatment directive is coming soon to ensure that all member states regularly monitor untreated and treated (or semi-treated) wastewater. Although Norway and Iceland are outside the EU, the law will also apply there. Krolicka welcomes the new EU directive and believes that regular monitoring of wastewater is the right way to go.

Related article

Pharma industry confronts growing problem of pharmaceutical waste 

Pharmaceuticals in the environment is a growing problem of global concern. Drugs taken by humans and animals find their way into rivers, lakes and even drinking water and can have devastating effects on both aquatic and human health. While pharmaceutical companies are stepping up their efforts to tackle the issue, watchdog organizations, the UN, the […]


With the upcoming EU directive to ensure regular monitoring of wastewater, a potential AMR outbreak will also be detected at an early stage. For this reason, the project also addressed the need to monitor untreated and treated or semi-treated wastewater for AMR and human pathogens by developing a prototype of a relatively simple set of robust early warning tools that can be used not in a large laboratory but on-site at wastewater treatment plants.    

Source: NordForsk