Spread of pathogenic microorganisms
The research focuses on the spread of pathogenic microorganisms, such as Legionella, from wet cooling towers. The Netherlands has at least 4,000 of these cooling towers, which are used for cooling buildings and industrial installations. Due to climate change and higher temperatures, the risk of pathogen spread may increase.
"Legionella can grow in a wet cooling tower and then spread through small water droplets in the air and be inhaled by people," explains Laura van Niftrik of Radboud University. "This poses a particular risk to vulnerable population groups such as the elderly and people in poor health."
Prevention strategies
The goal of MicroSafe is to identify these risks earlier and prevent them more effectively. The researchers will study cooling towers in the Netherlands and Brazil and monitor their microbiomes. With this, they aim to develop early warning indicators and improved infection prevention strategies.
The collaboration with TUDelft, the University of São Paulo in Brazil, and various other stakeholders such as KWR Water Research Institute makes it possible to compare and model different climate scenarios and test various methods to guarantee water safety in the future against feasibility, applicability, and legislation and regulations.
About the Merian Fund
The MicroSafe project is funded through the Merian Fund call “Extreme heat and water events.” This call promotes international research that develops innovative and practical solutions to the health impacts of climate change. In total, MicroSafe receives €700,000 from NWO and 4,000,000 Brazilian reais from FAPESP.