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Health risk

Projects

Health
Microbial safety
AMVD Reference Document revision

Dutch drinking water utilities need to demonstrate that drinking water is safe and does not spread any infectious diseases. To this end, they establish for each drinking water treatment process an Analysis of Microbial Safety of Drinking…

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Health
Emerging contaminants
Lead from brass components – phase III

This project examines the Dutch drinking water sector’s sampling protocol to control lead concentrations at the tap. With a tightening of the lead standard, the performance of this protocol needs to be…

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Health
Emerging contaminants
Contribution to Toxicology Knowledge Impulse

We are making and using more and more substances in larger and larger quantities. Analyses by collaborating European ecologists and ecotoxicologists have shown that exposure to mixtures of chemicals is a limiting…

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Health
Emerging contaminants
QSAR and read-across models for water quality

In silico models for predicting the toxicity of contaminants deliver added value for water-quality issues. The chemical structure of a contaminant and data about similar substances provide insight in the toxicological properties…

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Health
Biological activity
Risk of opportunistic pathogens in drinking water

The water utilities have indicated that research into opportunistic pathogens in drinking water has a high priority. This is because these pathogens could represent a potential health risk. This project’s priority is…

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Health
Emerging contaminants
VHP4Safety: Towards chemical safety assessment based on human data

Chemical safety assessment, designed to minimise the risks of chemical exposures to human health and the environment, has traditionally been based on animal testing. Many natural and man-made…

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Health
Microbial safety
Implications of antibiotic resistance for drinking water production

Antibiotic resistance is a topical problem that also affects the water sector. Resistance genes, including those against the latest generation of antibiotics, and Highly Resistant Micro-Organisms (HRMO) are,…

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Enabling technologies
Hydroinformatics
STOP-IT

Water infrastructures are essential for society, human welfare and health, but they can be endangered by physical threats and cyberattacks. These can have severe societal consequences. Examples can be seen almost daily in the news. To address…

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Health
Safe innovation and the water sector
Shale Gas and Water

Before the Netherlands can initiate shale gas extraction, answers must be given to the question of the possible environmental risks involved for the water system. The Shale Gas and Water programme is focused on issues in the…

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All projects ()

Experts

Sanah Shaikh MSc
Scientific researcher, European Registered Toxicologist (ERT)
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Sanah Shaikh MSc

Scientific researcher, European Registered Toxicologist (ERT)

Sanah Majid Shaikh works as a scientific researcher and toxicologist in the Chemical Water Quality and Health team. She has experience in scientific research on the toxicity of chemical mixtures.…

030-6069716

sanah.majid.shaikh@kwrwater.nl

06-15323938

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Astrid Reus
Scientific researcher Project manager/Portfolio manager
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Astrid Reus

Scientific researcher Project manager/Portfolio manager

Astrid Reus began working as a project manager and researcher in the Chemical Water Quality and Health team this year (2019). She has extensive experience in the safety assessment of…

030-6069703

astrid.reus@kwrwater.nl

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Prof. Gertjan Medema PhD
Principal microbiologist
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Prof. Gertjan Medema PhD

Principal microbiologist

Gertjan Medema is Principal Microbiologist at KWR. He is also part-time professor of Water & Health at Delft University of Technology, and Distinguished Hannah Visiting Professor at Michigan State University.…

030-6069653

Gertjan.Medema@kwrwater.nl

06-25032597

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Patrick Smeets PhD MSc
Senior scientific researcher
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Patrick Smeets PhD MSc

Senior scientific researcher

Patrick Smeets is a Senior Scientific Researcher in microbiological water quality and health, with over 20 years' experience in the drinking water sector. He specialises in quantitative microbiological risk analysis…

030-6069584

Patrick.Smeets@kwrwater.nl

06-45098533

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News

Blog

The new urban drinking and wastewater chain: small, concentrated and sustainable

30 June 2023 — The drinking water and wastewater chains must be more sustainable in order to guarantee the availability of adequate…

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News

Predicting the potential hazard of contaminants

14 April 2022 — KWR gebruikt in silico-tools om de schadelijkheid van stoffen te voorspellen. Deze tools werken sneller en zijn kostenefficiënter…

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News

KWR and Utrecht University jointly assist British WRc in quality assurance for Toxicity Datasheets

15 February 2022 — Toxicologists from Utrecht University and KWR collaborate on assessing the quality of toxicological data and risk assessment. They…

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Blog

A strategy for exposure science

18 July 2019 — On the fourth and fifth of July 2019, I joined the de ISES Europe Exposure science strategy workshop.…

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Blog

DPWE Workshop: Water Quality and Sources

13 November 2018 — On November 5th I attended a DPWE mini workshop in Castricum at the visitors center of PWN. DPWE is…

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News

Health relevance of contaminants of emerging concern in drinking water

19 June 2018 — New substances are being constantly produced and used, and also ending up in the groundwater and surface water…

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Blog

Airborne dispersal of Cyanobacteria

01 February 2018 — Scientists from Michigan State University have investigated whether harmful algae and associated compounds can be present in aerosols.…

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News

Drinking water sector investigating potential risks of antimicrobial resistance

04 December 2017 — Antimicrobial resistance forms a risk for public health. Resistant bacteria and the genes for antimicrobial resistance are also found in…

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News

WHO expert meeting: the role of water in spreading antimicrobial resistance

05 July 2017 — On 5 and 6 July, 30 experts from all over the world met at KWR to assist the…

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Water Sector

Protecting water infrastructure against physical threats and cyberattacks

16 June 2017 — On 7 and 8 June, approximately 60 stakeholders gathered in Oslo for the kick-off meeting of the STOP-IT…

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Water Sector

Citizen trust: key to successful introduction of water reuse

14 February 2017 — In principle, Europe’s citizens have a positive attitude towards water reuse. But whether they would personally reuse water…

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News

Joan Rose lectures at KWR on the importance of genomics for the water sector

19 January 2017 — On 16 January, Joan B. Rose of Michigan State University and Stockholm Water Prize winner, paid a visit…

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Water Sector

Next step in research on L. pneumophila growth conditions

19 January 2017 — KWR has taken an extra step in our understanding of the conditions that favour the growth of L.…

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Water Sector

Joan Rose appointed KWR Honorary Fellow

11 October 2016 — The prominent international researcher, Joan Rose, was appointed KWR Honorary Fellow on 11 October during the congress of…

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Water Sector

Scientists from 40 countries focus on interdisciplinary approaches for health and the environment

07 October 2016 — On Sunday, 9 October, the international congress on interdisciplinary approaches for health and the environment, ISES 2016, organised…

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Article

KWR tests water treatment technologies for WHO

20 July 2015 — Since the end of 2013, KWR has functioned as a test lab for the World Health Organization (WHO)…

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Article

Subsurface water storage without health risks

04 May 2015 — On 29 April 2015, Andreas Antoniou was awarded his doctorate from VU University Amsterdam for his research into…

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Article

Research into health risks in urban water systems

08 April 2015 — On 8 April 2015, Helena Sales Ortells received a doctorate for her research into the health risks in…

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