RE: Boooom, Trillsg was right, 15/09/2117 Sep 2021 09:39
And finally:
Sewage research: the future
How long will sewage research related to COVID-19 continue?
RIVM National Institute for Public Health and the Environment , the water boards and the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) have agreed to continue coronavirus monitoring in sewage research until at least the end of 2025. In the next few years, it will definitely be necessary to keep monitoring the spread of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Keeping track of the virus remains important.
Can sewage research be deployed in a broader context? For example to detect and monitor other diseases?
Sewage research is not new. RIVM is currently testing sewage to check for the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, but also does similar testing for the poliovirus and for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In the next few months, RIVM will be working closely with the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) and the water boards to explore the directions in which sewage research can be expanded in the future. For example, it could be used to detect other diseases, medicine residues, microplastics, hormones, drugs and pesticides. Many chemicals can be found in sewage, offering more insight into the health and lifestyle of the people living in the Netherlands.