Water quality is an urgent issue in the Netherlands, which, despite its status as a world leader in water technology, has one of the poorest water qualities in Europe. Professor Annemarie van Wezel, an environmental ecology expert affiliated with the Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED) at the University of Amsterdam on the Amsterdam Science Park, explains that chemical substances, such as antidepressants and PFAS, enter our surface water through wastewater, harming ecosystems and public health.
Her research focuses on developing technologies to detect these substances more quickly and accurately. This includes investigating new measurement methods for nanoplastics and PFAS, as well as ways to analyze the environmental effects of chemicals more efficiently. Additionally, Van Wezel leads projects aimed at ecological improvement, such as enhancing biodiversity around the canals of Amsterdam.
Van Wezel hopes that her work will not only lead to more knowledge but also to concrete changes that improve the health of people and nature worldwide. Read on to discover how innovative technologies can help us tackle water pollution and which future projects can position the Netherlands as a leader in water management and environmental protection.
Van Wezel also supervises more ecologically oriented projects. For example, a project on quay walls in Amsterdam was recently launched. The Municipality of Amsterdam will be restoring or replacing hundreds of kilometers of quay walls in the coming years. This is a great opportunity to also improve biodiversity in the city, IBED researchers thought. The scientists will answer questions such as: ‘What are the consequences of different types of quay wall designs on biodiversity?’. This could significantly improve biodiversity in the Amsterdam canals in the coming years.
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