Water quality guidelines roadmap

This project aims to develop the frameworks, guidance and evidence base to derive environmental water quality guideline values for key chemical drivers of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in aquatic ecosystems. It responds to a clear regulatory and scientific gap: Australia currently lacks antimicrobial guideline values for aquatic environments, and existing Australian and New Zealand derivation methods do not include microbial endpoints needed to understand impacts on microbial communities, including the prevention of AMR emergence, persistence and spread. By building on national water quality management frameworks and emerging international work, the project aims to strengthen the evidence base for protecting aquatic ecosystems, threatened species, wildlife, human health and wastewater-receiving environments through a One Health approach.

The work will be co-designed with researchers, industry, regulators and advisory groups to produce practical guidance and strategic direction that supports regulatory decision-making and informs research and management actions to better protect Australian and New Zealand waters from anthropogenic impacts, including AMR risks.

This project commenced as a kickstart project through the SAAFE Research portfolio and has evolved with several partners and project leads.

Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), Water Research Australia (WaterRA), Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Australasia (SETAC AU), University of South Australia (UniSA), Adelaide University.

24 months.

An approach for deriving water quality guideline values for antimicrobials that integrates ecotoxicity and antimicrobial resistance endpoints. AUTHOR Monique T. Binet et al