Veolia Heads a Groundbreaking Wastewater Epidemiological Surveillance Across Europe
Veolia (PARIS:VIE), the world leader in water technologies, is at the helm of a groundbreaking European epidemiological surveillance program that leverages wastewater as a real-time health indicator. The goal: detect emerging threats early and protect urban populations across the continent.
Veolia will oversee the monitoring aspect of this three-year program and will analyze up to 500 wastewater samples collected from European cities in its laboratories in Spain. Each sample will undergo more than 500 in-depth analyses, targeting a wide range of pollutants, viruses, bacteria, and drug residues.
This initiative is aligned with the revised European directive on wastewater treatment, which formally embeds epidemiological surveillance as a pillar of public health. It is also part of the European 'One Health' strategy, which will enable the analysis of collective behavior, the assessment of the impact of public policies, and the identification of new threats, while strengthening Europe's health sovereignty. This principle was recently reiterated in the European Strategy for Water Resilience.
Estelle Brachlianoff, CEO of Veolia said: 'Being a pioneer means anticipating tomorrow's challenges, and that's exactly what we're doing here, by transforming wastewater into an early warning tool on a European scale. This project is a concrete embodiment of our GreenUp strategic plan: our environmental solutions are also solutions for the health of citizens and the resilience of European territories. We are delighted to be able to bring the Group's expertise in water treatment and environmental health to the European Union, and to pave the way for a more connected, intelligent, and preventive public health system.'
The project is led by Veolia, in partnership with the CSIC (Spanish National Research Council), Cetaqua (Veolia Water Technology Center), and the University of Santiago de Compostela. It is based on more than ten years of field experience in wastewater monitoring in Madrid, Barcelona, and Seville, covering nearly a third of the Spanish population.
Daniel Tugues, CEO of Veolia Spain, said: 'The Covid-19 pandemic has revealed the untapped potential of wastewater for public health monitoring. This project puts that learning into practice on a large scale. We are very proud that the expertise of our teams is recognized at the European level. Thanks to this project, Spain is at the forefront of a new approach to environmental health, combining scientific rigor, technological innovation, and a commitment to the common good.'
ABOUT VEOLIA
Veolia group aims to become the benchmark company for ecological transformation. Present on five continents with 215,000 employees, the Group designs and deploys useful, practical solutions for the management of water, waste and energy that are contributing to a radical turnaround of the current situation. Through its three complementary activities, Veolia helps to develop access to resources, to preserve available resources and to renew them. In 2024, the Veolia group provided 111 million inhabitants with drinking water and 98 million with sanitation, produced 42 million megawatt hours of energy and treated 65 million tonnes of waste. Veolia Environnement (Paris Euronext: VIE) achieved consolidated revenue of 44.7 billion euros in 2024. www.veolia.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
UnitedHealth Group Announces Changes to Leadership Team
July 31, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) today announced Wayne S. DeVeydt has been appointed its chief financial officer, effective September 2, 2025. John F. Rex, who joined the company in 2012 and has been CFO since 2016, will become strategic advisor to the CEO on the same date. "Wayne DeVeydt combines deep financial acumen and operating experience with the mission-oriented and compassionate approach to health care that is a perfect fit for UnitedHealth Group," said Stephen J. Hemsley, company chairman and chief executive officer. "John Rex has been an exceptional leader, having helped guide our company through substantial change with both strategic vision and strong commitment to our mission," said Hemsley. "I look forward to his continued insights as UnitedHealth Group moves forward." DeVeydt, 55, most recently has been a managing director and operating partner at Bain Capital, working with client leaders on operational improvement and growth acceleration. From 2018-2020, he was chairman and CEO of Surgery Partners, Inc. in Nashville, expanding the operational scale and financial performance of the surgical services firm. He joined Anthem, Inc. (now Elevance) in 2005 and served as its chief financial officer from 2007 to 2016. Prior to joining Anthem, DeVeydt served as a partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, with a focus on the health care sector. "There is no organization besides UnitedHealth Group that presents the kinds of opportunities to make a difference in health care, from individual patient care to broad system efficiency, so I am eagerly looking forward to joining the team," said DeVeydt. "I've been fortunate to know John Rex for over two decades and am honored to follow a leader of his caliber." Rex, 63, joined UnitedHealth Group as chief financial officer of the company's then newly established Optum business and previously had spent his career focused in health care across multiple roles and sectors. "This pivotal moment for UnitedHealth Group is the right time for a new yet greatly experienced executive like Wayne DeVeydt, and I look forward to supporting him and the entire leadership team while continuing to advise on a range of matters," said Rex. About UnitedHealth Group UnitedHealth Group is a health care and well-being company with a mission to help people live healthier lives and help make the health system work better for everyone through two distinct and complementary businesses. Optum delivers care aided by technology and data, empowering people, partners and providers with the guidance and tools they need to achieve better health. UnitedHealthcare offers a full range of health benefits, enabling affordable coverage, simplifying the health care experience and delivering access to high-quality care. Visit UnitedHealth Group at and follow UnitedHealth Group on LinkedIn. View source version on Contacts Media: uhgmedia@ UnitedHealth Group Media Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Natera initiates trial of Signatera test for breast cancer
Natera has announced the initiation of the Phase II TEODOR trial of its Signatera test aimed at replacing chemotherapy with endocrine therapy before surgery in certain breast cancer patients. The multicentre, randomised controlled trial (RCT) focuses on women with hormone receptor-positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative breast cancer who are responsive to endocrine treatment and test negative with Signatera. Academic research organisation Austrian Breast & Colorectal Cancer Study Group sponsored the trial, which plans to enrol 250 subjects across 15 Austrian sites. This trial seeks to assess the endocrine therapy's efficacy in comparison to chemotherapy in those who are Signatera-negative, to minimise the use of pre-operative chemotherapy and its associated side effects. After receiving an endocrine therapy course for four weeks, subjects who remain Signatera-negative and exhibit a favourable response as per the Ki-67 proliferation index measurement are set to be randomised to continue with endocrine therapy or chemotherapy. The primary goal of the TEODOR trial is the response rate to neoadjuvant therapy, gauged by pathological complete response (pCR) and modified Preoperative Endocrine Prognostic Index (PEPI) score, across endocrine and chemotherapy trial arms. Secondary goals encompass long-term effects such as recurrence of breast cancer and overall survival rates. Signatera is a custom-built blood test for identifying molecular residual disease (MRD) in the form of circulating tumour DNA. Natera oncology medical director Angel Rodriguez said: 'With the TEODOR trial, our goal is to identify patients who may be able to safely forgo chemotherapy. 'We are proud to collaborate with ABCSG on this important trial, and we hope this study will support the role of Signatera in guiding neoadjuvant therapy in breast cancer.' The test is covered by Medicare for those with stage IIb and higher breast cancer. In May 2025, Natera announced outcomes from a study assessing the Signatera MRD test in those with soft tissue and bone sarcomas. "Natera initiates trial of Signatera test for breast cancer" was originally created and published by Medical Device Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
The Hill
6 hours ago
- The Hill
Flu, COVID can reawaken dormant breast cancer cells: Study
Respiratory infections like COVID-19 and the flu can activate dormant cancer cells in breast cancer patients who are in remission, new research finds. The study, published in Nature, found that common viruses can reawaken small numbers of dormant breast cancer cells in the lungs. Researchers began investigating the link after the team noticed that U.K. patients who were in remission from breast cancer and tested positive for COVID later showed a two-fold increase in cancer-related deaths. They also analyzed a U.S. database that included nearly 37,000 patients and found that COVID infection was associated with a more than 40 percent increased risk of metastatic breast cancer in the lungs. Studies on mice found that influenza and COVID infections triggered dormant breast cancer cells after just days of infection. Within two weeks, researchers observed 'massive expansion' of the cancer cells into metastatic lesions by more than 100 times. Scientists have suspected that common viruses like Epstein-Barr can trigger some cancers. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is already documented to trigger cervical cancer. When it comes to breast cancer, however, research on human cells was limited, and it's not entirely known how the virus triggers the disease to spread. The findings suggest the body's immune response plays a role. After breast cancer goes into remission, a tiny number of cells remain dormant in lung, bone and liver tissue. Sometimes, inflammation can wake up the cells. In the mouse experiments, both influenza A and coronavirus only reawakened dormant cells if they triggered an inflammatory cytokine response. More research is needed to see if vaccination makes a difference when it comes to the possibility of reawakening dormant cells.
