The Hidden Crisis of Antimicrobial Resistance in Contaminated Water

Antibiotics have saved millions of lives over the past century. However, their widespread use has led to a crisis – the evolution of antimicrobial resistance or AMR. According to a 2024 study, over a million people have been killed by antibiotic-resistant bacteria since 1990. This number is only set to rise over the coming decades. 

 

In this episode of Balancing the Future, Ana Almeida joins Dana and Micah to explore how pollution in the water supply has contributed to this environmental and global health emergency.  

 

Together they delve into how the prolific manufacture and use of antibiotics has accelerated the development of AMR and discover how there may already be scientists out there who can communicate the scale of this crisis to the public. 

 

Ana Almeida is an environmental and microbiology consultant with 20 years of experience in academia, regulation, and industry. 

 

LINKS: 

• Ana Almeida’s Website 
• Ana Almeida on LinkedIn 
• METTLER TOLEDO Laboratory Solutions Website 
• METTLER TOLEDO Laboratory Solutions on LinkedIn 
• Dana Clémençon on LinkedIn 
• Micah Schweizer on LinkedIn 

 

SOURCES 

• Global burden of bacterial antimicrobial resistance 1990–2021: a systematic analysis with forecasts to 2050 – The Lancet 
• Penicillin: The War-Time Miracle Drug That Saved Millions – Institute of Biomedical Research 
• Antibiotics: past, present and future – ScienceDirect 
• WHO bacterial priority pathogens list, 2024 - World Health Organization (WHO) 
• The Revised EU Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive – European Commission 
• New rules for more thorough and cost-effective urban wastewater management enter into force – European Commission 
• The Oil Pollution Act of 1990: A History of Spills and Legislation – The Office of Response and Restoration 

 

Join hosts Dana Clémençon and Micah Schweizer on Balancing the Future from METTLER TOLEDO, where they delve into the world of sustainable technology and its transformative impact on our lives.  

 

Each episode features stories from leading innovators, breaking down complex tech advancements into engaging narratives that reveal how these innovations shape our present and future.  

 

From the origins of new technologies to their individual and societal implications, this podcast offers a compelling look at the future of sustainability.