IQ-Water

Surface waters such as lakes and reservoirs have complex biological diversity and are used as a resource for 12% of drinking water in Germany. Climate change, environmental pollution, and the spread of invasive species (neobiota) have led to a loss of biodiversity in many waters, which has a negative impact on water quality.

Project objectives

The IQ-Water project aims to combine new molecular biology methods, such as metagenome analyses, with the use of AI techniques to evaluate large amounts of data. This will enable new insights into changes in aquatic ecosystems and a well-founded prognosis of water quality. To this end, modern methods are used to detect toxin-producing algae, identify pathogens and sources of faecal contamination, assess antibiotic resistance and detect neobiota at an early stage. Based on the results, targeted measures can be taken to preserve natural biodiversity and ensure water quality.

Our contribution

The Fraunhofer IOSB's work focuses on integrating all existing and newly collected data into a database and then using AI to analyze biodiversity in drinking water reservoirs. This includes, for example, identifying seasonal and long-term (climate change-related) trends and forecasting various water body developments. The main goal is to develop prediction models for the mass development of bacteria relevant to hygiene and toxin-producing algae and, based on this, to develop early warning systems. In addition, a new AI-based method for evaluating cyanobacterial fluorescence spectra is to be developed, which will enable quick and easy status assessment and prediction of water quality.