The GloWPa (Global Waterborne Pathogen) model
The benefits
In short- Simulates pathogen emissions globally
- Includes human and livestock sources
- Accounts for storage and treatment systems
- Uses VIC for pathogen transport
- Looks at surface water pathogens
GloWPa simulates global emissions of waterborne pathogens to surface water, supporting scenario analyses of sanitation, wastewater treatment, and human health risks
About GloWPa
The Global Waterborne Pathogen (GloWPa) model simulates emissions of pathogens, currently Cryptosporidium and rotavirus, to surface water. These pathogens are leading causes of diarrhoeal diseases in people exposed to high concentrations. GloWPa focuses on human and livestock emissions through multiple pathways, with attention to storage and removal in manure facilities and wastewater treatment. The model performs simulations globally at 0.5° × 0.5° spatial resolution, at annual time steps, for both the present (around 2010) and for future scenarios. Future projections are based on Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) combined with assumptions on sanitation and wastewater treatment. Originally developed at Wageningen University & Research, GloWPa is currently being advanced to transform pathogen emissions into concentrations in surface water, using output from the VIC hydrological model. This provides a dynamic routing system to account for transport, growth, and inactivation rates.
Figure 1: Schematic overview of pathogen sources, pathways, and storage compartments simulated in the GloWPa model.
Figure 2: A map of total rotavirus emissions to surface water in log10 viral particles per grid based on data for approximately the year 2010 (Kiulia et al. 2015).
Further Development and Applications
Further development of GloWPa focuses on converting pathogen concentrations into risk indications that depend on human exposure to contaminated water. Comprehensive future scenario analyses are also being developed, combining SSPs with Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) and (waste) management strategies.
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prof.dr.ir. N (Nynke) Hofstra
Professor
Main publications
- Exploring global Cryptosporidium emissions to surface water
Hofstra, N. , Bouwman, A.F. , Beusen, A.H.W. , Medema, G.J. (2013) Science of the Total Environment (2013), Volume: 442, Issue: 1 - ISSN 0048-9697 - p. 10-19. - Modelling the impact of sanitation, population growth and urbanization on human emissions of Cryptosporidium to surface waters—a case study for Bangladesh and India
Vermeulen, L.C. , Kraker, Dummy , Hofstra, N. , Kroeze, C. , Medema, G.J. (2015) Environmental Research Letters (2015), Volume: 10 - ISSN 1748-9326 - Global Occurrence and Emission of Rotaviruses to Surface Waters
Kiulia, N.M. , Hofstra, N. , Vermeulen, L.C. , Obara, M.A. , Medema, G.J. , Rose, J.B. (2015) Pathogens (2015), Volume: 4, Issue: 2 - ISSN 2076-0817 - p. 229-255. - Impacts of population growth, urbanisation and sanitation changes on global human Cryptosporidium emissions to surface water
Hofstra, Nynke , Vermeulen-Henstra, Lucie (2016) International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health (2016), Volume: 219, Issue: 7 - ISSN 1438-4639 - p. 599-605.
