How we contribute to advance science and innovation

Environmental health

Climate change, urbanization, chemical pollution, and disruptions to ecosystems, including biodiversity loss, profoundly impact human health and well-being. Creating healthier environments has the potential to alleviate nearly a quarter of the global disease burden. Despite strides made in mitigating environmental health risks, persistent traditional public health challenges continue to challenge health equity.

FIGHTING CYANOBACTERIAL BLOOMS THANKS TO CITIZEN PARTICIPATION

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Cyanobacteria, a.k.a. ‘blue-green algae’, pose health risks and threaten aquatic ecosystems. With blooms becoming more frequent globally, understanding and monitoring them is paramount. The Luxembourg Water Management Authority and LIST launched the «Bloomin’Algae» app, empowering citizens to report cyanobacteria blooms, vital for preserving water quality and ecosystem health.

The app allows users to report bloom sightings with photos and GPS coordinates, contributing to an interactive map, thus helping to understand and monitor this environmental threat.

Find out more about Cyanowatch and the Blooming Algae App.

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TRACKING COVID VARIANTS AT LUXEMBOURG AIRPORT

LIST monitored wastewater at Luxembourg Airport to detect possible SARS-CoV-2 variants amid rising Covid cases in China. Samples were collected weekly and analyzed for viral variants and mutations. The first report, reassuringly, showed no new variants detected.

Through the CORONASTEP project, LIST tracks coronavirus presence in wastewater, offering near-real-time data to inform government decisions alongside clinical tests. Since the beginning of the pandemic and until 31 December 2023, LIST has published 174 reports.

Find out more about CORONASTEP.

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EXPOSING RISKS OF BRAIN CANCER FROM COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY SCANS

LIST experts contributed to an International Agency for Research on Cancer-led study assessing brain cancer risks from computed tomography scans. Their software collected metadata from 70 European hospitals, improving dose estimates for individual organs.

The study, published in The Lancet Oncology, found a significant risk, highlighting the importance of minimizing computed tomography radiation doses. This study, part of the European EPI-CT cohort, involved 658,752 patients from nine countries, making it the largest international study on computed tomography-related cancer risks in young patients.

Read the report.

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