Hong Kong scientist’s global research expected to shed light on link between ‘superbugs’ and drug-polluted water

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A Hong Kong scientist is leading a worldwide study of coastal pollution, particularly by drugs that have contributed to the worsening problem of treatment-resistant superbugs.

The Global Estuaries Monitoring Programme, run by Professor Kenneth Leung Mei-yee of City University, is one of 66 proposals endorsed last month by the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development programme, which aims to develop better ocean management practices globally.

Experts say the 10-year project will be important in identifying the world’s most polluted estuaries, where rivers meet the sea, and raising issues that must be dealt with to ensure clean water and healthy ecosystems.