Abstract
The endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are a group of chemicals negatively affect the endocrine functioning of living organisms, causing developmental impairments, reproductive abnormalities and several diseases even in low concentration. A great number of natural or synthetic chemicals had already proved to be endocrine disruptors, their sources are highly variable, but most importantly industrial and domestic effluents, and Waste Water Treatment Plant effluents.There are several analytical and biological method worked out to detect EDCs. Certain biological methods are able to analyse the effect of a whole range of EDCs without individually detect them. The present study uses CALUX bioassay, a sensitive reporter-gene assay, to analyse the results of a one year long sampling campaign. Sediment and water samples are taken from the Zenne river which crosses the heavily urbanised area of Brussels, Belgium. Spatial and temporal distribution is commented, trends are observed and the effects of environmental parameters are analysed. Correlation was found with conductivity, temperature and pH in case of river samples, and with suspended particulate matter, dissolved oxygen and temperature in case of sediment. By calculating the rate of hormonal activity in sediment and water samples, a partition coefficient can be analysed, giving information about the affinity of endocrine disruptors adsorbed on solid particles. The coefficient is correlated with temperature and suspended matter, weak correlation can be found with dissolved oxygen and conductivity.
| Date of Award | 1 Sep 2016 |
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| Original language | English |
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| Supervisor | Kersten Van Langenhove (Advisor) |