In the context of ecological risk assessment of chemicals, individual-based population models hold great potential to increase the ecological realism of current regulatory risk assessment procedures. However, developing and parameterizing such models is time-consuming and often ad hoc. Using standardized, tested submodels of individual organisms would make individual-based modelling more efficient and coherent. In this thesis, I explored whether Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) theory is suitable for being used as a standard submodel in individual-based models, both for ecological risk assessment and theoretical population ecology. First, I developed a generic implementation of DEB theory in an individual-based modeling (IBM) context: DEB-IBM. Using the DEB-IBM framework I tested the ability of the DEB theory to predict population-level dynamics from the properties of individuals. We used Daphnia magna as a model species, where data at the individual level was available to parameterize the model, and population-level predictions were compared against independent data from controlled population experiments. We found that DEB theory successfully predicted population growth rates and peak densities of experimental Daphnia populations in multiple experimental settings, but failed to capture the decline phase, when the available food per Daphnia was low. Further assumptions on food-dependent mortality of juveniles were needed to capture the population dynamics after the initial population peak. The resulting model then predicted, without further calibration, characteristic switches between small- and large-amplitude cycles, which have been observed for Daphnia. We conclude that cross-level tests help detecting gaps in current individual-level theories and ultimately will lead to theory development and the establishment of a generic basis for individual-based models and ecology. In addition to theoretical explorations, we tested the potential of DEB theory combined with IBMs to extrapolate effects of chemical stress from the individual to population level. For this we used information at the individual level on the effect of 3,4-dichloroanailine on Daphnia. The individual data suggested direct effects on reproduction but no significant effects on growth. Assuming such direct effects on reproduction, the model was able to accurately predict the population response to increasing concentrations of 3,4-dichloroaniline. We conclude that DEB theory combined with IBMs holds great potential for standardized ecological risk assessment based on ecological models. / Für die ökologische Risikobewertung von Chemikalien sind individuenbasierte Populationsmodelle ein vielversprechendes Werkzeug um heutige Bewertungen ökologisch realistischer zu gestalten. Allerdings ist die Entwicklung und Parametrisierung derartiger Modelle zeitaufwendig und oft wenig systematisch. Standardisierte, geprüfte Untermodelle, die Einzelorganismen beschreiben, würden die individuenbasierte Modellierung effizienter und kohärenter machen. In meiner Dissertation habe ich daher untersucht, inwieweit sich die Dynamic Energy Budget-Theorie (DEB) als Standardmodell innerhalb individuenbasierter Populationsmodelle eignet, und zwar sowohl für die ökologische Risikobewertung als auch für die theoretische Populationsökologie. Zunächst habe ich eine generische Implementierung der DEB-Theorie im Rahmen individuenbasierter Modellen (IBM) erstellt: DEB-IBM. Dieses Werkzeug nutzend habe ich dann untersucht, ob es mit Hilfe der DEB-Theorie gelingt, ausgehend von den Eigenschaften und Aktivitäten einzelner Individuen, Populationsdynamik vorherzusagen. Wir nutzten dabei Daphnia magna als Modellart, für die Daten auf der Individuenebene verfügbar waren, um das Modell zu parametrisieren, sowie Populationsdaten, mit denen Modellvorhersagen verglichen werden konnten. DEB-Theorie war in der Lage, beobachtete Populationswachstumsraten sowie die maximalen Abundanzen korrekt vorherzusagen, und zwar für verschiedene Umweltbedingungen. Für Phasen des Rückgangs der Population allerdings, wenn die für die Daphnien verfügbare Nahrungsmenge gering war, kam es zu Abweichungen. Es waren deshalb zusätzliche Annahmen über nahrungsabhängige Sterblichkeit von juvenilen Daphnien erforderlich, um die gesamte Populationsdynamik korrekt vorherzusagen. Das resultierende Modell konnte dann, ohne weitere Kalibrierungen, den für Daphnien charakteristischen Wechsel zwischen Populationszyklen mit großen und kleinen Amplituden richtig vorhersagen. Wir folgern daraus, daß Ebenen übergreifende Tests dabei helfen, Lücken in aktuellen Theorien über Einzelorganismen aufzudecken Dies trägt zur Theorieentwicklung bei und liefert Grundlagen für individuenbasierte Modellierung und Ökologie. Über diese Grundlagenfragen hinaus haben wir überprüft, ob DEB-Theorie in Kombination mit IBMs es ermöglicht, den Effekt von chemischem Streß auf Individuen auf die Populationsebene zu extrapolieren. Wir nutzten Daten über die Auswirkungen von 3,4 Dichloroanalin auf einzelne Daphnien, die zeigten daß im Wesentlichen die Reproduktion, nicht aber das Wachstum beeinträchtigt ist. Mit entsprechenden Annahmen konnte unser Modell den Effekt auf Populationsebene, für den unabhängige Daten vorlagen, korrekt vorhersagen. DEB-Theorie in Kombination mit individuenbasierter Modellierung birgt somit großes Potential für einen standardisierten modellbasierten Ansatz in der ökologischen Risikobewertung von Chemikalien.

The access to clean water is one of the prerequisites for a modern, industrialized society. The amount of water withdrawn for human activities has risen exponentially during the last 100 years. This rise in water use is accompanied by the production of vast quantities of contaminated water. These wastewaters may be contaminated by substances ranging from heavy metals and organic compounds to nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorous. The aggregate effect of combinations of water contaminants can be difficult to predict as different contaminant substances may interact, leading to additive, synergistic or antagonistic toxic effects in a receiving aquatic ecosystem. With increasing water quality legislation, the pressure to characterize and potentially treat contaminated waters increases. Suitable effect-based assessment methods may greatly reduce the costs of both the wastewater characterization process and the water treatment evaluation. The overall aim of this thesis was to show how a combination of ecotoxicity bioassays may be employed in water treatment method development for initial characterization, assessment of treatment requirements and finally treatment evaluation. The wastewaters characterized originated from different activities such as waste management, metal surfacing and explosives destruction. To fully assess the hazard of the waters sampled, a holistic approach using a combination of chemical tests and bioassays was taken. A combination of acute and chronic assays was used to determine mode-of-action effects and apical endpoints in the aquatic environment. The basic battery consisted of the acute Vibrio fischeri test, the chronic algae test using Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata and either the planktonic crustacean Daphnia magna (for aqueous samples) or the meiobenthic crustacean Heterocypris incongruens (for whole-sediment/soil samples).  In addition to the basic test battery, the mode-of-action Salmonella typhimurium test was used to assess genotoxic effects. Results from the water hazard characterization show that ecotoxicological tests contribute to the evaluation of treatment methods for complex wastewaters by assessing the aggregate biological effect of water treatment. The tests may be used as a screening method to indicate where further treatment may be required, even when chemical measurements show a satisfactory reduction of known contaminants. The toxic effect exerted by the assessed waters did not always correlate with measured levels of contaminants or the chemical measures of bioavailability, e.g. leached fraction. The water treatment evaluation showed that the industrial by-product pine bark is an effective adsorbent for capturing metal contaminants from landfill leachates and stormwater. The pine bark column filter had higher zinc removal efficiency than the polonite filter and the combination filter column with pine bark/polonite. In conclusion, a pine bark filter is a suitable alternative to activated carbon for small-scale, decentralized treatment of wastewaters. Furthermore, the ecotoxicity tests were able to detect effects of unknown contaminants and provided unique characterization data, which complemented the information provided by the chemical analyses. / CLEAN / BIOREX

Worldwide, estuaries are under increasing pressure from numerous contaminants. There is a need to develop reliable bioassay methodologies to assess the effects of these stressors on estuary health. This thesis aimed to develop and validate toxicity tests in a New Zealand marine harpacticoid copepod species for use in monitoring and evaluating the effects of estuarine pollution. A survey and toxicological assessment of a range of native copepod species resulted in the selection of Quinquelaophonte sp. as the ideal bioassay species. This selection was based on a broad regional distribution, ease of culture and high reproductive rate in the laboratory, sexual dimorphism, and sensitivity to contaminants. To validate the bioassay, spiked sediments were used to expose Quinquelaophonte sp. to three reference compounds representing important categories of estuarine chemical stressors: zinc (a metal), atrazine (a pesticide), and phenanthrene (a polyaromatic hydrocarbon). A method for spiking sediments that Quinquelaophonte sp. inhabit was developed to ensure even contaminant distribution in sediments. Two sediment bioassays using lethal and sublethal endpoints were validated, one acute (96 h) and one chronic (14 d). These assays incorporated both lethal and sublethal endpoints, which included reproductive output and mobility. Acute-to-chronic ratios were calculated for use in environmental risk assessment and to provide insight into the mode of action of the reference contaminants. The chronic sediment bioassay was used to assess sediment quality in three estuaries across New Zealand: Napier, Christchurch and Invercargill. This validated the bioassay for use with naturally-contaminated field sediments with varying mixtures of pollutants and sediment types (coarse sandy to fine silty organic rich sediments). Quinquelaophonte sp. was also tested to assess whether it can be used to characterise multi–generation impacts. After four generations of exposure to zinc, there were changes in acute sensitivity, indicating this species possesses mechanisms for acclimating or adapting to toxic stressors. Sediment bioassays in Quinquelaophonte sp. were successfully developed and validated, offering significant promise as a tool for monitoring effects of pollution in New Zealand estuaries.

British Columbia salmon aquaculture operations use the chemotherapeutant emamectin benzoate (EMB trade name SLICE®), a synthesized avermectin compound, delivered through feed to decrease sea lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) parasite abundance on production fish. Avermectins bind to ion channels in crustaceans and disrupts nerve impulse transmission. Detectable amounts of EMB can accumulate in the depositional area around farms during SLICE® treatment periods, thus presenting potential for exposure to populations of proximate non-target species. The distribution of spot prawn (Pandalus platyceros), an economically important crustacean, overlaps with areas of intensive salmon farm activity. The primary objective of this research was to determine if EMB exposure had a measurable biological effect on spot prawns in the field and in the laboratory. The field component was conducted in the Broughton Archipelago, BC, to determine if emamectin benzoate residues could be detected near actively treating salmon farms, and whether farm proximity affected spot prawn size distribution. Three laboratory experiments tested the mortality, molting and behavioural response of spot prawns to SLICE® feed pellet exposure and acute exposure to EMB through sediment over ten, 30 and 45-day durations. Measurable amounts of EMB was detected in the marine sediment near five farm sites during the field survey and was found to persist between treatment periods. Male and transitional stage spot prawns captured near farm sites attained a greater size and had better body condition compared to reference sites, indicating prawns may benefit from direct or indirect farm food subsidies. However, at several farm sites the size distribution of prawns changed over the sampling period, a trend not observed at reference sites, demonstrating that farm activity may alter prawn population dynamics. Laboratory results indicated that only prawns that had been starved prior to exposure would initially consume SLICE® pellets, but feeding rates declined with subsequent exposures. Depressed consumption rates was not a residual effect of EMB, but rather an aversion to the SLICE® pellet diet as prawns resumed feeding when offered a preferred diet. Sediment EMB exposures to doses 808 µg kg-1 and greater increased prawn mortality, largely due to the inability of molting individuals to successfully complete ecdysis. Exposed individuals accumulated EMB in their abdomen tissue with levels increasing with exposure dose. Prawns exposed to EMB through sediment at concentrations 1419 and 3330 µg kg-1 displayed a significant reduction in olfactory detection and orientation behaviours to food stimuli. This research highlights that spot prawns may avoid SLICE® pellets for preferential food sources, and that only short term EMB exposure 50 to 200 magnitude greater than levels present in the marine environment elicited a measurable response in spot prawn mortality rates, molting success and behaviour. However, preliminary trends in the field survey data indicate that there may be population differences occurring in spot prawns inhabiting areas near treating salmon farms that are not observed in reference populations. These results signify the inherent pitfalls in current management policy that base decisions on short-term acute toxicity laboratory exposure results that may not be indicative of the response of marine populations near active salmon farms to long-term chronic EMB exposure. / Graduate / 0792 / 0329 / 0768

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:30:30Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2008-07-18Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:00:42Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 winkaler_eu_dr_jabo.pdf: 2401389 bytes, checksum: 3b8d20a39c2ee3641205a9c6930923aa (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / Dentre os agrotóxicos comumente utilizados na piscicultura para controle de ectoparasitos e insetos aquáticos, destacam-se o diflubenzuron (Dimilin®) e o teflubenzuron (Nomolt®), inseticidas com ação reguladora do crescimento. Na aqüicultura, o tratamento com inseticidas pode ser realizado com a aplicação direta na água, ou administração na ração dos animais. Apesar de muito utilizados, poucos são os trabalhos sobre ecotoxicologia, comportamento e bioacumulação do diflubenzuron (DFB) e teflubenzuron (TFB) na água e seus efeitos em organismos aquáticos de clima tropical. Os objetivos deste trabalho foram: estimar a toxicidade (CL(50-96h)) do DFB e TFB para o pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus), calcular o risco alimentar para o consumo humano, determinar resíduos de DFB e TFB na água, sedimento e músculo de pacus, após a exposição aos inseticidas na água ou na ração dos peixes e analisar a atividade hepática das enzimas glutationa-S-transefrase (GST) e catalase (CAT) em pacus alimentados com ração acrescida de DFB ou TFB. A CL50;96h do DFB para o pacu foi superior a 1200 mg.L-1 e a do TFB, superior a 1000 mg.L-1. Os resíduos de DFB foram detectáveis até 7 dias após a aplicação (com 18,3% de resíduo) e para o TFB, foram detectáveis ate o terceiro dia (8% de resíduo). No sedimento, as maiores concentrações de DFB e TFB foram observadas nas primeiras 24 h e em todos os períodos amostrados foram detectados resíduos dos inseticidas. Nos filés dos pacus foram detectados resíduos dos inseticidas após a alimentação com a ração tratada e após aplicação de DFB e TFB na água. A ingestão diária estimada (IDE) de DFB e TFB encontra-se acima dos valores de ingestão diária aceitável (IDA), mesmo para as amostras com menores valores de resíduos detectados nos filés do pacu. Em relação aos biomarcadores bioquímicos... / Diflubenzuron and teflubenzuron are growth regulator inhibitors insecticides, used to control ectoparasites in fish and aquatic insects. In aquaculture these pesticides can be injected directly in the water or in the fish food. Besides their large utilization, there are few works about the effects of these insecticides on the fish metabolism and biomagfication, especially in tropical aquatic organisms. This study aims to: evaluate the acute toxicities (LC(50-96h)) in pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus), measure the risk food for human consumption, determinate residues of DFB and TFB in water, sediment and muscle of pacus after the management of the insect-powders on water or in the fish food and to analyze the hepatical activity of the enzymes catalase (CAT) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) in fishes fed with ration plus DFB or TFB. The LC((50- 96h)) of DFB and TFB for the pacu was higher than 1.200 mg.L-1 and 1.000 mg.L-1, respectively. The residues TFB were detected until the thirth day (8% of residue) and DFB until seventh day after application in the water (18,3% of residue). In the sediment, the highest concentrations of DFB and TFB had been observed in the first 24 h and in all the samplings there were . In muscle of pacus, residues of the insecticides had been detected after the feeding with the ration treated and after application to DFB and TFB in the water. The daily ingestion estimate (DIE) of DFB and TFB meets above of the values of acceptable daily ingestion (DAI), exactly for the samples with lesser values of residues detected in filés of pacu. For the enzymes the CAT activity was not affected by both pesticides, but the GST activity was reduced five days after the feeding. Besides the importance of the evaluation of the toxicity of DFB and TFB for the fish, the determination of residues and the alimentary risk, it can subsidize the determination of measures of sanitary... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Neonicotinoid exposure has been recognised as potentially impacting upon bee health, but whether realistic exposure scenarios are driving declines in bee health is not known. This thesis contributes new insights and perspectives to this research field investigating the use of molecular, physiological and behavioural endpoints as potential ecotoxicological markers for pesticide risk assessment. The thesis presents experimental data for dietary exposures of the European honey bee, Apis mellifera, and the buff-tailed bumble bee, Bombus terrestris, to one of two neonicotinoid pesticides, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam. The first part of this thesis explores impacts of chronic dietary exposures to neonicotinoid pesticides on bee immunocompetence- the ability to mount an immune response- using an artificial challenge to invoke an immune response in adult workers. Levels of phenoloxidase, an enzyme involved in melanisation and part of the bee’s defence system, were largely constitutive and resilient to exposure in honey bees and bumble bees. In honey bees, transient transcriptional changes in antimicrobial effector genes were observed following neonicotinoid exposure, but the physiological antimicrobial response was unaffected. In bumble bees, the induced antimicrobial response was impaired following neonicotinoid exposure, but only when exposed to concentrations likely higher than realistic environmental exposure scenarios. The next phase of this thesis investigates whether transcriptional, physiological and behavioural endpoints associated with the functioning of the honey bee hypopharyngeal gland were altered by imidacloprid exposure. Imidacloprid exposure led to transcriptional changes in foraging genes (associated with the control of temporal polyethism) and major royal jelly proteins (fed to developing larvae by nurse workers) and enzymatic changes in glucose oxidase (an enzyme involved in social immunity), which I hypothesise are linked with hypopharyngeal gland development. Despite these laboratory observations, no behavioural effects were observed in a field setting, monitored using Radio Frequency Identification transponders. Lastly, using RNA-Sequencing to investigate changes across the honey bee transcriptome, this thesis identified a suite of genes that were differentially expressed in adult workers in response to immune challenge and/or dietary neonicotinoid exposure. Wounding and bacterial-like infection led to upregulation of known immune genes, including a peptidoglycan recognition protein and antimicrobial effectors. Chronic exposure to thiamethoxam and imidacloprid led to downregulation of genes associated with several metabolic pathways, such as oxidative phosphorylation, pyruvate- and purine- metabolic pathways, as well as ribosomal activity. Some of these genes identified provide candidates for further study to elucidate functional effects mechanisms and better understand health outcomes, as well as potential new biomarkers for use in pesticide risk assessment. This thesis presents novel findings and offers opportunities for future research that will be of interest to a wide audience, including risk assessors and policy makers, as well as the broader biological community, including ecotoxicologists, insect physiologists and molecular biologists.

A number of pharmaceuticals have been shown to have adverse effects on key biological processes of aquatic organisms at low concentrations (ng/l range). Key questions for chemical risk assessment are whether such pharmaceuticals can produce adverse effects on organisms when present in the environment in combination and at low concentrations, whether these can be classified as additive, and under what circumstances can they be predicted. The main purpose of this study was to assess the potential for combination effects of a multicomponent steroid pharmaceutical mixture of dissimilarly acting compounds on an ecologically relevant end point – reproduction, using the existing predictive toxicity models Concentration Addition (CA) and Independent Action (IA). Concentrations of steroids close to those reported in the environment were shown to produce adverse effects on reproduction when present in combination with other steroids. Clear combination effects significantly larger than the effects of the individual compounds were observed when each compound was present at a concentration below the detection limit of the assay, demonstrating a ‘something from nothing’ mixture effect. Furthermore, IA predicted more pronounced effects on egg production that CA, an observation previously unreported from the literature. Actual observed effects were closer to the IA prediction. Additional biomarker and molecular endpoints were examined in subsequent studies to establish the mechanisms of disrupted reproduction in pair-breeding FHMs exposed to the steroid mixture. Results from this study indicate that reproductive impairment of fish exposed to the steroid mixture is likely due to the masculinisation of female fish due to the androgenic activity of the mixture. These results have implications for chemical risk assessment, and in particular, highlight the need for caution when using CA as a worst-case approximation of mixture effects.

North American scoter populations have declined by approximately 60% over the last 30-50 years. Prior studies of other sea duck species suggest that trace elements can have deleterious effects on overall body condition. For surf scoters (Melanitta perspicillatta) and white-winged scoters (Melanitta fusca), this study tested the following hypotheses: (1) Trace element accumulation differs among seasons, locations, and species; (2) Increased trace elements in tissues correlate with declines in body condition; (3) Surf scoters that shift their feeding to a higher trophic level in spring bioaccumulate higher levels of trace elements; and (4) Selenium and mercury co-accumulate in a 1:1 molar ratio. To test these hypotheses, cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), and selenium (Se) in livers and kidneys were collected from adult male surf scoters and white-winged scoters in December 2005 and March 2006 from three locations in Puget Sound, Washington. Trace elements in surf scoters differed among locations, and seasons. Se and Cd in liver and kidney explained 21% of the variance in a matrix of body condition factors in surf scoters. In white-winged scoters, body condition differed between March and December, but trace elements in tissues did not, indicating that contaminants did not explain changes in condition. Thus, hypotheses 1 and 2 received partial support while hypothesis 3 did not. Finally, Se and Hg did not covary in either the kidney or liver of either species (hypothesis 4). Compared to other marine birds, scoters in this study contained low contaminant levels. Nonetheless, inorganic contaminants explained substantial variation in body condition of surf scoters, and potentially contribute to their population declines. These findings suggest that inorganic contaminants, particularly Cd, should be considered in assessing habitat quality for sea ducks.

Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa no Estado do Rio Grande do Sul / Essential to life, water is present in almost all human activities, mainly in the consumption of drinking water and agricultural activities. Considering that the world population has increased enormously, food production must be increased and this need has encouraged cooperatives and producers to seek alternative techniques to improve productivity and reduce costs. In this context, the addition of hydrogels on the ground, optimizes the availability of water due to its large storage capacity, accelerating the development of the root system and aerial part of the plant. Most hydrogels is done based on polyacrylamide polymer of acrylamide (AM) monomer which is in the form odorless and white colored water soluble and highly toxic. The damaging effects of AM, which has carcinogenic risk and endocrine disrupter in living beings are known for over 30 years. In soil, acrylamide has a high time to be degraded and due to leaching, the monomer can be found in aquatic environments. Due to its toxicity, acrylamide in a concentration of 5.88 mg / L-1 restates the EC50 microalgae Chlorophyceae Desmodesmus quadricauda (Turpin) Brébisson. In addition to the influence of pollution, various abiotic factors such as temperature and pH, interfere with aquatic communities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the toxic effects of acrylamide in predetermined concentration with changes in temperature (24 ° C and 17 ° C) and pH variation on physiological parameters of microalgae D. quadricauda. The green algae were grown in Water Culture (WC) with its exposed cells in exponential growth phase for a period of 72 hours at concentrations of 5.88 mg l-1 of acrylamide, pH values ranging from 5, 6, 7 and 8. Periodic samples counts were performed under the microscope, in which it took into account the phenotypic plasticity and cellular measures, the biovolume and cell density. When comparing this study with acrylamide EC50 obtained in a previous study, the results indicated at low temperatures (17 ° C) the toxicity of acrylamide and decreased at high temperatures (24 ° C) increased, not having the pH interfered in this parameter. Analyzing cellular measures of width and length, results were significant with the control of pH 8 and temperature 15 ° C, as in biovolume values where only the variation of pH shows variation among the tested controls and treatments. Phenotypic gender plasticity shows that when analyzing the groups separately for periods of 24, 48 and 72 hours, although no significant differences, most phenotypic change was found in the monasteries of a cell that prevailed most in the group treated with acrylamide and pH change in almost all periods. Therefore, the concentration of acrylamide in this test along with changes in temperature and pH tested, indicating that the toxicity of the substance changes the parameters tested in microalgae, becoming a risk to aquatic communities exposed to acrylamide. / Essencial à vida, a água está presente em quase todas as atividades humanas, principalmente no consumo de água potável e em atividades agrícolas. Tendo em vista que a população mundial vem aumentando enormemente, a produção de alimentos tem de ser aumentada sendo que esta necessidade tem-se estimulado cooperativas e produtores a buscarem técnicas alternativas para a melhoria da produtividade e redução de custos. Neste contexto, a adição de hidrogéis no solo, otimiza a disponibilidade de água , devido à sua grande capacidade de armazenamento, acelerando o desenvolvimento do sistema radicular e da parte aérea das plantas. A maioria dos hidrogeis é feito à base de poliacrilamida, polímero da acrilamida (AM), monômero que se apresenta na forma inodora e de coloração branca, solúvel em água e altamente tóxica. Os efeitos prejudiciais da AM, que apresenta risco carcinogênico e desregulador endócrino nos seres vivos, são conhecidos há mais de 30 anos. No solo, a acrilamida apresenta um elevado período para ser degradada e devido a lixiviação, o monômero pode ser encontrada em ambientes aquáticos. Devido a sua toxicidade, a acrilamida em concentração de 5,88 mg/L-1 reapresenta a EC50 de microalgas clorofíceas Desmodesmus quadricauda (Turpin) Brébisson. Além da influencia da poluição, vários fatores abióticos como temperatura e pH, interferem nas comunidades aquáticas. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar os efeitos tóxicos da acrilamida em concentração pré-estabelecida juntamente com alterações de temperatura (24 ºC e 17 ºC) e variação de pH sobre parâmetros fisiológicos da microalga D. quadricauda . As clorofíceas foram cultivadas em meio Water Culture (WC), com suas células em fase exponencial exposta por um período de 72 horas a concentração de 5,88 mg.L-1 de acrilamida, valores de pH que variaram de 5, 6, 7 e 8. Amostras periódicas foram realizadas contagens ao microscópio, em que se levou em consideração a plasticidade fenotípica e medidas celulares, o biovolume e densidade celular. Ao comparar este estudo com a EC50 da acrilamida obtido em estudo prévio, os resultados indicaram que a 17 ºC a toxicidade da acrilamida diminuiu e em temperaturas a 24 ºC aumentou, não tendo o pH interferido neste parâmetro. Analisando as medidas celulares de largura e comprimento, resultados foram significativos com o controle de pH8 e com temperatura a 15ºC, assim como nos valores do biovolume, onde a variação apenas do pH apresenta variação entre os controles e tratamentos testados. A plasticidade fenotípica do gênero aponta que ao analisar os grupos separadamente nos períodos de 24, 48 e 72 horas, que apesar de não haver diferenças significativas, maior alteração fenotípica foi encontrada nos cenóbios de uma célula, que prevaleceu maior no grupo tratado com acrilamida e alteração de pH em praticamente todos os períodos. Portanto, a concentração de acrilamida presente nos ensaios juntamente com alterações de temperatura e pH testadas, indica que a toxicidade da substância altera os parâmetros testados na microalga, se tornando um risco às comunidades aquáticas se expostas a acrilamida.

Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) have been increasingly used in various applications. Often, the ENMs are functionalised with a surface coating to enhance their properties. Decades of research has provided information on mostly pristine and unmodified ENMs, while ecotoxicity of coated ENMs and how their hazard changes with age in soils is still uncertain. The thesis aimed to determine the toxic effects and bioaccumulation potential of CuO ENMs and CdTe quantum dots (QDs) with different chemical coatings (carboxylate, COOH; polyethylene glycol, PEG; ammonium, NH4+) on the earthworm (Eisenia fetida), and compare the effects to their metal salt (CuSO4) or micron-sized counterpart. Then, to determine if any observed toxicity was altered after ageing the soils for up to one year. Incidental plant growth was studied in the exposure soils to maximise the scientific value of the earthworm tests. Toxic effects of CuO ENMs were also assessed in Caenorhabditis elegans exposed in liquid and soil media to understand effects of the media and method of dosing on ENM toxicity. CuO ENMs were equally toxic to earthworms, or less toxic to plants than the dissolved Cu; whereas CdTe QD ENMs were more toxic than the micron-sized CdTe QDs. There was a coating effect in both, CuO and CdTe QD ENM experiments, the -COOH coated ENMs were most toxic in the fresh soil study, while -NH4+ coated ENMs were most toxic in the aged soil study. Despite the similarities in the toxicity ranking, the biological effects exerted were different between CuO and CdTe QD ENMs. In C. elegans exposures, the ENMs were more hazardous than dissolved Cu, but ranking of ENMs depended on the media and method of dosing. The results suggest the coating effect is determined by the reactivity of the coating in a given media, and it also depends on the core of the ENMs. As such, coating and ageing effects should be considered in the risk assessment of ENMs.