The relation between the natural conditions and species composition and the prosperity of plant communities in situ is very close and suitable for monitoring potential degradation of individual natural components. In advanced science, this linkage also called bioindication, is widely used and it represents the effective and economically favourable method of pollution detection. The study of: Research of the possibility of using biomarkers for monitoring of landfills is focused of increasing knowledge about bioindication. The technical security of landfills now strictly implements the applicable laws and regulations, and therefore the risk of leakage of pollutants produced during the storage and subsequent decomposition of waste is very slight. Nevertheless the care of the possible risks of leakage of these substances and the subsequent contamination of the surrounding area must be taken. The research of verifying the possibility of using the vascular plants in monitoring the landfill was carried out in the years 2013-2015 on the landfill of municipal solid waste Petrůvky. During the three-year period, the reconnaissance of the terrain, and setting out five habitats for recording species composition and cover of vascular plants were carried out. On the basis of plant ecological requirements, and the incidence rate the bioindicative value was determined. The higher attention was paid to the plants that pointed to a higher nutrient capacity of habitat. Identified specially protected species: Filago lutescens, Veronica Dillenii, Myosurus minimus, Miosotis discolor, Ranunculus auricomus, Euphorbia amygdaloides and Filago arvensis, exhibited as important aspects for verifying the state of the environment were which indicated good natural conditons. Bioindicative properties of plant species were then compared with the results of the analysis of surface and underground water and soil, which were analyzed for a purpose of regular landfill monitoring. The phytocenological relevé created form the part of the analysed areas in 2009 was also used for the comparison of the results. The possibility of utilization of plant bio-indicators for monitoring the landfill based on performed research was determined.

A research, which was focused on a faunistic exploration of Carabidae, took place in the Protected landscape area of Bílé Karpaty (White Carpathians) in 2015. This research was conducted with ground traps. The ground traps were located in the forest biotope, more accurately in the border the forest and a meadow and on the dry and wet meadow. 652 individuals collectedduring 210 days lasting research were classified into 35 species. The most frequent species were those, which prefer shaded and moist habitats such as Carabus coriaceus, Poecilus cupreus and Carabus violaceus. For each biotope was calculated the dominance, the diversity index, the equitability and was determined species similarity. This basis continued by the assessment of actual managemant area. This creates that the actual managemant does not affect negative changes on the current status of the habitat.

Arsenic (As) is a carcinogenic agent that is present in varying levels in environmental matrices including water and food. Long term As exposure can lead to skin lesions, peripheral neuropathy, diabetes, renal system effects and cardiovascular diseases. Bio-monitoring of human urine, toenail, serum and cerebrospinal fluid was carried out in this thesis to assess the exposure to arsenic and other trace elements. A multidisciplinary approach based on Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), HPLC-ICP-MS and Proton-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (1H-NMR) in conjunction with a questionnaire based survey was employed. The impact of rice consumption (a well-known vector of arsenic in the general population) on human urinary As levels was assessed. Results obtained show that the Bangladeshi (UK-B) community in the United Kingdom, who consume ca. 30-fold more rice than the white Caucasians (UK-C), are exposed to a higher level of arsenic. ICP-MS and HPLC-ICP-MS revealed a significant increase in dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) and inorganic arsenic (iAs) species in UK-B compared to UK-C, while cationic compounds were lower in UK-B than in UK-C. DMA and iAs levels in the Bangladeshis were positively correlated to rice consumption. Rice is likely to be responsible for the increase in levels of DMA and iAs in urine of UK-B. The link between this and the disproportional occurrence of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in UK-B needs to be investigated. Another important finding of this study is that the DMA to monomethyl arsenic (MA) ratio, which is often used as an indication of arsenic methylation capacity, should be applied with caution in populations consuming large quantities of rice because variation in the quantity and type of rice eaten may alter the urinary DMA levels and thereby the DMA/MA ratio. Urinary arsenic, selenium, copper and zinc were monitored for a group of Bangladeshis, Pakistanis, Indians and Caucasians living in the UK. The most striking finding was the increase in urinary copper in the UK-B group compared to other ethnicities and to reference values reported for the general UK population. Among the possible reasons for this could include dietary exposure via ethnic food consumption or a change in copper metabolism in the Bangladeshis. High serum copper levels have been correlated to CVD in the US population. In this context, further work is recommended to investigate if there is a relationship between urinary copper and the disproportionately high incidence of CVD in UK Bangladeshis. An approach based on 1H-NMR was used to detect changes in human urinary metabolomic profile as a function of As exposure through different routes. For this, the urine of UK-B, UK-C and a group residing in Bangladesh (BD-B) were monitored. The effects of other factors were explored, including arsenic urinary profile, chewing pan, ethnicity, rice consumption, selenium and diabetes. The three populations show distinctive metabolomic profiles. Urinary arsenic speciation was used in evaluating the effects of arsenic on the metabolomic profile for the UK group. This revealed that the %DMA positively correlates to %N,N-dymethylglycine, %alanine and %betaine. Comparative analysis of the 1H NMR spectra revealed that the BD-B urinary profiles were depleted in the number and quantity of metabolites. Visible signs of lower protein intake and undernourishment emerged from the urinary metabolomic profile of BD-B including a 2.5 decrease in creatinine levels compared to UK-B. Urinary creatinine and the metabolomic profile provide evidence for undernourishment in the BD-B population group that was not evident from previous studies on dietary protein intake in this population performed using food frequency questionnaires. Public health officials might consider also using bio-monitoring studies for nutrient intake rather than solely relying on estimations from food frequency questionnaires. The results reveal the complexity of the subject and pave the way for future studies, highlighting the need for awareness about diet and other specific confounding factors. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is considered a multifactorial disease and its cause remains unknown. A case-control study on a MS cluster from the volcanic region of Mt. Etna (a natural emitter of geogenic trace elements in the environment) was undertaken. Urine and toenails were monitored for trace elements along with food consumption and life-style habits. Levels of a range of trace elements were reported for the first time for a population living in the Mt. Etna region. No significant differences were found in trace element levels in urine and toenails of MS patients and controls. However, urinary levels of nickel, manganese and selenium were higher than those reported in the literature for the general population from Italy, Germany and the UK. These findings and observations might suggest a role for nickel in the pathology of MS. However, larger studies on the possible role of nickel on MS, and trace elements in general, should be performed. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and some serum from MS patients and controls from the Mt. Etna region were also monitored in this study using ICP-MS. There were significant differences in the trace elemental profile of CSF of MS volunteers and controls, including an increase in arsenic and zinc in the CSF of MS patients. Lead, aluminium, cadmium and molybdenum were significantly increased in the CSF of MS patients as well. In contrast, selenium was lower in MS patients compared to controls. The enrichment of certain trace elements in the CSF of MS patients could be the result of an impairment of the blood brain barrier and tight junction disruption due to MS and its progression, resulting in serum protein leakage and trace elements across the blood–brain barrier. Studies are necessary in the future to identify the chemical species present in the CSF and also determine their role in biological processes including their harmful effects on the brain.

Abstract In this thesis, I used the Chironomid Pupal Exuvial Technique (CPET) to detect anthropogenic impacts and to determine chironomid species composition in boreal rivers and lakes. The main objectives of the thesis research were i) to evaluate the importance of timing of sampling in the use of the CPET method (I, II), ii) to identify chironomid indicators of different environmental conditions (II, III, IV), and iii) to compare performance of the CPET method and more traditional sampling techniques in detecting anthropogenic impacts and chironomid species composition (III, V). I also determined emergence patterns of lotic chironomids in southern Finland (II, IV). Timing of sampling was found to be a critical design factor in the application of the CPET, especially if the trophic gradient between study sites was short. Sampling occasions need to match with the emergence periods of indicator chironomid taxa to ensure the maximum likelyhood of detecting human impacts, if any exist. However, the optimal timing of sampling varies spatially and is dependend on several environmental factors, such as latitude, altitude and trophic gradient. The shift in taxonomic composition of emerging chironomids was found to be especially rapid in spring, and tended to decrease towards autumn. This was probably due to the short emergence periods of some spring-emerging univoltine species, with their annual emergence taking only a few weeks. In contrast to whole genera, the detection of a certain species may require accurate timing of sampling. Thus, among-site differences observed at species level may reflect spatially varying emergence patterns rather than true differences in community composition. On the other hand, because of the among-species variation in species' tolerances towards, for example eutrophication, genus level identification may mask subtle differences between study sites. Nevertheless, for most monitoring purposes genus level identification seems practical and adequate, although species level resolution is desirable. Comparisons of the CPET method and more traditional grab sampling showed that pupal exuvial samples provided a more complete picture of the chironomid fauna, and that this information was obtained cost-effectively. Further, the integrative nature of the CPET was found to be critically important in the assessment of both lotic and lentic habitats. Sampling only a single macrohabitat type may result in biased estimates of the ecological condition of the whole water body. Further, in comparison to profundal grab samples, integrating species from various habitats using the CPET method appeared to have only a minor negative influence on the signal strength. Determination of emergence patterns of lotic chironomids showed that nearly 200 chironomid species occurred frequently in rivers of southern Finland. A major proportion of species richness was accounted for the sub-families Chironominae (emerging mainly during the summer months) and Orthocladiinae (spring and autumn). Overall, these studies demonstrated that the CPET is a cost-effective and sensitive method for the assessment and monitoring of freshwaters, and should be considered as an alternative and/or supplementary tool to more traditional sampling methods.

The diploma thesis is focused on the assessment of the difference in the occurrence of invertebrates in the monitored locality in the Czech Republic and on the evaluation of anthropogenic and environmental influences on the invertebrates. In the introduction, the characteristics of the order of the beetles, most important representatives of the studied area and anthropogenic impacts on the biodiversity of the beetles are described. The monitored territory was Mohelenská hadcová step, which is located in the Vysočina Region. The collection of beetles took place at five sites during the vegetative season in 2016 and 2017. The beetles were determined and evaluated on the basis of individual localities and ecological indices. The results were compared with our and foreign literature. At the end of the thesis are given the context and the possible effects on the occurrence of invertebrates.

Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted disease caused by Chlamydia trachomatis, commonly affecting sexually active college-aged adults. Presently, opportunistic testing, self-testing, and information campaigns are methods to screen vulnerable populations and raise awareness about chlamydia. Chlamydia remains underdiagnosed and undertested due to a lack of participation by individuals who may have been exposed to it. Wastewater-based epidemiology is a rising biomonitoring tool that detects the presence of disease- and drug-specific biomarkers in a community's wastewater. In this study, wastewater-based epidemiology was used to detect the presence of C. trachomatis on the University of Central Florida campus. Wastewater samples were collected from two locations on campus from January 2022 to December 2022. The samples were pasteurized and filtered. DNA was extracted from the filters and was subsequently quantified using qPCR. C. trachomatis was detected at both sites of the UCF campus, with peaks corresponding to periods of the academic semester at which students arrived on campus or had fewer academic responsibilities. It was concluded that wastewater-based epidemiology provided a low-cost and non-invasive tool to notify the public of potential chlamydia outbreaks and encourage testing. Exploration in wastewater-based epidemiology should continue in research of C. trachomatis detection.

Las angiospermas marinas son organismos esenciales para los ecosistemas costeros de zonas templadas. Sostienen una amplia diversidad biológica, regulan la dinámica sedimentaria costera y capturan grandes cantidades de carbono atmosférico. Sin embargo, a pesar de los servicios ecosistémicos que proporcionan, se encuentran amenazadas por actividades humanas y, especialmente, por la contaminación marina. Para conservar las praderas de angiospermas marinas es necesario desarrollar herramientas de seguimiento a todos los niveles de organización biológica que permitan detectar el estrés fisiológico para prevenir la regresión de estos valiosos hábitats, o de determinar la magnitud de estos procesos a gran escala. Es por ello que se plantea esta tesis con el objetivo de determinar el grado de afección de los vertidos de salmuera procedente de plantas desaladoras, además de su interacción con otros estresores ambientales, desde la escala molecular (expresión de genes) hasta la poblacional (cobertura de las praderas). Estos análisis podrán permitir la selección de biomarcadores específicos que sirvan como indicadores de alerta temprana de estrés y puedan permitir la toma de medidas de gestión para conservar. Los capítulos 2 y 3 de la tesis mostraron, por un lado, una estabilidad general de las praderas someras de la angiosperma marina Posidonia oceanica en la provincia de Alicante y, por otro, una grave regresión de la pradera en la bahía de la ciudad de Alicante. Esto se debe a la coexistencia de diversos impactos ambientales en esa zona que son responsables de esta pérdida de cobertura (619 hectáreas desde 1984), a pesar de la estabilidad general de estas praderas a mayor escala. De esta forma se puede determinar que los procesos de declive de estos ecosistemas no se produce de forma global y generalizada sino a escala local y, por tanto, las herramientas de gestión deben enfocarse en una menor escala espacial y atendiendo a los estresores específicos de cada zona. En el capítulo 4 se sometió a la angiosperma marina Zostera chilensis (endémica del Pacífico sudamericano) a incrementos de salinidad (+3 y +6 practical salinity units, psu) con sales artificiales para determinar su respuesta y tolerancia a potencial vertido de salmuera. La planta mostró una reducción fotoquímica una producción de peróxido de hidrógeno y una sobreexpresón de genes relativos a la osmorregulación y el estrés oxidativo. La respuesta etabólica fue similar a ambos incrementos de salinidad, pero la mayor producción de peróxido y de enfriamiento no fotoquímico a +6 psu parecen indicar que esta salinidad está por encima del umbral de tolerancia de la planta, y por tanto que podría ser vulnerable a un in. En los capítulos 5, 6 y 7 se aplicaron distintos incrementos de salinidad a P. oceanica (desde +2 hasta +6 psu) con salmuera real de una planta desaladora, tanto en condiciones de laboratorio como de terreno (frente a vertido de una planta desaladora) y midiendo respuestas metabólicas tanto en hojas como en meristemos apicales. La salmuera mostró incrementar ciertos indicadores de estrés comparado con sales artificiales y la producción de peróxido de hidrógeno, la peroxidación de lípidos y la expresión de genes relacionados con el estrés osmótico y oxidativo fueron superiores en condiciones naturales (terreno). Además las respuestas fueron más claras en los meristemos apicales en comparación con las hojas. Todos estos resultados indican que los vertidos de salmuera en interacción con los factores naturales ambientales pueden genera un mayor estrés metabólico y fisiológico, que además se puede medir más claramente en los meritemos que en las hojas. El uso de biomarcadores moleculares y bioquímicos en praderas expuestas a vertidos de salmuera, puede permitir la detección temprana de estrés y la potencial interacción con otros factores ambientales (naturales o antrópicos) que puedan comprometer la fisiología y la supervivencia de la planta. Por tanto estos indicadores tienen el potencial de usarse, en combinación con indicadores fenológicos o poblacionales, en planes de seguimiento para medir el grado de afección de un estresor. En esta tesis se proponen una serie de biomarcadores específicos al estrés generado por la salmuera con el fin de desarrollar medidas de gestión costera específicas a escala local que puedan detectar el impacto ambiental y prevenir la degradación de estos ecosistemas marinos. / Tesis financiada por la convocatoria UAFPU98 del programa propio del Vicerrectorado de Investigación de la Universidad de Alicante.

The human biomonitoring is today an important tool for monitoring of people exposition to environmental pollutants. Mercury and cadmium are long-term monitored biomarkers in the Czech population. A developmental trend of mercury concentration level in urine and hair of children population as well as in urine and blood of adult population is investigated. These biomarkers were monitored in the years 1996 - 2011. Data originate from the NIPH (National Institute of Public Health) databases and from the international project COPHES/DEMOCOPHES. Adult blood donors at age of 18 to 64 were the first monitored group, the second one were children at age of 6 to 12, which were selected based on an agreement with elementary schools or with the paediatricians' cooperation. Available data were statistically processed; trends are presented in graphs as a dependence of geometric means on the time (the year of the biological samples collection). Results show an unstable development of biomarkers levels in different matrixes. A moderate decreasing trend of cadmium level in urine of adults was observed. GM values for adults decreased from 0.43 μg/g creatinine in 2009 to 0.24 μg/g creatinine in 2009. For year 2011, data are available only for women (GM = 0.21 μg/g creatinine). The downward trend was also found in the...

Human biomonitoring represents today an important tool for the monitoring of the human beings exposition to the environmental pollutants. COPHES and DEMOICOPHES projects are address to harmonized approach to human biomonitoring within Europe. This process enables receiving comparable data on the international level. Four biomarkers (mercury, cadmium, kotinin and phthalate metabolites) were selected for this pilot study; all of them are extensively monitored at present. 27 European states at all participated in these projects and procedures were tested in 16 countries of the European Union and the Switzerland. Two localities different in the population density - Prague and Liberec were selected for the Czech Republic. Children of age 6 - 11 and their mothers were selected as the sensitive population groups. Samples of biological material (hair and urine) were taken from the representative individuals. 120 pairs of mother - child were involved in the study. Information about participant's alimentation and life style, inhabitation, education, and smoking habits was gained in questioners. Obtained information was joined with results of analyses of biological material and was evaluated statistically. It was found from results that recorded levels of monitored biomarkers do not exceed substantial healthy limits...

Le but de ce travail de thèse est de démontrer l’intérêt d’un macrophyte aquatique submergé, Myriophyllum alterniflorum pour la détection de contaminants dans l’environnement. Des études in situ ont été réalisées pendant 28 jours sur cinq milieux aquatiques, affectés par différents types de pression anthropique, durant trois campagnes de terrain (printemps 2015, automne 2015 et printemps 2016), pour déterminer si l’accumulation des contaminants dans la plante et si des biomarqueurs du myriophylle peuvent être utilisés pour détecter la présence de contaminants dans les eaux. L’accumulation des contaminants au cours du temps était corrélée avec les teneurs des contaminants dans l’eau ; l’influence de la durée d’exposition a été étudiée. Au cours des trois campagnes, la réponse des biomarqueurs, teneur en MDA et activité de nitrate réductase était corrélée avec les teneurs en contaminants dans l’eau et dans la plante ; cependant l’influence de la durée d’exposition sur l’évolution de la réponse des biomarqueurs est moindre par rapport à celle de l’accumulation des contaminants. Ainsi, l’étude des biomarqueurs pourrait permettre une évaluation plus fiable de la qualité des masses d’eau que le suivi de l’accumulation dans la plante. Au cours de la campagne printemps 2015, un panel de biomarqueurs plus large a été étudié afin de définir les biomarqueurs les plus pertinents pour détecter spécifiquement les pressions liées aux activités urbaines ou industrielles. Une méthodologie d’évaluation de la qualité des eaux est proposée, en considérant un protocole d’analyse des biomarqueurs : un premier dosage de Chlb et MDA est simple et moins coûteux. Quand aucune preuve d'impact anthropique n'est montrée, aucune analyse complémentaire n'est requise. En revanche, lorsqu’une altération est mise en évidence, l’analyse d'autres biomarqueurs plus spécifiques tels que les activités G6PDH et γ-GCS sera nécessaire. La réponse de l'activité γ-GCS est spécifique du stress métallique, ainsi, la réponse de ce biomarqueur devrait amener à réaliser l’analyse des métaux/métalloïdes dans M. alterniflorum. / The aim of this thesis is to demonstrate the interest of a submerged aquatic macrophyte, Myriophyllum alterniflorum for the detection of contaminants in the environment. In situ studies were conducted over 28 days in five aquatic environments, affected by different levels of anthropogenic pressure, during three field seasons (spring 2015, autumn 2015 and spring 2016), to determine whether the accumulation of contaminants in the plant and whether biomarkers can be used to detect the presence of contaminants in water. The accumulation of contaminants over time was correlated with the levels of contaminants in the water; the influence of the duration of exposure has been studied. In all three campaigns, biomarker response, MDA content, and nitrate reductase activity were correlated with contaminant levels in water and in the plant; however, the influence of the duration of exposure on the evolution of the biomarker response is lower compared to the accumulation of contaminants. Thus, the study of biomarkers could allow a more reliable assessment of the quality of water bodies than the monitoring of contaminant accumulation in the plant. During the spring 2015 campaign, a much broader biomarker panel was investigated to define the most relevant biomarkers for assessing water quality. A methodology for evaluating water quality is proposed, considering a biomarker analysis protocol: a first assay of Chlb and MDA is simple and less expensive. When no evidence of human impact is shown, no further analysis is required. On the other hand, when an alteration is highlighted, the analysis of other more specific biomarkers such as G6PDH and γ-GCS activities will be necessary. The response of γ-GCS activity is specific for metal stress, so the response of this biomarker should lead to the analysis of metals / metalloids in M. alterniflorum.