The effectiveness of partial ozonation of return activated sludge for enhancing denitrification and waste sludge minimization were examined. A pair of nitrifying sequencing batch reactors was operated in either aerobic or alternating anoxic/aerobic conditions, with one control and one ozonated reactor in each set. The amount of solids decreased with the ozone dose. Biomass in the anoxic/aerobic reactor was easier to destroy than in the aerobic one, generating approximately twice as much soluble chemical oxygen demand (COD) by cell lysis. Increased COD favoured production of extracellular polymers in ozonated reactors, enhancing flocculation and improving settling. Floc stability was also strengthened in prolonged operation in alternating treatment, resulting in declined solids destruction. Dewaterability was better in alternating reactors than in aerobic ones indicating that incorporation of an anoxic zone for biological nutrient removal leads to improvement in sludge dewatering. The negative impact of ozonation on dewaterability was minimal in terms of the long-term operation. Ozone successively destroyed indicator estrogenic compounds, contributing to total estrogen removal from wastewater. Denitrification rate improved up to 60% due to additional carbon released by ozonation. Nitrification rates deteriorated much more in the aerobic than in the alternating reactor, possibly as a result of competition created by growth of heterotrophs receiving the additional COD. Overall, ozonation provided the expected benefits and had less negative impacts on processes in the alternating treatment, although after prolonged operation, benefits could become less significant. The alternating anoxic/aerobic reactor achieved twice the nitrification rates of its aerobic counterpart. Higher removal rates of estrogens were associated with higher nitrification rates, supporting the contention that the nitrifying biomass was responsible for their removal. The alternating treatment offered the better estrogen biodegradation. Microbial populations in both reactors were examined with fluorescent in situ hybridization. Dominance of rapid nitrifiers like Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter (79.5%) in the alternating reactor, compared to a dominance of slower nitrifiers like Nitrosospira and Nitrospira (78.2%) in the aerobic reactor were found. The findings are important to design engineers, as reactors are typically designed based on nitrifiers’ growth rate determined in strictly aerobic conditions.

Oestrogens are female sex hormones. Both natural and synthetic oestrogens have been found in many aquatic environments. There are three naturally occurring oestrogens – oestradiol, estriol and estrone. Oestradiol (correctly known as 17β oestradiol or E2) is a naturally occurring steroid hormone and is the most potent of these three. Diethylstilbestrol, dienestrol, quinestrol etc are synthetic oestrogens. These environmental steroidal and nonsteroidal oestrogens act as endocrine disruptors (EDs). Both types of oestrogens in the environmental samples can be quantified using several laboratory methods such as high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), gel permeation chromatography (GPC) etc. but they often require extensive training to perform. Arxula adeninivorans is biotechnologically significant dimorphic yeast with unusual characteristics. It can use a wide range of substrates and it is thermotolerant, osmotolerant and halotolerant. It is a non-pathogenic fungus and is therefore ideal for use in industrial settings. It is a source of many enzymes and a wide range of transformation platforms have been developed to enable the production of foreign proteins. In this project, A.adeninivorans was transformed with histidine-tagged synthetic oestrogen binding protein (EBP) gene based on the Candida albicans EBP sequence. The recombinant EBP expressed in the yeast Arxula is separated using HisTrap columns. Linear sweep voltammetry was used for the detection of EBP redox responses to oestrogen in solution. A three-electrode configuration was used for all measurements [auxiliary electrode (platinum wire), reference electrode (Ag/AgCl) and working electrodes (Pt 50μm diameter micro-disc and 2 mm diameter glassy carbon)]. Electron transfer from EBP to electrodes will require the use of a mediator system and TMPD, a lipophilic mediator used in this experiment. Screen printed electrodes (SPEs) were used to detect the interaction between EBP and oestrogen. To perform experiment with SPE, EBP was immobilized on SPE using the crosslinker glutaraldehyde. Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) was used to detect interactions of EBP and oestrogen on SPE. Immobilion N transfer membrane was impregnated with TMPD solution and electrochemistry (DPV) was performed. The purpose of using membrane is to simulate the immobilization of TMPD on SPE along with EBP for the detection of oestrogen.

The effectiveness of partial ozonation of return activated sludge for enhancing denitrification and waste sludge minimization were examined. A pair of nitrifying sequencing batch reactors was operated in either aerobic or alternating anoxic/aerobic conditions, with one control and one ozonated reactor in each set. The amount of solids decreased with the ozone dose. Biomass in the anoxic/aerobic reactor was easier to destroy than in the aerobic one, generating approximately twice as much soluble chemical oxygen demand (COD) by cell lysis. Increased COD favoured production of extracellular polymers in ozonated reactors, enhancing flocculation and improving settling. Floc stability was also strengthened in prolonged operation in alternating treatment, resulting in declined solids destruction. Dewaterability was better in alternating reactors than in aerobic ones indicating that incorporation of an anoxic zone for biological nutrient removal leads to improvement in sludge dewatering. The negative impact of ozonation on dewaterability was minimal in terms of the long-term operation. Ozone successively destroyed indicator estrogenic compounds, contributing to total estrogen removal from wastewater. Denitrification rate improved up to 60% due to additional carbon released by ozonation. Nitrification rates deteriorated much more in the aerobic than in the alternating reactor, possibly as a result of competition created by growth of heterotrophs receiving the additional COD. Overall, ozonation provided the expected benefits and had less negative impacts on processes in the alternating treatment, although after prolonged operation, benefits could become less significant. The alternating anoxic/aerobic reactor achieved twice the nitrification rates of its aerobic counterpart. Higher removal rates of estrogens were associated with higher nitrification rates, supporting the contention that the nitrifying biomass was responsible for their removal. The alternating treatment offered the better estrogen biodegradation. Microbial populations in both reactors were examined with fluorescent in situ hybridization. Dominance of rapid nitrifiers like Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter (79.5%) in the alternating reactor, compared to a dominance of slower nitrifiers like Nitrosospira and Nitrospira (78.2%) in the aerobic reactor were found. The findings are important to design engineers, as reactors are typically designed based on nitrifiers’ growth rate determined in strictly aerobic conditions.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Uppsala universitet, 2007. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.

Les réseaux neuroendocrines qui contrôlent la reproduction sont mis en place pendant le développement sous l’action des stéroïdes sexuels endogènes. Toute perturbation de l’équilibre hormonal pendant ces phases critiques pourrait être à l’origine de troubles de la fonction de reproduction chez l’adulte. Ce travail vise à identifier l’impact d’une exposition développementale à un oestrogène de synthèse, l’éthinyloestradiol (EE2), sur les réseaux neuroendocrines et les conséquences physiologiques et comportementales chez l’adulte et sa descendance. Nos résultats ont montré que l’EE2 induit des perturbations des comportements sexuels chez les mâles et chez les femelles et une modification des réseaux hypothalamiques à GnRH et des neurones à calbindine qui contrôlent la physiologie et les comportements reproducteurs. Nous avons également montré que certains effets de l’EE2 sont transmis jusqu’à la quatrième génération, mettant ainsi en évidence le caractère transgénérationnel de ces perturbations. Ces résultats mettent en évidence la sensibilité des réseaux neuroendocrines aux perturbateurs endocriniens et la nécessité de prendre en compte ces paramètres dans l’évaluation de leurs effets sur la santé et la reproduction. / Neuroendocrine networks controlling reproductive function are established during development by the action of endogenous sex steroids. Any disturbance in the hormone balance during these critical phases may cause several disorders in reproductive function in adulthood. This work aims at identifing the consequences of a developmental exposure to the synthetic pharmaceutical estrogen ethinylestradiol (EE2) on the neuroendocrine and behavioral outcomes of the reproductive function in adult individuals and their offspring. Our findings showed that EE2 induced disturbances of sexual behaviors in males and females and modified the GnRH and the calbindin hypothalamic networks of exposed animals. We also showed that some effects of EE2 were transmitted up to the fourth generation, pointing out the transgenerational character of certain effects. All these results highlight the sensitivity of neuroendocrine networks to endocrine disruptors and the need to consider these parameters in assessing their effects on health and reproduction.

In the past decades, much concern has been expressed regarding organic micropollutants generating endocrine disruption. In particular, estrogenic endocrine disruptors, compounds that interfere with the estrogenic hormonal mechanisms, are in the center of environmental scien- tists attention. Numerous endocrine disrupting effects have been observed at concentrations corresponding to those found in aquatic environments, such as feminization of fauna, infertility, reproductive disturbance, cancer, or developmental disruption. Wastewater treatment plants ef- fluents have been identified as the main source of estrogenic endocrine disruptors in the aquatic environment, due to inappropriate treatment. Promising alternative treatment systems based on the use of ligninolytic enzymes (e.g. laccases) have recently emerged. This work falls within the framework of these new techniques. Althoughno environmentally safe threshold can clearly be set, focusing on the removal of global estrogenicity in water instead of concentrations of targeted estrogenic compounds seems a relevant research. To our knowledge, the use of these recently emerged enzymatic processes at an industrial scale (such as for the treatment of urban wastewater), oriented towards water overall estrogenicity, has not been implemented yet.The general objective of this work was to develop ans study a process of removal of estro- genicity by laccases from white-rot fungi, in laboratory, with the purpose of design and scale-up for industrial implementation. This work consisted of the conception, characterization, testing, study and modeling of this process.First, in order to enable the study and the scaling-up of a process of estrogenicity removal, op- timizing the technologies of quantification of estrogenicity in water was a real necessity. Therefore, a study of the methods of estrogenicity monitoring, within a treatment process framework, was conducted. Based on a wide literature review, existing methods were gathered and assessed with the aim of their use as monitoring and design tools. Fromthat review, four methods were selected and tested according to numerous criteria and their compatibility with our process: three bioassays (Yeast Estrogen Screen assay; Lyticase-assisted Yeast Estrogen Screen assay; MCF-7 cell based reporter gene assay) and one analytical method (High Performance Liquid Chromatography with UV detection, HPLC-UV). Concentration-response curves towards the reference 17β-estradiol, in several solvents, were acquired. A fitting model was developed for further expression of all measurements in Estradiol Equivalents. The methods were used to evaluate the estrogenicity of bisphenol A, triclosan and nonylphenol, along with estrogenicity of mixtures of bisphenol A and 17β-estradiol. The testing of these four methods enabled the assessment of their sensitivity, re- producibility, and implementation. Based on that experimental assessment, the Lyticase-assisted Yeast Estrogen Screen (LYES) assay was selected and systematized to be further applied, in combination with an adapted protocol of HPLC-UV analysis, to the monitoring of estrogenicity removal in two lab-scaled reactors. The LYES assay demonstrated a real methodological potential for thescale-up of an estrogenicity removal process and could be used as a design tool. For both reactors, results have indicated that HPLC-UV and LYES assay methods are completely inter- changeable in the case of bisphenol A monitoring (in the conditions used in this work). This work also highlighted the peculiar behavior of mixtures of bisphenol A and 17β-estradiol in terms of estrogenicity, and the parallel observation of an enhancement of bisphenol A estrogenicity removalin presence of 17β-estradiol.In the second part of this work, a batch reactor with laccases in solubilized form was developed and estrogenicity removal was assessed. Kinetics data for the degradation of estrogenic endocrinedisruptors were acquired with the LYES assay (estrogenicity) and the HPLC-UV method (concen- trations). Degradations were performed from several solutions of bisphenol A, 17β-estradiol, and mixtures. In the case of 17β-estradiol and mixtures, conversions reached minimum 90% within 1 hour of degradation at our conditions, with no dependency on pollutant initial concentrations. In the case of bisphenol A, conversions varied from 0 to 100% after 6 hours of degradation and were shown tobe strongly dependent on BPA initial concentrations, indicating the laccases deac- tivation by substrate. Bisphenol A byproducts of degradation were also analyzed, which indicated their absence of estrogenicity and their potential linear evolution with BPA degradation. Acquired kinetics data were exploited for the modeling of the batch degradations kinetics. At this stage of the work, no clear kinetics conclusions could be made in this part.From an industrial point of view, the use of immobilized enzymes is more cost-effective, due to the improvement of enzymes recovery and stability. Therefore, in the third part of this work, a continuous column-shaped packed-bed reactor composed of laccases immobilized on a silica support was developed. The packed-bed reactor was built and tested in laboratory. Residence time distributions, pressure drop calculations, and tracer degradations were performed on the re- actor for its characterization.Immobilization and activity measurements protocols were applied. Similar monitoring than in the batch reactor (LYES assay and HPLC-UV) were performed during continuous degradations of bisphenol A, 17β-estradiol, and mixtures in the packed-bed reactor. Acquired kinetics data were exploited to study and model the kinetics occurring in the packed-bed reactor. Mass transfer phenomena and laccases deactivation by substrate in the reactors were investigated and modeled, revealing, depending on the pollutant, the presence of slight external mass transfer limitation and the strong dependence of the kinetics on laccases deactivation. A design tool, in the form of a mathematical model for the design of a packed-bed reactor with immobilized laccases for the degradation of bisphenol A and related estrogenicity, was developed. The model was validated (simple validation) on experimental data. The model was then used, as a comparison, for the design of a reactor with similar conditions than a documented technique of bisphenol A degradation by ozone. The design resulted in a reactor twice smaller than for degradation by ozone, for the same conversion.In the current context of environmental crisis, this work proposed a first version of a promising practical solution for the treatment of environmentally problematic e-EDCs, oriented towards water overall estrogenicity monitoring and removal, and using natural biocatalysts. / Doctorat en Sciences de l'ingénieur / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

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No. of bitstreams: 1 DISS_2015_Marília Souza do Nascimento.pdf: 1042834 bytes, checksum: db99d2cde69a10a3a45dc5aece84fc7f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-02-28 / Dentro da classe de contaminantes emergentes estão os estrógenos (hormônios sexuais femininos), que são compostos orgânicos hidrofóbicos e de baixa volatilidade, encontrados no meio aquático nas formas naturais (17β-estradiol (E2), estriol (E3), estrona (E1)) e/ou sintéticas (17α-etinilestradiol (EE2)) utilizados na composição de medicamentos contraceptivos. Por ser um campo recente de pesquisa, há poucos trabalhos nacionais publicados abordando o monitoramento desses contaminantes em águas naturais, não havendo ainda uma legislação específica que regulamente a emissão de hormônios no ambiente ou que estabeleça limite máximo para tais compostos. As fontes de contaminação incluem a urina excretada por seres humanos e mamíferos em águas residuais, podendo ser encontrados em água superficial, esgoto doméstico, efluentes, carne, leite e seus derivados. Devido à complexidade das matrizes ambientais (fisiologicamente ativas) e pelas concentrações muito baixas de estrógenos encontradas, para o monitoramento ambiental, é necessário utilizar metodologias analíticas sensíveis e seletivas e que, em geral, compreendem procedimentos longos e trabalhosos. Os métodos reportados na literatura consistem na extração dos analitos da matriz, seguida ou não de derivatização, com identificação e quantificação por cromatografia. Quanto aos métodos de extração, a extração em fase sólida com diferentes adsorventes é a mais utilizada devido ao elevado fator de concentração que esta técnica permite. Entretanto, outros procedimentos de extração têm sido reportados. As técnicas como micro-extração em fase sólida ou líquida e extração em barra de agitação ou ainda uso de nanopartículas como fase sólida foram relatadas apresentando como vantagem a facilidade de uso e baixa manipulação da amostra bem como a menor produção de resíduos. A derivatização dos analitos é necessária quando a cromatografia a gás é utilizada devido à baixa volatilidade e aos grupos hidroxila que causam encaudamento dos picos. A sililação com diferentes agentes derivatizantes é a reação mais utilizada, mas diversos autores reportam problemas tais como reação incompleta e formação de sub-produtos durante o processo de sililação que devem ser cuidadosamente controlados. Com relação às técnicas cromatográficas tanto a cromatografia a gás como a líquido acoplada a espectrometria de massas são as mais utilizadas. A cromatografia a gás, apesar de requerer a derivatização, tem a vantagem de ter maior capacidade de resolução e elevada sensibilidade. Por outro lado, o surgimento de equipamentos modernos de cromatografia líquida de ultra-performance acoplada a espectrometria em tandem permitiu atingir baixos limites de detecção também com essa técnica. Entretanto o elevado custo destes equipamentos ainda é um fator limitante para sua utilização. Destaca-se assim a necessidade de desenvolvimento de técnicas sensíveis e de baixo custo para permitir o monitoramento contínuo destes hormônios. / Estrogens (female sex hormones) belong to the emerging contaminants group that comprises hydrophobic organic compounds with low volatility which have been found in water in the natural (17β-estradiol (E2), estriol (E3), estrone (E1)) and/or synthetic form (17α-ethynilestradiol (EE2)) used in the formulation of contraceptive medicines. As a recent research field, there are few published national studies concerning the analysis of these contaminants in natural waters and so far, there is no specific legislation governing the issue of hormones in the environment or establishing maximum limits for such compounds. Contamination sources include urine excreted by humans and mammals in wastewater and can be found in surface water, sewage, wastewater, meat, milk and dairy products. Thus, it is important to monitor these agents. Due to the complexity of environmental matrices (physiologically active) and the very low concentrations which occur in the environment, for environmental monitoring, it is necessary to use sensitive and selective analytical methods which, in general, envolve tedious and laborious procedures. Methods reported in the literature consist on the extraction of the analytes from the matrix, followed or not by derivatization, with identification and quantification by chromatography. Regarding extraction procedures, solid phase extraction (SPE) with different adsorbents is the most frequently used method due to the high concentration factor that can be achieved with this procedure. However, other extraction procedures have been reported recently. Techniques such as solid- or liquid-phase micro-extraction, stirring bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) or the use of nanoparticles as solid phase have been reported presenting the advantage of being easy, requiring little sample manipulation as well as producing less waste residues. Analytes derivatization is necessary when gas chromatography is used due to their low volatility and the presence of hydroxyl groups that cause peak tailing. Silylation with different derivatizing agents is the mostly used reaction but several authors reported problems such as incomplete reaction and formation of by-products that need to be carefully controlled. In relation to the chromatographic techniques, gas or liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry is the mostly used one. Gas chromatography, despite needing derivatization of the estrogens, has the advantage of having more resolution and high sensitivity. On the other hand, the modern equipment of ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry have allowed the achievement of very low detection limits also with this technique. However, the high cost of this equipment is still a limiting factor for its most widely use. Therefore, it is still necessary to develop low cost sensitive techniques to allow the continuous monitoring of these hormones.

Orientadores: Hernandes Faustino de Carvalho, Oduvaldo Camara Marques Pereira / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-08T13:15:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 GarciaFlorez_Manuel_D.pdf: 7016016 bytes, checksum: c1238bbbfa558ad219cb4214f4b454fd (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007 / Resumo: O controle do crescimento e da função prostática é baseado, numa complexa rede de interações de hormônios esteróides e seus receptores e num intrincado mecanismo de interconversão entre eles. A fisiologia e o crescimento prostático são dependentes também de hormônios peptídicos e fatores de crescimento, além de interações epitélio-estroma. O desenvolvimento prostático é caracterizado por ma etapa de indução pré-natal, uma janela de ramificação e citodiferenciação pós-natal, e um período de crescimento iniciado na puberdade, dada a produção testicular de testosterona (T). A conversão da testosterona para diidrotestosterona (DHT), pela enzima 5-a-redutase, é importante na origem embrionária da glândula. Esta dependência androgênica é também demonstrada no adulto, onde a privação androgênica leva à marcante regressão prostática. Ações importantes na fisiologia prostática de outros hormônios diferentes dos andrógenos como a progesterona e estrógeno vêm sendo esclarecidas recentemente. Particularmente revelou-se a ação do estrógeno como um fator regulador durante o desenvolvimento normal da glândula, mas também, fator associado com a alta incidência de patologias durante envelhecimento, período no qual a alteração da relação estrógeno-testosterona surge como conseqüência da queda da concentração de andrógenos. Complicando esta situação, tem-se a ação de enzimas como a aromatase, e de outras envolvidas com a transformação da T e da DHT em compostos sem atividade androgênica, como a 3ß-hidroxi-esteróide desidrogenase (3ß-HSD) e a 3ß-adiol-hidroxilase (CYP7B1) que junto com a coordenada expressão temporal-espacial dos receptores de hormônios esteróides fornecem o equilíbrio necessário para o normal desenvolvimento prostático. Este trabalho reúne importantes resultados sobre a ação de desreguladores endócrinos em diferentes etapas do desenvolvimento prostático. Utilizando um modelo in vivo foram reproduzidos vários eventos de exposição a desreguladores endócrinos em diferentes idades. Dos resultados, pode-se concluir que:1. as substâncias químicas podem ter efeitos totalmente diferentes se aplicadas na idade perinatal, no período pré e pós-púbere ou no adulto; 2. o momento de exposição às substâncias exógenas no organismo em desenvolvimento é decisivo para determinar seu caráter e seu potencial futuro e, 3 . ainda que as exposições sejam durante as etapas iniciais do desenvolvimento, as manifestações podem somente ser observadas na maturidade / Abstract: Prostatic growth control and function are based on complex interactions between steroid hormones and their receptors and on intricate map of interconversion among them. Prostatic physiology and growth are also dependent of peptide hormones and growth factors, besides epithelium-estroma interactions. Prostatic development is characterized by a stage of fetal induction, a branching window and one phase of differentiation and growth period during the puberty, which is stimulated by the increasing testosterone (T) levels. Conversion of T to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), catalyzed by the 5a-reductase enzyme, is important for the embryonic origin of the gland. This androg e nic dependence is also demonstrated in the adult, as androgen deprivation promotes prostatic regression. Important roles of nonandrogenic hormones have been described more recently. In particular, estrogen was revealed as an important regulator of the normal development of the gland, which is also associated with the high incidence of pathologies in the elderly. Other factors, such as the existence of enzymes like aromatase, involved in the conversion of T in its inactive metabolites, as the 3-hidroxi-steroid dehydrogenase (3-HSD) and to 3-adiol-hidroxilase (CYP7B1) that supply the necessary balance for the normal prostatic development with the coordinate temporal-space expression of the receptors. This work presents important results about the action of endocrine disruptors in different stages of prostatic development under different hormonal environments using the endocrine disruptors. The main results are: 1. Endocrine disrupt ors produce different effects depending on the period of administration; 2. the time of exposition to the exogenous drugs is decisive to determine its effects and, 3. exposure during initial stages of the development may cause effects observed only during sexual maturity / Doutorado / Biologia Celular / Doutor em Biologia Celular e Estrutural

Uma questão ambiental preocupante é a contaminação do meio ambiente por substâncias que interagem com os sistemas endócrinos de seres humanos e animais. Tais substâncias são denominadas desreguladores endócrinos e, como outros poluentes ambientais, apresentam uma variedade de fontes e grande potencial agressor à saúde humana. Neste trabalho, buscamos a aplicação de técnicas de espectroscopia vibracional e técnicas eletroquímicas ao estudo de desreguladores endócrinos, em termos de sua detecção, caracterização, estudo de sua reatividade, desenvolvimento de métodos para sua degradação fotoquímica, estudo dos mecanismos envolvidos e características dos produtos de degradação. O enfoque é voltado ao uso de técnicas espectroscópicas, com especial destaque para o desenvolvimento de metodologias de espectroscopia vibracional intensificadas, associadas ou não a sistemas eletroquímicos. Dentre os compostos considerados desreguladores endócrinos, o nosso trabalho é dedicado ao estudo fotoquímico e espectroeletroquímico das seguintes substâncias: o difenilalcano bisfenol A (BPA), os herbicidas triazínicos ametrina e atrazina, e os compostos organoclorados ácido 2,4-diclorofenoxiacético (2,4-D) e 2,4-diclorofenol (2,4-DCF). O estudo de processos de fotólise e degradação fotocatalítica mediada por TiO2 foram realizados para o BPA e para a ametrina. Tais processos mostram-se importantes para a remoção destes compostos do meio ambiente. Os estudos fotocatalíticos foram estendidos ainda para o uso de compósitos TiO2-Pr como catalisadores. Foi observado que a dopagem do TiO2 pelo íon terra rara praseodímio resulta em alterações nas propriedades físico-químicas do material semicondutor, sendo um método valioso para o aumento da atividade fotocatalítica do TiO2. Conclui-se ainda pela necessidade do controle da porcentagem de modificação química para a otimização do processo fotocatalítico, sendo a proporção de 1% praseodímio considerada ótima. O estudo de processos de fotólise e degradação fotocatalítica do BPA mediado por TiO2 mostra diferenças significativas entre o processo de degradação e mineralização, relacionadas à formação de intermediários orgânicos recalcitrantes. Para a ametrina observa-se que a fotólise e a fotocatálise envolvem mecanismos de degradação distintos. Estudos espectroeletroquímicos dos desreguladores endócrinos (DEC) foram conduzidos através de espectroscopia Raman intensificada (efeito SERS) visando a compreensão da natureza da interação química entre os adsorbatos e superfícies metálicas nanoestruturadas, bem como a caracterização vibracional dos produtos de processos faradáicos desses compostos sobre eletrodos. Produtos de reações químicas de oxidação e redução dos DEC foram identificados através de modificações espectrais em função de potenciais eletroquímicos anódicos e catódicos. / An environmental issue of concern is contamination of the environment by substances which interact with the endocrine systems of humans and animals. Such substances are called endocrine disruptors (ED) and, like other environmental pollutants, may produce adverse effects in human health. In this work, we explore the application of vibrational spectroscopy and electrochemical techniques in the study of ED, in terms of their detection, characterization, study of their reactivity, development of methods for their photochemical degradation, study of the involved mechanisms and characteristic of degradation products. The approach employs the use of advanced spectroscopic techniques, with special attention for the development of methodology of surface-enhanced vibrational spectroscopy, associated or not with electrochemical systems. Among the compounds thought to cause endocrine disruption, the present study is dedicated to the photochemical and electrochemical study of the following substances: the plasticizer bisphenol A (BPA), the triazinic pesticides ametrine and atrazine, and the organochlorine compounds 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 2,4-dichlorophenol. The study of photolytic and TiO2-mediated photocatalytic degradation was carried out for BPA and ametrine. Such processes are important for the removal of such substances from the environment. The photocatalytic studies were extended to include the use of TiO2-Pr composite as catalysts. The doping of TiO2 by the rare earth ion praseodymium results in changes in the physicochemical properties of semiconducting material, being a valuable method for enhancing the photocatalytic activity of TiO2. Our results showed the need of percentage control of the chemical modification for the optimization of the photocatalytic process, with the 1% praseodymium/titanium ration the optimal composition. The study of photolysis and TiO2-mediated photocatalytic degradation processes of BPA shows significant differences between the degradation and mineralization, suggesting the production of recalcitrant organic compounds. For ametrine, photolysis and photocatalytic degradation processes were found to occur via different mechanisms. Spectroelectrochemical studies of endocrine disruptors (ED) were carried out through surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS effect) aiming at the understanding of the nature of the chemical interaction between these molecules and nanostructured metallic surfaces, and at the vibrational characterization of the products formed by faradaic charge transfer processes. Products of oxidation and reduction chemical reactions were identified through spectral changes observed in the SERS spectra as a function of cathodic and anodic potentials.

Há evidências crescentes de que os desreguladores endócrinos (DE) podem afetar negativamente os seres humanos. Águas superficiais e subterrâneas são as principais fontes de obter a sua potabilidade, no entanto, podem ser contaminadas por DE, que não são totalmente removidos pelos processos convencionais de tratamento de água e esgoto. Alguns problemas de saúde estão relacionados à exposição dos seres humanos aos DE, sendo a obesidade um deles. Atualmente vive-se um aumento da prevalência da obesidade em todo o mundo, fato considerado preocupante, considerando-se seu potencial impacto no sistema de saúde, pois, as principais doenças crônicas como diabetes e doenças cardiovasculares, tem a obesidade como grande fator de risco. Por meio de revisão de literatura, este artigo buscou reunir publicações científicas relacionando a exposição aos DE com a obesidade, com o objetivo de verificar a importância de sua remoção dos corpos hídricos, preservando a saúde da população e da biota aquática. A maioria dos estudos selecionados sugere associação entre DE e obesidade em humanos. / There is growing evidence that endocrine disrupters (ED) may adversely affect humans. Surface and ground water are the main sources to get their potability however, can be contaminated by ED, which are not completely removed by conventional processes of water and sewage treatment. Some health problems are related to the exposure of humans to ED, obesity being one of them. Currently lives an increase in obesity prevalence worldwide, a fact considered worrying, considering its potential impact on the health care system, for major chronic diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases have obesity as a major risk factor. Through literature review, this paper aims to gather scientific publications relating to exposure to ED with obesity, in order to verify the importance of their removal from water bodies, preserving the population\'s health and aquatic biota. Most of the selected studies suggest an association between ED and obesity in humans.