M.Sc. / South Africa can be classified as a semi-arid country and the management of its precious water resources is essential. Environmental pollution, caused by the development of industry, technology and informal settlements, threaten the health status of many freshwater ecosystems. The health of all living organisms living in aquatic ecosystems is therefore subsequently affected by this decrease in water quality. The health of an ecosystem is thus often reflected by the health of its fauna. Fish are relatively sensitive to changes in their surrounding environment, including an increase in pollution. Fish health may as a result reflect, and give a good indication of the health status of the aquatic ecosystem in which the fish occurs. The initial toxic effects of the pollution may, however, only be evident on cellular or tissue level before significant changes can be identified in fish behaviour or external appearance. Histological analysis appears to be a very sensitive parameter and is crucial in determining cellular changes that may occur in target organs, including the liver. A histological investigation may therefore prove to be a cost-effective tool to determine the health of fish populations, hence reflecting the health of an entire aquatic ecosystem within a bio-monitoring process. Within the South African context, limited research has been conducted regarding the histology and histopathology of endemic fish species, and its value and effectiveness in aquatic monitoring. The aim of this study was to investigate and validate whether fish liver histology can be used as a monitoring tool, to indicate the health status of an aquatic ecosystem. In order to accomplish this, a preliminary histological study was done on the liver of Clarias gariepinus, a freshwater fish species endemic to the southern African region. Fish were collected in the Rietvlei Dam, Marais Dam and the Palala River, chosen as the three aquatic ecosystems for this study, due to their dissimilar pollution levels. Fish liver samples were fixed in 10% neutrally buffered formalin and prepared for light microscopy analysis using standard techniques for Haematoxylin and Eosin (H & E) staining. From the results obtained during this study, it was concluded that the liver histology of C. gariepinus did appear to be a sensitive monitoring tool of aquatic health. The histological investigation of the fish livers obtained in the Palala River, chosen as an unpolluted site, appeared to be in an overall healthier condition than the liver histology of fish obtained from the two relatively polluted sites, the Rietvlei Dam and the Marais Dam. This conclusion was obtained by means of an objective, quantitative analysis. The histological results in this study were quantified in terms of a histological index. An index value representing the specific histological characteristics of the liver was assigned to each individual specimen indicating either a healthy histological structure (index value of 0-2) or a possible pathological condition (index value of 3-6). According to the quantitative assessment, an average histological index value of 2.5 (indicating a relatively healthy histological condition) was calculated for the unpolluted site while a higher average index value of 3.2 (indicating a pathological condition) were calculated for both the relatively polluted sites. The fish liver histology did therefore reflect the health status of the aquatic ecosystem in which the fish specimen occurred. It was therefore concluded that the liver histology of C. gariepinus seemed to be a sensitive biomarker of environmental pollution, and hence an effective monitoring tool for estimating the health status of an aquatic ecosystem. / Dr. G.M. Pieterse

Η περιοχή μελέτης είναι η λιμνοθάλασσα Καϊάφα.Η μελέτη αυτή βασίστηκε στη συλλογή και ανάλυση γεωφυσικών δεδομένων, στην ανάλυση πυρήνων ιζήματος καθώς και σε μικροβιολογική ανάλυση δειγμάτων νερού της λιμνοθάλασσας. Τέλος ελήφθησαν δείγματα υδρόβιων φυτών από τον πυθμένα της λιμνοθάλασσας για τον έλεγχο των γεωφυσικών δεδομένων. Η γεωφυσική έρευνα-δειγματοληψία και η κοκκομετρική ανάλυση έδειξαν δυο περιοχές στον πυθμένα με διαφορετική κοκκομετρική σύσταση (αμμώδης-ιλυώδης πυθμένας) και διαφορετική βλάστηση (Chara hispida f. corfuensis και Potamogeton pectinatus). Επίσης χαρτογραφήθηκαν περιοχές του πυθμένα όπως, κρατηρόμορφοι σχηματισμοί, ουλές και μέτωπα. Η μικροβιολογική ανάλυση έδειξε περιοχές με έντονη μόλυνση κοπρανώδους προέλευσης καθώς και περιοχές χωρίς σημαντική βακτηριακή επιβάρυνση. Οι περιοχές όπου παρατηρείται η μεγαλύτερη μόλυνση είναι τα λουτρά του Καϊάφα και η περιοχή απέναντι από τις στις τουριστικές εγκαταστάσεις του Ε.Ο.Τ (προβλήτα). Η μικρότερη μόλυνση παρατηρείται στο κέντρο της λιμνοθάλασσας όπου ο αριθμός ολικών βακτηρίων και κολοβακρτηρίων είναι μηδενικός. Τέλος η γεωχημική ανάλυση έδειξε παρόμοιες συγκεντρώσεις βαρέων μετάλλων στα ιζήματα με άλλες παράκτιες περιοχές του ελληνικού χώρου. / The study area is Kaiafas lagoon, West Peloponnese. For this study it was collected and analyzed digital geophysical data (side scan sonar echographs), two cores of sediment and samples of water for microbiological examination. It was also collected samples of marine plants for groundtruthing. The geophysical survey-grain size analysis revealed different grain size composition in the South and North part of the lagoon (sandy-silty seabed correspondingly), which was covered with different marine plants species (Chara hispida –Potamogeton pectinatus. The mapping of seabed showed crater-like formations, scars and fronts. The microbiological analysis showed that the pollution (from fecal bacteria) was restricted in the South part of the lagoon near the pipe of the biological treatment plant. In a lower extend, fecal pollution was tracked in the western part of the lagoon near the touristic settlement of E.O.T. The greater part of the lagoon is unpolluted. Geochemistry analysis showed similar levels of heavy metals in sediment with other coastal areas in Greece.

Orientadores: Jose Roberto Nunhez, Edson Tomaz / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Quimica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-06T01:51:29Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Machado_MarcioBezerra_D.pdf: 3569468 bytes, checksum: 4c69c5d76d7d79aa717808b84c4701d2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / Resumo: Estudos têm mostrado que a humanidade enfrentará severa falta de água nas próximas décadas. Muitos esforços têm sido direcionados para o desenvolvimento de novas ferramentas computacionais a fim de se garantir uma melhor utilização dos recursos hídricos. Diversos estudos estão sendo realizados utilizando ferramentas de CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) para obtenção de novas formas de gerenciamento destes recursos. Neste contexto, é de suma importância o desenvolvimento de novas técnicas para predizer o impacto ambiental causado por emissões industriais em rios de modo que estratégias possam ser planejadas para diminuir os efeitos desta poluição. Este trabalho apresenta um modelo Fluidodinâmico Computacional tridimensional para simular a dispersão de substâncias solúveis em rios. O método dos volumes finitos foi utilizado para aproximar as equações de conservação de momento, de massa e de espécie química. O sistema de coordenadas cartesianas foi escolhido para representar o sistema. Foi utilizado um modelo algébrico de turbulência de ordem zero. O modelo de StreeterPhelps foi usado para predizer a concentração de substâncias orgânicas e de oxigênio dissolvido ao longo do rio. O modelo pode também predizer o impacto causado pela ocorrência de múltiplos pontos de emissão no trecho estudado. O modelo matemático foi desenvolvido em linguagem Fortran. Os resultados mostram que a metodologia proposta é uma boa ferramenta para a avaliação do impacto ambiental causado pela emissão de efluentes em rios. O software é bastante rápido, especialmente quando comparado com outros pacotes de CFD disponíveis comercialmente. Foram feitas comparações entre os resultados numéricos e dados experimentais coletados no rio Atibaia. Os resultados numéricos apresentaram uma boa concordância com os dados coletados experimentalmente / Abstract: A future lack of water in the next decades has been observed by many studies. Much effort has been devoted to find strategies which will help to manage proper1y water resources. Theoretical studies have been used recent1y since the scope of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has increased, allowing its use in the issue of water quality. In this scenario, it is important to develop new techniques to predict the environmental impact of emissions in rivers so that strategies can be devised to decrease the effects of pollution. This work presents a three-dimensional Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) in house model to simulate the dispersion of soluble substances in a river. The finite volume method is used to approximate the momentum, mass and species conservation equations. A Cartesian coordinate system has been chosen to represent the river. Turbulence is taken into account by a zero-order equation model. The Streeter-Phelps model has been used to predict the concentration of organic substances and dissolved oxygen along the river. The model can also predict the impact of multiple effluents discharges. Results show that the proposed methodology is a good tool for the evaluation of the environmental impact caused for pollutants emissions in rivers. The software has been developed from the model and use the Fortran language. It is very fast, especially when compared to available commercial CFD packages. Experimental comparisons for soluble substances dispersion have been made for the Atibaia River. The results show good agreement with experimental data / Doutorado / Desenvolvimento de Processos Químicos / Doutor em Engenharia Química