Desreguladores endócrinos são compostos que podem alterar o sistema endócrino dos indivíduos, bem como sua fertilidade e por em risco a saúde dos mesmos. Muitas questões relacionadas a esses compostos ainda não foram elucidadas, apesar de serem muito estudados recentemente. Diversas pesquisas têm sido feitas investigando-se o emprego de processos oxidativos avançados na degradação dos desreguladores endócrinos em águas naturais e residuárias. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo estudar a remoção do hormônio 17\'beta\'-estradiol em soluções aquosas por oxidação química. A pesquisa foi dividida em duas etapas, sendo que a primeira etapa consistiu na investigação do uso de brometo de prata/dióxido de titânio (\'AG\'BR\'/\'TI\'O IND.2\') como catalisador no processo de fotocatálise com luz visível. Para isso, foram avaliadas a influência da concentração de \'AG\'BR\'/\'TI\'O IND.2\' (0,020; 0,025; 0,050; 0,070 e 0,100 g/L) e a intensidade de luz visível incidente (6,6 x \'10 POT.5\' e 1,3 x \'10 POT.6\' Ix) na eficiência de degradação do 17\'beta\'-estradiol. Na segunda etapa avaliou-se o emprego de ozônio na degradação de 17\'beta\'-estradiol em soluções aquosas, variando-se as dosagens de ozônio (1,7; 3,3, 5,0 e 7,5 mg \'0 IND.3\'/L) aplicadas e o pH (3; 5; 7; 9 e 11) das amostras. Na primeira etapa, os resultados demonstram que E2 foi bastante sensível aos processos oxidativos empregados. A fotocatálise foi eficiente para oxidar 17\'beta\'-estradiol, demandando tempo de exposição pequeno, em torno de 4 minutos para obtenção de remoção da ordem de 98%, quando aplicada concentração de \'AG\'BR\'/\'TI\'O IND.2\' de 0,100 g/L e a intensidade de luz visível incidente de 1,3 x \'10 POT.6\' Ix. Na segunda etapa, observou-se que o aumento do pH promoveu maior rapidez na degradação do E2 e o aumento da massa de ozônio aplicada promoveu maior eficiência de degradação do 17\'beta\'-estradiol. / Endocrine disrupting chemicals are compounds that can alter the endocrine system of individuals and their fertility and threaten their health. Many issues related to these compounds have not been elucidated, although much studied recently. Many researchers have investigated the use of advanced oxidative processes in the degradation of endocrine disrupting compounds in water and wastewater. This work is a study of the removal of 17\'beta\'-estradiol in aqueous solutions by chemical oxidation. This work was divided into two stages. In the first one, the use of bromide of silver/titanium dioxide (\'AG\'BR\'/\'TI\'O IND.2\') was investigated as catalyst in the photocatalysis activity under visible light irradiation. It was evaluated the influence of the concentration of \'AG\'BR\'/\'TI\'O IND.2\' (0.020; 0.025; 0.050; 0.070 and 0.100 g/L) and the incident light intensity (6.6 x \'10 POT.5\' and 1.3 x \'10 POT.6\' Ix) in the efficiency of degradation of 17\'beta\'-estradiol. In the second step, it was evaluated the use of ozone in the degradation of 17\'beta\'-estradiol in aqueous solutions, ranging up the masses of applied ozone (1.7; 3.3; 5.0 and 7.5 mg \'0 IND.3\'/L) and the pH (3, 5, 7, 9 and 11) of the samples. In the first stage, the results show that E2 was very sensitive to oxidative processes applyed. The photocatalysis was efficient to oxidize the 17\'beta\'-estradiol, requiring short exposure time, around 4 minutes, to obtain the removal of 98% (0.100 g/L of \'AG\'BR\'/\'TI\'O IND.2\' and incident visible light intensity of 1.3 x \'10 POT.6\'. In the second step, it was observed that the raise in pH promoted faster degradation of E2 and the increase of the mass of applied ozone promoted high efficiency of degradation of 17\'beta\'-estradiol.

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This study was carried out to evaluate the performance of Soil Aquifer Treatment (SAT) under different loading regimes, using wastewater of much higher strength than usually encountered in SAT systems, and also to investigate the removal of the endocrine disruptors triclocarban (TCC), estrone (E1), 17¿-estradiol (E2) and 17¿- ethinylestradiol (EE2). SAT was simulated in the laboratory using a series of soil columns under saturated and unsaturated conditions. Investigation of the removal of Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC), nitrogen and phosphate in a 2 meter long saturated soil column under a combination of constant hydraulic loading rates (HLRs) and variable COD concentrations as well as variable HLR under constant COD showed that at fixed HLR, a decrease in the influent concentrations of DOC, BOD, total nitrogen and phosphate improved their removal efficiencies. It was found that COD mass loading applied as low COD wastewater infiltrated over short residence times would provide better effluent quality than the same mass applied as a COD with higher concentration at long residence times. On the other hand relatively high concentrations coupled with long residence time gave better removal efficiency for organic nitrogen. Phosphate removal though poor under all experimental conditions, was better at low HLRs. In 1 meter saturated and unsaturated soil columns, E2 was the most easily removed estrogen, while EE2 was the least removed. Reducing the thickness of the unsaturated zone had a negative impact on removal efficiencies of the estrogens whereas increased DOC improved the removal in the saturated columns. Better removal efficiencies were also obtained at lower HLRs and in the presence of silt and clay. Sorption and biodegradation were found to be responsible for TCC removal in a 300 mm long saturated soil column, the latter mechanism however being unsustainable. TCC removal efficiency was dependent on the applied concentration and decreased over time and increased with column depth. Within the duration of the experimental run, TCC negatively impacted on treatment performance, possibly due to its antibacterial property, as evidenced by a reduction in COD removals in the column. COD in the 2 meter column under saturated conditions was modelled successfully with the advection dispersion equation with coupled Monod kinetics. Empirical models were also developed for the removal of TCC and EE2 under saturated and unsaturated conditions respectively. The empirical models predicted the TCC and EE2 removal profiles well. There is however the need for validation of the models developed / Netherlands Organisation for International Cooperation in Higher Education (Nuffic) / The Appendix files for this thesis are unavailable online via Bradford Scholars.

<p> Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of persistent environmental contaminants that have become ubiquitous, resulting in widespread exposure among humans and wildlife. Amphibians are regularly exposed in the field, making them susceptible to sublethal effects of PFAS exposure. In amphibians exposed to PFAS, deleterious effects have been observed, including reduction in body condition measured using the scaled mass index (SMI) and degraded hepatic condition, among others. PFAS may dysregulate lipid metabolism by altering signaling cascades regulated by peroxisome proliferator activated receptors (PPAR), but whether changes in energy stores can explain changes in amphibian SMI and/or hepatic condition remain underexplored. Since lipids are a critical energy reserve for anurans, understanding whether lipid metabolism is being perturbed is critical. The central objective of this thesis was to investigate the effect of PFAS on lipid homeostasis in <em>Xenopus laevis </em>tadpoles within the context of a PPAR mechanism of action (MOA), considering apical, molecular, and lipidomic endpoints. I conducted three studies: (a) a study to characterize SMI and the relative expression of the hepatic xPPARα/β/γ during metamorphosis, (b) a pharmaceutical exposure to assess the <em>in vivo</em> effects of xPPARα/β/γ agonism on hepatic gene expression for select downstream targets (<em>apoa5, fabp1, acox1,​ pck1</em>), and (c) a chronic PFAS exposure to investigate the effects of environmentally relevant concentrations (PFOS, PFHxS, PFOA, PFHxA at 0.5 ppb; binary mixture of PFOS:PFHxS at 1 ppb) on lipid homeostasis through apical endpoints (mass, snout vent length, SMI, hepatic condition), relative hepatic gene expression, and Multiple Reaction Monitoring (MRM) profiling of the hepatic lipidome for changes in relative class abundance. In study (a), I identified SMI and hepatic expression of <em>xPPARα/β/γ</em> is dynamic during late metamorphosis, indicating the potential for heightened susceptibility. However, in study (b), pharmaceutical agonists had no effect on <em>X. laevis</em> at high doses. For study (c), I did not observe effects on a majority of apical endpoints, including SMI, but detected a significant sex-specific reduction in hepatic condition for male<em> X. laevis</em> tadpoles exposed to single-chemical perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) treatments. For gene expression, I observed a transient downregulation for apolipoprotein-V (<em>apoa5</em>) at Nieuwkoop and Faber (NF) stage 62 for <em>X. laevis</em> tadpoles exposed to single-chemical perfluorocarboxylic acid (PFCA) treatments. Lipid profiling detected transient dysregulation of predominantly membrane lipids in-response to short-chain PFAS treatments at NF 58. Overall, our findings indicate PFAS may exert toxicity during anuran metamorphosis through multiple mechanisms of action (MOA) with sex-specific and developmental-stage specific outcomes.</p>

<p>The main thesis hub was on development of two electrochemical biosensors for the determination of 17&beta / -estradiol: an estrogenic endocrine disrupting compound. Endocronology have significantly shown that the endocrine disruptors contribute tremendously to health problems encountered by living species today, problems such as breast cancer, reproductive abnormalities, a decline in male population most significant to aquatic vertebrates, reduced fertility and other infinite abnormalities recurring in the reproductive system of mostly male species. The first biosensor developed for the detection of 17&beta / -estradiol endocrine disrupting compound / consisted of an electro-active polymeric 3-mercaptoprorionic acid capped zinc selenide quantum dots cross linked to horseradish peroxidase (HRP) enzyme as a bio-recognition element. The second biosensor developed was comprised of cysteamine self assembled to gold electrode, with 3-mercaptopropionic acid capped zinc selenide quantum dots cross linked to cytochrome P450-3A4 (CYP3A4) enzyme in the presence of 1-ethyl-3-(3- dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide hydrochloride and succinimide.</p>

<p>The main thesis hub was on development of two electrochemical biosensors for the determination of 17&beta / -estradiol: an estrogenic endocrine disrupting compound. Endocronology have significantly shown that the endocrine disruptors contribute tremendously to health problems encountered by living species today, problems such as breast cancer, reproductive abnormalities, a decline in male population most significant to aquatic vertebrates, reduced fertility and other infinite abnormalities recurring in the reproductive system of mostly male species. The first biosensor developed for the detection of 17&beta / -estradiol endocrine disrupting compound / consisted of an electro-active polymeric 3-mercaptoprorionic acid capped zinc selenide quantum dots cross linked to horseradish peroxidase (HRP) enzyme as a bio-recognition element. The second biosensor developed was comprised of cysteamine self assembled to gold electrode, with 3-mercaptopropionic acid capped zinc selenide quantum dots cross linked to cytochrome P450-3A4 (CYP3A4) enzyme in the presence of 1-ethyl-3-(3- dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide hydrochloride and succinimide.</p>

Magister Scientiae - MSc / The main thesis hub was on development of two electrochemical biosensors for the determination of 17β-estradiol-estradiol: an estrogenic endocrine disrupting compound. Endocronology have significantly shown that the endocrine disruptors contribute tremendously to health problems encountered by living species today, problems such as breast cancer, reproductive abnormalities, a decline in male population most significant to aquatic vertebrates, reduced fertility and other infinite abnormalities recurring in the reproductive system of mostly male species. The first biosensor developed for the detection of 17β-estradiol-estradiol endocrine disrupting compound; consisted of an electro-active polymeric 3-mercaptoprorionic acid capped zinc selenide quantum dots cross linked to horseradish peroxidase (HRP) enzyme as a bio-recognition element. The second biosensor developed was comprised of cysteamine self assembled to gold electrode, with 3-mercaptopropionic acid capped zinc selenide quantum dots cross linked to cytochrome P450-3A4 (CYP3A4) enzyme in the presence of 1-ethyl-3-(3- dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide hydrochloride and succinimide. / South Africa

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease that, despite all efforts devoted towards its eradication, remains a threat to many countries including South Africa. Current diagnostic assays do offer better performance than the conventional sputum smear microscopy and tuberculin skin tests. However, these assays have been proven to be affected by various factors including the condition of an individual's immune system and vaccination history. By far, electrochemical biosensors are amongst the currently investigated techniques to address the shortcomings associated with these diagnostics. / 2020-08-31

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