Ce travail a eu pour objectif d’étudier l’oxydation hétérogène de composés aromatiques polycycliques (CAP) adsorbés sur des particules solides, exposés à des oxydants troposphériques. Après adaptation et validation des protocoles analytiques, deux aspects ont été abordés : les cinétiques de dégradation avec O3, NO2 et OH dans un premier temps, puis l’étude des produits d’oxydation formés au cours de ces réactions. Les constantes de vitesse mesurées ont permis de comparer les différences de réactivité entre les composés étudiés (pyrène, 1-nitropyrène, 1-hydroxypyrène, 9,10-anthraquinone). L’influence de différents paramètres sur la réactivité (nature des particules, concentration en HAP…) a aussi été étudiée. Enfin, la détermination des produits d’oxydation et leur quantification, quand cela a été possible, a permis de mieux comprendre le devenir de ces composés particulaires dans l’atmosphère, à travers les mécanismes réactionnels proposés. / This work deals with the study of the atmospheric heterogeneous oxidation of polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) adsorbed on particles. After the development and the validation of the different analytical procedures, degradation kinetics and oxidation products were investigated for the reactions of NO2, OH and O3 with pyrene, 1-nitropyrene, 1-hydroxypyrene and 9,10-anthraquinone. The measured rate constants allowed to compare the reactivity of the different compounds. The influence of some parameters on the reactivity (nature of particles, PAC concentration…) has also been studied. Finally, the corresponding oxidation products were also measured, and quantified when possible, allowing to a better understanding of the fate of particulate PACs in the atmosphere, through the proposed chemical mechanisms.

Present work has been focused on the importance of the products of the heme catabolic pathway, in particular under conditions of unconjugated hyperbilirubinemias (neonatal jaundice and Crigler-Najjar syndrome (CNS)). The second part of the project was focused on the improvement of some pharmacological approaches used in the treatment of these diseases, as well as on studies of bilirubin products that are formed during the treatment by phototherapy (PT). Neonatal jaundice is one of the most common complications in neonates. Currently, there is no efficient pharmacotherapy and the treatment with blue light is used as a gold standard for severe neonatal jaundice. However, the absolute safety of PT has still not been confirmed. In this context, it is important to note that some neonatologists start the PT before serum bilirubin levels reach the recommended values and that patients with CNS type I (CNSI) are forced to be on life-long PT (unless undergoing liver transplantation). The focus of the present project was to study biological effects of bilirubin photoisomers (PI) in an in vitro model of the human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells that are used for studies of the neuronal metabolism. In further studies performed on animal model of hyperbilirubinemic rats and mice, we investigated a suitable gene...

Present work has been focused on the importance of the products of the heme catabolic pathway, in particular under conditions of unconjugated hyperbilirubinemias (neonatal jaundice and Crigler-Najjar syndrome (CNS)). The second part of the project was focused on the improvement of some pharmacological approaches used in the treatment of these diseases, as well as on studies of bilirubin products that are formed during the treatment by phototherapy (PT). Neonatal jaundice is one of the most common complications in neonates. Currently, there is no efficient pharmacotherapy and the treatment with blue light is used as a gold standard for severe neonatal jaundice. However, the absolute safety of PT has still not been confirmed. In this context, it is important to note that some neonatologists start the PT before serum bilirubin levels reach the recommended values and that patients with CNS type I (CNSI) are forced to be on life-long PT (unless undergoing liver transplantation). The focus of the present project was to study biological effects of bilirubin photoisomers (PI) in an in vitro model of the human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells that are used for studies of the neuronal metabolism. In further studies performed on animal model of hyperbilirubinemic rats and mice, we investigated a suitable gene...

Soil that is heavily contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is often found at the sites of former gasworks and wood-impregnation plants. Since PAHs are toxic these sites represent a hazard to human health and the environment, and therefore they need to be treated, preferably by a method that destroys the contaminants, and thus eliminates the problem permanently. However, during biological and chemical degradation of PAHs other toxic compounds may be formed. If these transformation products are sufficiently persistent they could potentially accumulate during remedial processes. In the work underlying this thesis the degradation and transformation of PAHs were studied in three remedial processes: viz. a pilot-scale bioslurry reactor, microcosms with wood-rotting fungi and lab-scale treatments with Fenton's reagent. A group of transformation products referred to as oxygenated-PAHs (oxy-PAHs) was found to be particularly important, as these compounds are toxic and were shown to be relatively persistent in the environment. The oxy- PAHs were, for instance, found at significant concentrations in the gasworks soil used in most of the studies. This soil was highly weathered and had therefore been depleted of the more readily degradable compounds. In addition, experiments in which earthworms were exposed to the gasworks soil showed that the oxy-PAHs were more easily taken up in living organisms than PAHs. To facilitate the studies, new extraction and fractionation methods were developed. For instance, pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) was investigated for its reliability and efficiency to extract PAHs and oxy-PAHs from soil. Furthermore, a selective PLE-method was developed that can simultaneously extract and separate the PAHs and oxy-PAHs into two different fractions. This was accomplished by adding a chromatographic material (silica or Florisil) to the extraction cell. Under certain conditions all three remedial processes resulted in increasing amounts of oxy- PAHs in the soil. For example, 1-acenaphthenone and 4-oxapyrene-5-one accumulated in the bioslurry reactor. Similarly, in the soil inoculated with a white-rot fungus 9-fluorenone, benzo[a]anthracene-7,12-dione, 4-hydroxy-9-fluorenone and 4-oxapyrene-5-one accumulated. Finally, in an ethanol-Fenton treatment the concentration of some PAH-quinones increased in the soil. The results show that it might be necessary to monitor oxy-PAHs as well as PAHs during the remediation of PAH-contaminated sites. Otherwise, the soil may be considered detoxified too early in the process. In the long term it would be desirable to include analyses with sufficient marker compounds to follow the possible production and elimination of the oxy-PAHs. However, until such compounds can be identified it is suggested that contaminated soil should be screened for oxy-PAHs in general. The selective PLE-method presented in this thesis could be a useful tool for this.