This thesis reports on the combined effects of toxicants and physicochemical factors on micro-organisms. The main objective of the project was to use multi-sensing systems such as mediated and non-mediated sensor systems, growth tests and physicochemical sensors to investigate novel stressor-toxicant-assay combinations. Screen-printed, disposable, developmental-phase, physicochemical sensor constructs (conductivity and dissolved oxygen) were validated under conditions compatible with microbial bioassays, to ascertain their potential role in toxicity testing. The conductivity sensor construct could be used to indirectly inform on the osmolality of the test samples, but the dissolved oxygen sensor construct was not found to give reproducible results. The results were thought to be compromised by in-house screen-printing using a complex carbon ink formulation for the working electrode. Escherichia coli and a consortium with ammonia oxidation capacity (CAOC) were used as the test species for the bioassays. The combined effects of four inorganic salts (NaCl, NaN03, KCl and KN03) and two toxicants (3,5-DCP and HgCh) on E. coli were investigated using the CellSense™ biosensor system, Clark oxygen electrode and microtitre plate growth assays. A variety of trends were observed with each salt-toxicantbioassay combination, emphasising a need for better understanding of the assay media and factors such as bioavailability, to interpret the toxicity data. The results also suggested the importance of using multiple bioassays with varied end points, for toxicity testing. The CAOC, which was isolated from the activated sludge, was tested for physicochemical stressor and toxicant effects using the mediated biosensors. The results were very different from those obtained with E. coli, indicating that each species reacts to toxicants and changes in physicochemical factors differently. Although the full potential of disposable, physicochemical sensors, at the point of toxicity testing was not achieved, the study did investigate previously uncharacterised, combined effects of salts and toxicants on microbial cells. It highlighted the need for development of hybrid systems and also offered a route towards integration of physicochemical and biological sensing systems for simultaneous monitoring of both environmental and biological elements.

Résumé Ce travail est un premier pas dans l’étude de la qualité des eaux du fleuve Niger à Niamey. Il est basé sur la physico-chimie et les macroinvertébrés de cet écosystème aquatique. L’approche physico-chimique met en évidence les changements de la qualité des eaux, le long des rives, en relation avec les rejets de la ville et en fonction du régime du fleuve. L’impact de ces rejets est très négligeable à l’échelle de l’écosystème à cause de la forte dilution. La demande chimique en oxygène, l’oxygène dissous, l’ammonium, les orthophosphates et le phosphore total sont les principaux facteurs environnementaux qui déterminent la pollution des eaux liée aux matières organiques et oxydables, aux matières azotées et phosphorées dans ce fleuve. L’étude des macroinvertébrés fait ressortir 83 taxons répartis le long du fleuve Niger à Niamey. La description des peuplements de macroinvertébrés montre une variation de structure des communautés, en passant de l’amont à l’aval des points de rejets, caractérisée par une baisse de la richesse et de la diversité taxonomique en aval immédiat des rejets. La présence, dans certaines stations en aval immédiat des rejets, des taxons tels que Chironomus gr. plumosus, Melania sp., les familles des Syrphidae et des Culicidae, est une indication de la dégradation de la qualité des eaux liée à la matière organique. Par contre, les taxons comme Thraulus sp., Elassoneuria sp., Afronurus sp., Centroptiloides sp., Adenophlebia sp., Dipseudopsis sp. et Neoperla sp., appartenant aux Ephéméroptères, Trichoptères et Plécoptères, reflètent une meilleure qualité de l’eau dans les stations de référence situées en amont de tous les points de rejets. L’importante diversité de la famille des Chironomidae (20 taxons) dans ce cours d’eau offre de bonnes perspectives pour son utilisation dans l’étude de la qualité des eaux du fleuve Niger à Niamey. Les descripteurs qui expliquent significativement la distribution des communautés de macroinvertébrés le long du fleuve Niger à Niamey sont la matière organique (demande chimique en oxygène) et les nutriments (ammonium, orthophosphates et phosphore total). La technique d’échantillonnage au filet troubleau explique beaucoup plus d’inertie que les substrats artificiels. Quant à la jacinthe d’eau, elle présente peu d’intérêt dans l’étude de la qualité des eaux du fleuve Niger à Niamey à cause de sa présence uniquement en période de crue. Summary This survey is a first step in the study of water quality of the River Niger in Niamey. It is based on physicochemical factors and the macroinvertebrates inhabiting this aquatic ecosystem. The physicochemical approach underlines the changes in water quality, along the banks, in relation with wastewater from the city of Niamey, and as a response to seasonal variations of water level. The impact of wastewater on the scale of the entire ecosystem appears very limited, because of the strong dilution. Chemical oxygen demand, dissolved oxygen, ammonium, phosphates and total phosphorus levels are the main environmental factors that determine both the pollution due to organic (and oxidizable) matter, and the pollution resulting from nitrogen and phosphorus-based chemicals in this river. In this survey 83 taxa of macroinvertebrates were found along the River Niger in Niamey. The description of macroinvertebrates shows a variation of community structure, from upstream to downstream, that is characterized by a decrease of taxonomic richness and diversity downstream wastewater discharges. The presence of Chironomus gr. plumosus, Melania sp., families of Syrphidae and Culicidae indicates a deterioration of water quality due to organic matter in some stations near wastewater discharges. However, taxa like Thraulus sp., Elassoneuria sp., Afronurus sp., Centroptiloides sp., Adenophlebia sp., Dipseudopsis sp. and Neoperla sp. reflect a better quality of water in the reference stations located upstream of all wastewater discharges. The high diversity of Chironomidae (20 taxa) in this river makes them a good candidate taxonomic group to be used for the assessment of water quality in the River Niger near Niamey. The factors which significantly explain the distribution of macroinvertebrates communities along the River Niger in Niamey are organic matter (chemical oxygen demand) and nutrients (ammonium, phosphates, total phosphorus). Results from net hand samples explain a higher fraction of total inertia than the ones obtained using artificial substrata. Water hyacinths play a limited role in the survey of water quality in the Niger near Niamey, because they are only present during floodperiods.

Phytoplankton samples were collected in 2016 during the dry and rainy seasons at nine sampling sites in Vinh Long province, Vietnam. Some basic environment parameters such as temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, nitrate and phosphate were measured and a total of 209 phytoplankton species (six phyla, 96 genera) were identified. The phylum that had the greatest number of species was Bacillariophyta (82 species), followed by Chlorophyta (61 species), Cyanophyta (39 species), Euglenophyta (21 species), Chrysophyta (three species) and Dinophyta (three3 species). The phytoplankton density ranged from 4,128 to 123,029 cells/liter. The dominant algae recorded in the study area include Microcystis aeruginosa, Merismopedia glauca, Oscillatoria perornata, Jaaginema sp., Planktothrix agardhii, Coscinodiscus subtilis, Melosira granulata. In particular, Microcystis aeruginosa was the most density dominant species in the total number of sampling sites during the dry season survey, and this species was classified as a group producing toxins harmful to the environment. Surface water quality, according to QCVN 08: 2015/BTNMT was classified into Column A1 for pH, nitrate and Column B1 for dissolved oxygen, and Column B2 for phosphate. Phytoplankton community structure and environmental factors changed substantially between dry and rainy seasons. A Pearson (r) correlation coefficient was used for the relative analysis. The results indicated that the number of phytoplankton species were a significantly positive correlation with pH, dissolved oxygen and nitrate in the rainy season. The phytoplankton abundance was uncorrelated with environmental factors in both seasons. / Các mẫu thực vật phù du được thu thập trong năm 2016 (mùa khô và mùa mưa) tại 9 vị trí ở tỉnh Vĩnh Long, Việt Nam. Một số thông số môi trường như nhiệt độ, pH, oxy hòa tan, nitrat và phốt phát được đo ngay tại hiện trường. Tổng cộng 209 loài thực vật phù du được ghi nhận (6 ngành, 96 chi). Số lượng loài cao nhất là tảo Silic (82 loài), kế đến là tảo Lục (61 loài), tảo Lam (39 loài), tảo Mắt (21 loài), tảo Vàng ánh (3 loài) và tảo Giáp (3 loài). Mật độ thực vật phù du dao động từ 4.128 đến 123.029 tế bào/ lít. Các loài ưu thế ghi nhận được ở khu vực nghiên cứu gồm có: Microcystis aeruginosa, Merismopedia glauca, Oscillatoria perornata, Jaaginema sp., Planktothrix agardhii; Coscinodiscus subtilis, Melosira granulata. Trong đó, loài Microcystis aeruginosa chiếm ưu thế nhiều nhất trên tổng số điểm thu mẫu trong đợt khảo sát mùa khô, đồng thời loài này được xếp vào nhóm sản sinh độc tố gây hại cho môi trường. Chất lượng nước mặt theo QCVN 08:2015/BTNMT được xếp vào loại A1 đối với thông số pH, nitrat và loại B1 đối với thông số oxy hòa tan, và loại B2 đối với phốt phát. Cấu trúc quần xã thực vât nổi và các yếu tố môi trường thay đổi đáng kể giữa mùa mưa và mừa khô. Hệ số tương quan Pearson (r) được dùng để phân tích. Kết quả cho thấy số lượng thực vật phù du có tương quan thuận với pH, oxy hòa tan và nitrat trong mùa mưa và có ý nghĩa về mặt thống kê. Mật độ của thực vật phù du không tương quan với các yếu tố môi trường trong cả hai mùa.