Bioassay-directed identification of anti-androgenic and estrogenic compounds in wastewaters and environmental samples

• Grant number: 13/06093-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Start date until: July 01, 2013
• End date until: October 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Sanitary Engineering - Water Resources
• Principal Investigator: Teresa Cristina Brazil de Paiva
• Grantee: Claudinei Fernandes de Melo
• Supervisor: Elizabeth M. Hill
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia de Lorena (EEL). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Lorena , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Sussex (US), England
• Associated to the scholarship: 11/08043-5 - Evaluation of the occurrence of estrogenic endocrine disrupters in the Paraíba do Sul River: monitoring of the estrogenic activity and identification of the steroid estrogens, BP.PD

Abstract

Studies from developed countries have highlighted chemicals with estrogenic and/or anti-androgenic activities as the compounds responsible for the feminization observed in fish from rivers contaminated with effluents from Wastewater Treatment Works. However, to date it has not been applied in order to identify the compounds responsible for the estrogenic activity in effluents from developing countries. For instance, it is quite possible that in contrast to estrogenic profiles in highly treated effluents, a wider range of industrial compounds such as alkylphenols and pesticides, as well as steroids contribute to the total estrogenic activity in river water. The objective of the internship is to acquire experience and expertise on the analytical methodology used for the identification and monitoring of estrogenic and anti-androgenic chemicals. The main objective of the research project to be executed in the abroad are the following is identify the chemicals responsible for the estrogenic and anti-androgenic activities in samples of WWTWs effluents, river water, underlying bed sediments and bile of contaminated fish. The internship will broaden the initially-proposed objectives in the post-doctoral research project, since the internship will include the analysis of anti-androgenic compounds. Moreover, the internship is well fitted to the research project on monitoring of estrogenic endocrine compounds in the river Paraíba do Sul, funded by the agency Fehidro/SP. (AU)