Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health Commons^™

Contaminants Of Emerging Concern: Effects Of Known Neuroactive Agents, Antibiotics, And Chemically Uncharacterized Photodegredates On Behavior And Physiology Of Daphnia Pulex, Vibhuti Matta

Wayne State University Theses

Emerging contaminants such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), herbicides, pesticides, plasticizers, fire retardants, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and other organic waste are increasingly being detected in surface water and ground water. These contaminants can enter into the environment through wastewater treatment plant effluent and agriculture runoff. Many of these emerging contaminants tend to be biologically active at very low concentrations, typically occur in water as part of complex mixtures, and may impact biota at concentrations not detected using traditional toxicity tests (e.g. LC 50 tests).

This study focuses on utilizing novel Daphnid optical bioassays to examine the toxicity …