Environmental pollution: Assessment of emerging contaminants in the Umbeluzi River: their occurrence and effects on fish

General objective: To determine the occurrence of emerging contaminants in the surface waters of the Umbeluzi and Mulauze rivers and in the Infulene wastewater treatment plant.

Specific objectives: to evaluate the presence of pesticides, drug residues and other substances that disrupt the endocrine system in water samples and fish tissues in the Umbeluzi and Mulauzi rivers; to analyze the possible effects of these contaminants in environmental concentrations on the gene expression of vitellogenin in fish tissues; identify possible changes in the gonads and liver of naturally contaminated fish in the study areas, using histological biomarkers; determine the concentrations of pesticides, steroid hormones and drug residues in water samples.

In collaboration with: Istituto di Ricerca Sulle Acque, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche Italy