Molecularly imprinted polymer sensor systems for environmental estrogenic endocrine disrupting chemicals
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Date
2018
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
University of the Western Cape
Abstract
There is growing concern on endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs). The presence of drugs
in water supplies was first realized in Germany in the early 1990s when environmental
scientists discovered clofibric acid. Clofibric acid has the ability to lower cholesterol in ground
water below a water treatment plant. Endocrine disrupting compounds can be defined as those
chemicals with the ability to alter daily functioning of the endocrine system in living organisms.
There are numerous molecules that are regarded or referred to as EDCs such as but not limited
to organochlorinated pesticides, industrial chemicals, plastics and plasticizers, fuels, estrogens
and many other chemicals that are found in the environment or are in widespread use. 17?-
estradiol is the principal estrogen found in mammals during reproductive years. Estriol is
produced in large quantities during pregnancy. 17?-estradiol is the strongest, estriol the
weakest. Estriol is water soluble, estrone and estradiol are not. Although estrogen is produced
in women they are also at risk of over exposure to estrogen. Pesticides are extensively used
today in agricultural settings to prevent and control pests. Various pesticides, including banned
organochlorines (OCs) and modern non-persistent pesticides, have shown the ability to disrupt
thyroid activity, disturbing the homeostasis of the thyroid system. Because these EDCs have
adverse effects on health of both human and wildlife, it is imperative to develop viable costeffective
analytical methods for the detection of these EDCs in complicated samples and at
very low concentrations. Very high selectivity towards particular compounds is a very
important property for the suitability of a detection method. This is because these compounds
mostly coexist in complex matrices which makes the detection of a specific compound very
challenging. It is paramount to develop highly sensitive and selective methods for the detection
of these estrogens and phosphoric acid-based pesticides at trace levels.
Description
Philosophiae Doctor - PhD (Chemistry)
Keywords
Molecularly imprinted polymers, Conducting polymers, Estrogens, Pesticides, Dimethoate, Endocrine disrupting compounds, Differential pulse voltammetry, Limit of detection, Copolymerization, Acetylcholinesterase enzyme, Gold nanoparticles, Multichannel detection system