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Access Type
WSU Access
Date of Award
January 2023
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Department
Pharmaceutical Sciences
First Advisor
David K. Pitts
Abstract
The city of Detroit, now known as a rust-belt city, has seen a decrease in population associated with deindustrialization. Past urbanization still affects regional environmental quality, including flora and fauna, and the quality of the freshwater resources associated with the Great Lakes region. The aim of this project was to develop several effective tools and methods for evaluating the impact of urbanization (habitat degradation) and chemical contamination (Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals and Volatile Organic Chemicals) on the vitality of aquatic organisms (Daphnia pulex) and terrestrial organisms such as pollinators with relevance to the health and well-being of the local human population. Real-time qPCR was used to examine the ability of 9 estrogenic and/or anti-androgenic EDCs associated with water contamination to alter the expression of 5 D. pulex genes used as a biosensor function, and gene expression was significantly affected by exposure to the 9 EDCs and a local wastewater sample. Regional petroleum industry has been identified as another anthropogenic stressor for the Detroit area due to air pollution in the form of VOCs like BTEX. A novel behavioral bioassay was used as an initial assessment tool to study the adverse effects of BTEX. Benzene, toluene, and ethylbenzene significantly altered the swimming behavior of D. pulex at environmentally relevant concentrations. The assay system can now be used to study other biological endpoints like transcriptomics. Due to urbanization, many large areas are covered with impervious surfaces which contribute to flooding and combined sewer overflows during rain events. As a result, Green Stormwater Infrastructures (GSI) were introduced in the city. GSI were evaluated for their ability to provide habitat for pollinators, a keystone species which have seen a massive recent decline. The analysis of the insects collected per trap (IPT) indicated that GSI tend to have more insects than a rural reference site. However, the reference site was found to be more diverse. 9 insect orders were identified, with pollinators found at both GSI and the reference sites. The large sample of 58,000 will provide enough specimens for more taxonomic identification and a foundation for more GSI related studies in an urban setting.
Recommended Citation
Siddiqua, Zoha, "Anthropogenic Stressors In Detroit: Influence Of Chemical Contamination And Habitat Degradation" (2023). Wayne State University Dissertations. 3847.
https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/oa_dissertations/3847