Details

Category: 
Student subject
Function: 
Student (HBO)
Student (University)
Department: 
Aquatic Ecology
AKWA
Contact: 
Asmita Dubey
Lisette de Senerpont Domis
Closing date: 
Friday 21 May 2021

Over a million people use psychopharmaceuticals like anti-depressants and anti-psychotics in the Netherlands. The environmental impacts of this micropollutant is gaining attention in the recent decades. Residue from human excretion, hospital waste and surface runoff (veterinary pharmaceuticals) can enter surface waters via the sewage. Designed to affect the nervous system, there is evidence of negative impacts of psychopharmaceuticals on aquatic organisms at low and environmentally concentrations.

Currently, there is inadequate information regarding the environmental risks of psychoactive drugs and the standard test protocols do not account for subtle effects. However, psychoactive drugs can contribute to subtle effects by influencing natural communication along the aquatic food chain (infodisruption) or by causing other behavioral changes. For example, presence of antidepressant sertraline interferes with the morphological defense of Daphnia to chemical cues (kairomones) from predator Chaoborus. 

Project

The aim of this experiment is to determine infodisruption or alteration in behaviour caused by psychopharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment. This will be done by setting up an outdoor mesocosm experiment exposed to kairomones and psychopharmaceutical gradient. 

Based on interest and availability students can work on the following topics:

  • Performing bioassays to determine infodisruption and behavioural alterations caused by psychopharmaceuticals in aquatic trophic interactions. 
  • Identification of kairomone chemicals that induce defenses in prey population. 
  • Alteration in aquatic ecosystem functioning due to presence of psychopharmaceuticals. 

Requirements

Depending on the topic of interest a background in biological sciences (topic 1), environmental chemistry (topic 2) or aquatic ecology (topic 3) is suitable. 

Skillset to be developed:

  • Phytoplankton monitoring (Phytopam)
  • Behavioral video tracking software (Daniovision)
  • Statistical analysis (R-package)
  • Learn how to run a big mesocosm experiment (preparations, maintenance and analysis of several water-quality parameters). 

Duration

3-6 months (between June-November 2021).

Contact