**Part 1**

**Biological Monitoring/Ecotoxicology** 

**1** 

*2Brazil* 

**Analysis of Environmental Samples with** 

Melanie Eldridge1, John Sanseverino1,

*1University of Tennessee 2University of Campinas 1United States of America* 

Gisela de Arãgao Umbuzeiro2 and Gary S. Sayler1

**Yeast-Based Bioluminescent Bioreporters** 

Extensive research over the past decade has found the widespread presence of organic wastewater contaminants (OWC) in surface waters around the globe including the United States, (Alvarez et al., 2009; Focazio et al., 2008; Kolpin et al., 2002; Owens et al., 2007; Zheng et al., 2008), Asia (Ma et al., 2007), Europe (Cargouet et al., 2007; Cespedes et al., 2005; Gros et al., 2009; Reemtsma et al., 2006) and South America (Bergamasco et al., submitted; Jardim et al., 2011; Kuster et al., 2009). These OWC include pesticides, plasticizers, pharmaceuticals, and natural and synthetic hormones as well as pollutants from chemical spills into the environment. These compounds may be introduced into surface waters by runoff from land application of biosolids, through leaking sewer lines and septic systems, or by incomplete removal from wastewater treatment systems. Further, a wide variety of these chemicals have been implicated in endocrine disruption in invertebrates and vertebrates (Cooper & Kavlock, 1997; Fang et al., 2000; Folmar et al., 2002; Fossi & Marsili, 2003; Guillette et al., 1999; Hayes et al. 2010; Kavlock et al., 1996; Kidd et al. 2007; Ropstad et al., 2006; Sonne et

An endocrine disruptor is an exogenous substance that causes adverse health effects in an organism or its offspring by way of alteration in the function of the endocrine system. As such endocrine disruption is a mechanism leading to a variety of adverse health effects, most of which are considered as reproductive or developmental toxicities (OECD, 2002). The complex nature of reproductive and developmental effects suggests that *in vivo* tests are necessary to detect endocrine disruption. Several i*n vivo* mammalian assays (e.g. O'Connor et al., 2002) and *in vitro* assays (e.g. Fang et al., 2000; Zacharewski, 1997) exist for measuring estrogenic effects in various biological systems. However, these are not suitable for rapid, high-throughput screening of chemicals or necessarily screening of environmental samples. Yeast-based *in vitro* estrogen and androgen screens have been firmly established as a means for rapidly identifying chemicals with potential endocrine disrupting activity. This chapter will review the development and use of yeast-based bacterial bioluminescent bioreporters

**1. Introduction** 

al., 2006; Tyler et al., 1998).

for the detection of endocrine disruption compounds.
