The generalized bioavailability model (gBAM) has been proposed as an alternative to the biotic ligand model (BLM) for modeling bioavailability and chronic toxicity of copper. The gBAM combines a log‐linear effect of pH on free Cu2+ ion toxicity with BLM‐type parameters for describing the protective effects of major cations. In the present study, a WHAM VII‐based gBAM for fish has been parametrized based on an existing chronic (30d‐mortality) dataset of juvenile rainbow trout. Overall, the chronic Cu gBAM developed here is a valuable alternative for the existing chronic Cu BLM for rainbow trout and performs sufficiently well to be used in risk assessment according to currently accepted standards of bioavailability model performance.
We are looking for a new PhD student
Apply before 31 August 2020.
Collaborative strategic research project:
SMART-DETOX: removal of organic micropollutants from water
We are happy to announce that our colleague, Samuel Moeris, defended his dissertation to earn his doctoral degree on June 25, 2020! During his PhD, his research focused on the the environmental risk assessment of emerging pollutants and complex chemical mixtures.
Congratulations, Samuel! We wish you the best of luck in all your future endeavors, wherever these may take you!
The Faculty of Sciences at University of Antwerp and the Faculty of Bioscience Engineering at Ghent University have 3 full-time (100%) vacancies for talented PhD scholars in the area of
Environmental Nanoplastics: Detection, Characterization, Bioavailability, and Effects
funded by the FWO research project:“Towards ecological risk assessment of nanoplastics: dynamic considerations”
Respiratory exposure to marine toxins in sea spray can induce both health‐affecting and potential health‐promoting mechanisms. All depends on the specific toxins and their inhaled dose. In this explorative (in vitro) study we used lung cells to examine this matter. As such we found that yessotoxins downregulate the important mTOR cell signaling pathway in lung cells. This pathway is related to multiple pathological conditions. In summary, this research supports the theory that the inhalation of natural products via sea spray is health promoting (i.e., the biogenics hypothesis).