Document Type

Thesis

Date of Award

5-2015

School/College

College of Science, Engineering, and Technology (COSET)

Degree Name

MS in Biology

First Advisor

Professor Fawzia-Abdel Rahman

Abstract

The relationship between toxicant exposure and reproductive and neurological effects in Caenorhabditis elegans is an area of increasing scientific inquiry. Chlorine is a disinfectant that is widely used in developed countries, however, its potential hazardous effect as an environmental toxicant was what made it of interest in our research. In this research experiment, we aimed to study how chlorinated swimming pool water affects the survival, reproduction, behavior, and if it induces oxidative stress in C. elegans. We found that chlorinated pool water had a dose dependent effect on increasing the mortality rate of the C. elegans and decreasing their egg-laying capacity. Chlorinated swimming pool water also had a negative neurobehavioral effect on the C. elegans as it was illustrated by the decreased locomotion and pharyngeal pumping after exposure to chlorinated pool water, also chlorinated swimming pool water increased the reactive oxygen species and the oxidative damage after 24 hours of exposure of C. elegans to different concentrations. We were able to conclude that chlorinated pool water had adverse effects on the survival, egg-laying capacity, behavior (locomotion and pharyngeal pumping), of the C. elegans, and that it caused an increase in oxidative damage.

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