Institute of Parasitology
Topic
The influence of environmental burden on parasite-host relationships in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems
PhD. program
Zoology, daily form
Name of the supervisor
RNDr. Tímea Brázová , PhD.
Contact:
Receiving school
Comenius University Bratislava
Annotation
Environmental pollution is a growing concern due to the increase in human activities. Pollutants such as heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Hg, Cr) and organic substances (PAHs and pesticides) are being released into the environment, which can harm both humans and animals. Parasitism and pollution are known to interact in the environment, so a Ph.D. thesis will aim to investigate the link between environmental pollution and the accumulation of toxic contaminants in poikilothermic animals (such as frogs and fishes) and their parasites. The study will compare the concentration of pollutants in various water ecosystems with different levels of environmental pollution, analyzing different tissues of fish and frogs and their endohelminths (tapeworms, acanthocephalans, and nematodes). Additionally, the Ph.D. thesis will focus on determining the species spectrum of endohelminths of frogs in eastern Slovakia, where data is lacking. The study will evaluate the impact of parasites on hosts in a contaminated environment and their value as sensitive bioindicators of environmental pollution.