Abstract
M. Tech.
Background: Groundwater is essential for many human activities, especially as a source of
drinking water. Contaminated groundwater threatens many valuable water resources which
may have adverse human health consequences. Groundwater contamination often goes
unnoticed as it occurs underground and it is often impossible to, and often very expensive to
rehabilitate. Groundwater pollution originating from industrial sites is a general problem in
many industrialized countries, but also in developing countries such as South Africa. Among
the various types of groundwater contamination, DNAPL (Dense Non-Aqueous Phase
Liquids) contamination is a common one. A generic test for determining DNAPL
contamination in water and their adverse effects on human health that consume this water
does not exist. This study was aimed, by using two known immunoassays, to asses the
toxicity and DNA damaging potential, using known techniques, of two index DNAPL and
untested groundwater from newly drilled boreholes in areas suspected of DNAPL
contamination.
Objectives: To compile a DNAPL guideline based the use of index chemicals
(Tricloroethylene [TCE] and Aroclor® 1254 [ARO]) to determine the high-end values and a
series of reference (non-contaminated ground, and other treated waters) samples used to
determine low-end values. PBMC were exposed to these samples and the test reactions for
cytotoxicity and DNA damage measured. The methodology was then applied to
groundwaters taken from an industrial site. This was to establish the health effects of these
waters as well as determining whether they had DNAPL contamination.