Ilzé is currently a second-year PhD student in Environmental Sciences at the North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus. Her research is focused on assessing the biological effects (endocrine disruption and oxidative stress) associated with agrochemical residues from soil sampled in two maize-based cropping regions of South Africa: the Mpumalanga province and the Vaalharts Valley in the Northern Cape province. After rainfall and irrigation events, pesticides move into aquatic ecosystems via run-off and leaching. The main aim of my study is therefore to determine whether these water-soluble agrochemicals become bioavailable to aquatic biota and pose a threat to their health.