Serum concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the inhabitants of a Sicilian city

Background

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides are common environmental contaminants that have been associated with human health problems.

Objectives

To assess serum concentrations of several organochlorine contaminants in general population living in a city with an ancient agricultural tradition and to identify possible exposure sources in Sicily.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 101 individuals. Each participant answered a face-to-face questionnaire submitted by well-trained personnel and provided a serum sample which was analyzed for the concentrations of PCBs, HCB, HCHs and DDTs by using gas-chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry.

Results

HCB, p,p′-DDE, PCB 138, PCB 153 and PCB 180 were detected in more than 80% of the study participants. The ng g⁻¹ lipid median concentrations were: 18.6 for HCB; 175.1 for p,p′-DDE; 22. for PCB 138; 32.5 for PCB 153 and 23.0 for PCB 180. PCB 153 and PCB 138, PCB 138 and PCB 180, PCB 153 and PCB 180, and p,p′-DDE and HCB showed a high correlation each other (p < 0.05). HCB and p,p′-DDE concentrations were significantly higher in subjects >49 years old (adj-p = 0.03 in 50-69 years old and adj-p < 0.001 in >69 years old, respectively) whereas PCB 138, PCB 153 and PCB 180 concentrations were higher in males (adj-p = 0.03), in subjects >69 years old (adj-p = 0.04) and in current smokers (adj-p = 0.04).

Conclusions

The present study shows that serum concentrations of organochlorine compounds detected in subjects living in a small Sicilian city with ancient agricultural tradition are similar to those found in subjects living in urban areas of other countries. However, further investigations are needed to compare data from rural/urban areas in the same country, assessing correlations between serum concentrations of several chemical compounds and potential health effects in general population.     

Photochemical production of organic matter triplet states in water samples from mountain lakes, located below or above the tree line

The production of triplet states (T(*)) of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM), reacting with the probe molecule 2,4,6-trimethylphenol (TMP) was measured upon irradiation of water samples, taken from lakes located in a mountain area (NW Italy) between 1450 and 2750 m above sea level. The lakes are located below or above the tree line and surrounded by different vegetation types (trees, alpine meadows or exposed rocks). The most photoactive samples belonged to lakes below the tree line and their fluorescence spectra and CDOM optical features suggested the presence of a relatively elevated amount of humic (allochthonous) material. The lowest (negligible) photoactivity was found for a lake surrounded by exposed rocks. Its CDOM showed an important autochthonous contribution (due to in-lake productivity) and considerably higher spectral slope compared to the other samples, suggesting low CDOM molecular weight and/or aromaticity. Among the samples, CDOM photoactivity (measured as the rate of TMP-reactive T(*) photoproduction) decreased with changing vegetation type in the order: trees, meadows, rocks. It could be connected with decreasing contribution from catchment runoff and increasing contribution from autochthonous processes and possibly precipitation.     

Evaluating Tourist Perception of Environmental Changes as a Contribution to Managing Natural Resources in Glacierized Areas: A Case Study of the Forni Glacier (Stelvio National Park, Italian Alps)

Climate change effects are noticeably evident above the timberline where glacier and permafrost processes and mass movements drive the surface evolution. In particular, the cryosphere shrinkage is deeply changing the features and characteristics of several glacierized mountain areas of the world, and these modifications can also affect the landscape perception of tourists and mountaineers. On the one hand glacier retreat is increasing the interest of tourists and visitors in areas witnessing clear climate change impacts; on the other hand cryosphere shrinkage can impact the touristic appeal of mountain territories which, diminishing their ice and snow coverage, are also losing part of their aesthetic value. Then, to promote glacierized areas in a changing climate and to prepare exhaustive and actual proposals for sustainable tourism, it is important to deepen our knowledge about landscape perception of tourists and mountaineers and their awareness of the ongoing environmental modifications. Here we present the results from a pilot study we performed in summer 2009 on a representative glacierized area of the Alps, the Forni Valley (Stelvio National Park, Lombardy, Italy), a valley shaped by Forni, the largest Italian valley glacier. During the 2009 summer season we asked tourists visiting the Forni Valley to complete a questionnaire. This study was aimed at both describing the features and characteristics of tourists and mountaineers visiting this Alpine zone in summer and evaluating their landscape perception and their ability to recognize climate change impacts and evidence. Our results suggest that the dissemination strategies in a natural protected area have to take into account not only the main landscape features but also the sites where the information will be given. In particular considering the peculiarities of the huts located in the area, such as their different accessibility and the fact that they are included or not in a mountaineering network like that of the Italian Alpine Club. Both these factors can influence the kind of visitors to the area, thus requiring different dissemination strategies. Moreover, differences in the viewpoints from where visitors could watch and understand landscape also have to be considered. Next, in a protected area where climate change effects are evident, the dissemination strategies should be developed in close cooperation with scientists who are analyzing the area and with the support of periodic interviews which could be very useful to evaluate the effectiveness of the applied dissemination methods. Last but not least, the questionnaire should be standardized and distributed in several protected areas, thus permitting useful comparisons and the identification of common solutions for sharing in a friendly way scientific knowledge about climate change and its effects on the environment and the landscape.     

Environmental assessment of a Palette Modular Device for gold recovery from PVD

The novel “Palette Modular Device” (PMD) technology, addressing the recovery of wastes from Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD) maintenance, is evaluated according to a Life Cycle Assessent (LCA) approach. The PMD recovery technology was recently developed with the aim of an easier and more sustainable separation of the film layers used in PVD, with a particular emphasis on multi-material film productions, frequently adopted in the electronic industry. The PMD is briefly presented in the paper, along with three implementations for industrial purposes. Each implementation adopts a different light solvent for the metal recovery like acetone and formic acid. The usage of light solvents is a peculiar feature enabled by the system considered, as an alternative to traditional approaches. The LCA starts with the objectives and prosecutes with inventories of all material and energy flows for each different scenario considered. Additionally, a global impact assessment is provided in a specific section, in order to enable a quantitative comparison of the potential effects on the environment in every scenario. The results of this study allow the industrial designer to perform an overall environmental evaluation of the three strategies proposed and to compare the performances of the novel technology. The research, furthermore, highlights some critical points in the adoption of the PMD and suggests how to improve the implementation of this recovery process.     

Characterization and Application in Biocomposites of Residual Microalgal Biomass Generated in Third Generation Biodiesel

This research paper provides a brief discussion about the relevance of third generation biodiesel co-products diversification. This diversification can be performed through the utilization of residual microalgal biomass (RMB) after oil extraction process. The present work analyses the use of RMB as potential filler for biocomposite production by means of understanding the chemical composition, the thermal stability as well as the protein content of RMB. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed the processing window of the RMB for biocomposite production and its dependence on its purity, especially on residual fat content. Biocomposites of RMB and poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) were prepared by melting processing technique using extrusion followed by injection-molding. Tensile, flexural and impact properties of the processed samples were evaluated. Scanning electron microscopy of fractured sections of the biocomposites was also used to examine the dispersion of RMB in PBS matrix. Finally, this study shows a competitive alternative to produce PBS-RMB biocomposites by replacing PBS by RMB in the range between 20 and 30 %. However, further studies are necessary to improve the compatibility of RMB with PBS to obtain competitive mechanical properties, compared to neat materials through, for instance, block co-polymers.     

A multivariate approach to the study of the composting process by means of analytical electrofocusing

Three blends formed by: agro-industrial waste, wastewater sewage sludge, and their mixture, blended with tree pruning as bulking agent, were composted over a 3-month period. During the composting process the blends were monitored for the main physical and chemical characteristics. Electrofocusing (EF) was carried out on the extracted organic matter. The EF profiles were analyzed by principal component analysis (PCA) in order to assess the suitability of EF to evaluate the stabilisation level during the composting process. Throughout the process, the blends showed a general shifting of focused bands, from low to high pH, even though the compost origin affected the EF profiles. If the EF profile is analyzed by dividing it into pH regions, the interpretation of the results can be affected by the origin of compost. A good clustering of compost samples depending on the process time was obtained by analyzing the whole profile by PCA. Analysis of EF results with PCA represents a useful analytical technique to study the evolution and the stabilisation of composted organic matter.     

Particle-phase Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Emissions from Non-catalysed, In-use Four-stroke Scooters

Metals and radionuclide levels in marine birds of the Aleutians are of interest because they are part of subsistence diets of the Aleut people, and can also serve as indicators of marine pollution. We examined geographic and species-specific variations in concentrations of radionuclides in birds and their eggs from Amchitka, the site of underground nuclear tests from 1965 to 1971, and Kiska Islands (a reference site) in the Aleutians, and the levels of lead, mercury and cadmium in eggs. In 2004 we collected common eiders (Somateria mollissima), tufted puffins (Fratercula cirrhata), pigeon guillemot (Cepphus columba) and glaucous-winged gulls (Larus glaucescens) from Amchitka and Kiska, and eggs from eiders and gulls from the two island. We also collected one runt bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) chick from both Amchitka and Kiska Islands. For most species, the levels of radionuclide isotopes were below the minimum detectable activity levels (MDA). Out of 74 cesium-137 analyses, only one composite (gulls) was above the MDA, and out of 14 composites tested for plutonium (Pu-239, 240), only one exceeded the MDA (a guillemots). Three composites out of 14 tested had detectable uranium-238. In all cases, the levels were low and close to the MDAs, and were below those reported for other seabirds. There were significant interspecific differences in metal levels in eggs: gulls had significantly higher levels of cadmium and mercury than the eiders, and eiders had higher levels of lead than gulls. There were few significant differences as a function of island, but eiders had significantly higher levels of cadmium in eggs from Kiska, and gulls had significantly higher levels of mercury on Kiska. The levels of cadmium and mercury in eggs of eiders and gulls from this study were above the median for cadmium and mercury from studies in the literature. The levels of mercury in eggs are within the range known to affect avian predators, but seabirds seem less vulnerable to mercury than other birds. However, the levels of mercury are within the action levels for humans, suggesting some cause for concern if subsistence Aleuts eat a large quantity of eggs.     

Assessing the effectiveness of green synthetized silver nanoparticles with Cryptocarya alba extracts for remotion of the organic pollutant methylene blue dye

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In the present work, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) synthetized with Cryptocarya alba (Peumo) leaf extract were studied. The fabrication method was...     

Degradation of Post-consumer PLA: Hydrolysis of Polymeric Matrix and Oligomers Stabilization in Aqueous Phase

Degradation of post-consumer PLA to lactic acid was analysed in order to assess the economic feasibility of the PLA chemical recycling process. Hydrolysis of PLA, in batch reactor, was analysed in the temperature range of 443–473 K, under autogenous pressure and a constant PLA to water ratio (equal to approximately 0.11 by weight), without the use of a catalyst. The experimental results suggest that the complete degradation of PLA can be obtained using relatively low reaction-times with the production of a mixture containing the monomer and traces of the dimer of lactic acid. The overall process was modelled using a two-step process: bulk degradation of PLA (in the solid or molten phase) with the solubilisation of low molecular weight oligomers, and their subsequent hydrolysis in water (stabilization). The model describes the trend of oligomer concentrations in the aqueous phase and PLA conversion as a function of time with both high accuracy and agreement with experimental results.     

PBDE,HBCD, and novel brominated flame retardant contamination in sediments from Lake Maggiore (Northern Italy)

The reduction in the use of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) has opened the way for the introduction of novel brominated flame retardants (NBFRs) in place of the banned formulations. Important representatives of this group are decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE), 1,2-bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy) ethane (BTBPE), hexabromobenzene (HBB), and pentabromoethylbenzene (PBEB). In this study, the contamination due to NBRFs was investigated for the first time in Italy in the sediments of Lake Maggiore. The aim of the research was to characterize in detail the possible presence of temporal trends and/or to identify potential sources of contamination. The study also considered the PBDE and HBCD lake sediment’s current contamination. The analytical results showed that sediments in Lake Maggiore and its tributary rivers had weak concentrations of PBEB, HBB, and BTBPE, but they did not have a negligible/insignificant contamination of HBCD (up to 23.7 ng/g dry weight (d.w.)). The determination of PBDEs in sediments showed that BDE-209 was the predominant congener (up to 217 and 28 ng/g d.w. in river and lake sediments, respectively). DBDPE was detected in the sediments with relevant concentrations (up to 280 ng/g d.w in the River Boesio sediments). The positive correlation of DBDPE with BDE-209 confirmed the wide and important use of this compound in the Lake Maggiore basin and the hypothesis that this compound will soon become one of the most important NBFRs used in Northern Italy. The contamination of Lake Maggiore sediments due to PBDEs, HBCD, and NBFRs were comparable to other worldwide situations.