Occurrence of imidacloprid,carbendazim, and other biocides in Italian house dust: Potential relevance for intakes in children and pets

The occurrence of pesticides intended for non-agricultural use was investigated in 206 dust samples drawn from vacuum-cleaner bags from residential flats in Italy. The multi-residue analysis targeted on 95 different active principles was performed with UPLC-MS/MS, with a Limit of Quantification (LOQ) of 0.008 μg/g dry weight. The results indicated the presence of imidacloprid (IMI) and carbendazim (CARB) in 30% and 26% of the samples, with a mean and P95 concentration between 1.6 and 39 and between 0.08 and 4.9 μg/g, respectively. Combined presence of two biocides was noted in 19.4% samples, of three biocides in 9.2% samples, of four biocides in 3.4% samples, and of five and six biocides in 0.5% and 1% samples, respectively. According to the estimated dust intake in infants/toddlers aged 6–24 months (16–100 mg d^?1) and cats (200 mg d^?1), it was possible to obtain risk characterization with respect to the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) for IMI of 0.060 mg/kg body weight (bw) proposed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the chronic Population Adjusted Dose (cPAD) of 0.019 mg/kg bw d^?1 by US-EPA. Under the worst-case scenario, the presence of IMI in dust indicates potential exceedance of the cPAD in kittens, to be considered as sentinel also accounting for combined exposure. This study highlights the relevance of consumer empowerment about the responsible use of pesticides as biocidal products in indoor environment.     

Multi-objective design optimization of sustainable commercial a-ircraft: performance and costs

The present work deals with a multi-objective optimisation approach to incorporate up-to-date financial models in the multidisciplinary conceptual design of a commercial aircraft. Design optimisations based on financial objective functions are compared to standard performance-based optimal solutions. The main novelty is in the extension of the financial models to the long-term investments of a wider group of stakeholders. The rationale underlying this research stems from two considerations: (i) the environmentally sustainable development of the air transportation system in the next 20 years is subordinate to breakthrough technologies, since the consolidated ones have reached their saturation point; (ii) the economic impacts of highly innovative concepts on the stakeholders chain is still uncertain. The problem is addressed at the conceptual design level and the analysis is performed within a comprehensive multidisciplinary framework, adopting all the technical constraints required in aeronautical design. The Pareto fronts obtained using performance and financial merit factors, reveal that the proposed financial model yields highly efficient, technically sound concepts. The design space point corresponding to the negative cash flows minimum turned out to be very close to the one corresponding to minimum acoustic emissions, confirming that the financial model drives the optimiser towards environment-friendly designs.     

Long-term trend of the waterbird community breeding in a heavily man-modified coastal lagoon: the case of the important bird area “Lagoon of Venice”

The aim of the paper is to examine the temporal and spatial changes observed over a 25-year period in the waterbird community nesting in the largest coastal lagoon around the Mediterranean; to examine driving factors for the observed changes; to address the most urgent conservation actions. Published sources and field surveys made between March and July were used to assess number of breeding pairs of the commonest waterbirds in 1990–1992, 2000–02 and 2012–14. The breeding waterbird community exhibited several changes in its structure, with an overall positive trend; the number of species increased from 14 to 25 and the mean yearly abundance increased from 6155 to 14,008 pairs. The diversity (H′) increased slightly, whereas similarity indices and nMDS ordination both highlighted clear differences between 1990 and 1992 and 2012–2014 communities. The increase in richness and abundance were mostly due to the immigration of birds from nearby wetlands, to the partial recovery of lagoon ecological conditions since the end of the 1980s and to the occurrence of suitable man-made habitats, such as fish farms, dredge islands and a constructed wetland. The fraction of the population nesting at artificial sites and fish farms increased from 50% in 1990–1992 till 80% in 2012–2014, highlighting the importance of artificial breeding sites in costal lagoons. At the opposite natural nesting habitats, such as saltmarshes and beaches are losing importance for breeding waterbirds, thus requiring urgent conservation measures.     

Patterns of biodiversity and habitat sensitivity in agricultural landscapes

Design of landscape is the process of the arrangement of spatial features with the objective of sustaining ecosystem services, and maintaining ecological functionality to meet societal needs. Along a gradient of cultivation intensity, the functional quality of agricultural landscape was explored and the relationships between landscape metrics and functional quality were analyzed, in order to make effective recommendations for landscape design aimed at sustainable land use schemes. The functional quality of landscape was calculated using the InVest model for 20 farm landscapes (North-Eastern Italy) where biodiversity (plant taxa) and sensitivity to disturbance (hemeroby) were used as model inputs. Results highlighted the importance of specific habitat types such as meadows and woodlands rather than other habitats for improving the biodiversity of agricultural landscapes. A high proportion of these habitats enhanced the functional quality of the landscape when the habitats were organized in large and not isolated patches in heterogeneous landscapes.     

Biomonitoring of arsenic through mangrove oyster (Crassostrea corteziensis Hertlein, 1951) from coastal lagoons (SE Gulf of California): occurrence of arsenobetaine and other arseno-compounds

In this study, we examined the bioavailability of arsenic through the mangrove oyster Crassostrea corteziensis sampled from seven coastal lagoons in SE Gulf of California during the rainy and dry seasons. As concentrations in soft tissue of oysters C. corteziensis fluctuated between 5.2 and 11.6 μg/g on dry weight; organisms from the control site presented the lowest As concentrations in the two sampling seasons. As speciation was evaluated in selected samples and indicated that arsenobetaine was the major arseno-compound accounting for 53.5–74.7 % of total As. Lower percentage contributions were obtained for nonextractable As (9.7–25.5 %) and other molecules such as arsenocholine and methyl-arsonate (<5 %). Inorganic As was detectable in only two samples, at concentrations lower than 0.1 μg/g. These As data are the first generated in NW Mexico and indicate that C. corteziensis is safe for human consumption in terms of arseno-compounds. It is evident that As bioavailability in these lagoons is low.     

Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Coatings for the Modification of Barrier Properties of Poly(lactic acid) Films for Food Packaging Applications

Organic–inorganic hybrid coatings based on poly(ε-caprolactone), poly(ethylene oxide) or poly(lactic acid) as organic phase and silica from tetraethoxysilane as inorganic phase were prepared by the sol–gel approach. Coatings were applied onto poly(lactic acid) films for food packaging in order to improve its barrier properties towards oxygen and water vapour. All the prepared coatings were dense, homogeneous layers characterized by a good adhesion to the substrate. The permeance of the coating layers resulted one order of magnitude lower than that of the uncoated poly(lactic acid) (PLA) film. The hydrophilic character of the coating did not permit to gain a significant decrease in the water vapour permeance. The perfect visual transparency of the coatings allows their application without worsening of the esthetical properties of the substrate PLA film.     

Environmental ozone exposure and oxidative DNA damage in adult residents of Florence, Italy

In 71 adults residing in Florence, Italy, enrolled in a prospective study, we investigated the correlation between individual levels of oxidative DNA damage detected by the Comet assay in circulating lymphocytes, and a specific ozone exposure score calculated in 10 different time-windows (0-5 to 0-90 days) before blood drawing, based on daily measurements provided by the local environmental monitoring system.Overall, statistically significant positive correlations between average ozone concentrations and DNA damage emerged in almost all time-windows considered; correlations were more evident among males, non-smokers, and traffic-exposed workers. Multivariate regression analyses taking into account selected individual characteristics, showed an independent effect on DNA damage of average ozone concentrations in the last 60-90 days before blood drawing. Local residents showed a divergent pattern with correlations restricted to shorter time-windows.Our results suggest that ozone concentrations at ground levels modulate oxidative DNA damage in circulating lymphocytes of residents of polluted areas.     

Biological effects of diethylene glycol (DEG) and produced waters (PWs) released from offshore activities: A multi-biomarker approach with the sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax

Diethylene glycol (DEG) is largely used during oil and gas exploitation by offshore platforms. The aim of this work was to investigate if this compound induces direct molecular/cellular effects in marine organisms, or indirectly modulate those of produced waters (PWs). Sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) were exposed to DEG dosed alone or in combination with PWs from an Adriatic platform. A wide array of analysed biomarkers included cytochrome P450-dependent enzymatic activity, bile metabolites, glutathione S-transferases, acetylcholinesterase, peroxisomal proliferation, antioxidant defences (catalase, glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidases, glutathione), total oxyradical scavenging capacity, malondialdehyde and DNA integrity (single strand breaks and frequency of micronuclei). Results did not reveal marked effects of DEG, while PWs influenced the biotransformation system, the oxidative status and the onset of genotoxic damages. Co-exposures caused only limited differences of biomarker responses at some experimental conditions, overall suggesting a limited biological impact of DEG at levels normally deriving from offshore activities.     

Arsenic and subclinical vascular damage in a sample of Italian young adults: a cross-sectional analysis

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Exposure to arsenic (As) increases cardiovascular risk. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between As and intima-media...     

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.