Organochlorine pesticides,PCBs and heavy metals in tissues of the mullet Liza aurata in lake Ganzirri and Straits of Messina (Sicily,Italy)

The aim of this research was to investigate the presence of organochlorine pesticides, PCBs and heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) in fish living in lake Ganzirri and the Straits of Messina, using the mullet Liza aurata as a "biological indicator". Different tissues of Liza aurata, which include the muscle, gill and vertebral column, were taken for analyses. Quantitative determination of the organochlorine compounds was performed by GC-ECD and confirmed with GC-MS. The concentrations of "essential" and "toxic" heavy metals were determined by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry. For the mullets of lake Ganzirri, the study showed DDE in three samples of gills and one of muscle, at concentrations below the MRL; no appreciable residues of PCBs (Aroclor 1232 series) were found. The concentrations of Zn and Cu were much higher than those of the "toxic" metals. No traces of organochlorine pesticides and PCBs were found in the individuals from the Straits of Messina. Therefore, these results indicate that these two environments are not at toxicological risk.     

Prediction of contaminant transport in fractured carbonate aquifer types: a case study of the Permian Magnesian Limestone Group (NE England,UK)

Viruses and bacteria which are characterized by finite lives in the subsurface are rapidly transported via fractures and cavities in fractured and karst aquifers. Here, we demonstrate how the coupling of a robust outcrop characterization and hydrogeophysical borehole testing is essential for prediction of contaminant velocities and hence wellhead protection areas. To show this, we use the dolostones of the Permian Magnesian Limestone aquifer in NE England, where we incorporated such information in a groundwater flow and particle tracking model. Within this aquifer, flow in relatively narrow (mechanical aperture of ~?10^?1–1 mm) fractures is coupled with that in pipe cavities (~?0.20-m diameter) following normal faults. Karstic cavities and narrow fractures are hydraulically very different. Thus, the solutional features are represented within the model by a pipe network (which accounts for turbulence) embedded within an equivalent porous medium representing Darcian flowing fractures. Incorporation of fault conduits in a groundwater model shows that they strongly influence particle tracking results. Despite this, away from faulted areas, the effective flow porosity of the equivalent porous medium remains a crucial parameter. Here, we recommend as most appropriate a relatively low value of effective porosity (of 2.8?×?10^?4) based on borehole hydrogeophysical testing. This contrasts with earlier studies using particle tracking analyses on analogous carbonate aquifers, which used much higher values of effective porosity, typically ~?10² times higher than our value, resulting in highly non-conservative estimates of aquifer vulnerability. Low values of effective flow porosities yield modelled flow velocities ranging from ~?100 up to ~?500 m/day in un-faulted areas. However, the high fracturing density and presence of karstic cavities yield modelled flow velocities up to ~?9000 m/day in fault zones. The combination of such flow velocities along particle traces results in 400-day particle traces up to 8-km length, implying the need for large well protection areas and high aquifer vulnerability to slowly degrading contaminants.

     

Autochthonous clams monitoring of Ganzirri Lake (Sicily)

Two autochthonous clams, Venerupis aurea laeta and Cerastoderma edule/glaucum, collected for a period of 1 year, from May 2007 to January 2008, were studied in the Cape Peloro lagoon. On the samples, it was evaluated the presence of pathogenic microorganisms and proteins, lipids and yield edible part were determined. It was evaluated the concentration of mineral elements (Cd, Cu, Mn, Se, Pb, Zn) and organic contaminants (∑DDT and PCBs). Salmonella is never present in any sample. Total and faecal coliform values have always been under law limits for alive bivalves mussels production and sale. Zn, Cu, Cd and Pb levels were found in clams where they are slightly lower too. Both species do not show significant changes for Mn and Se. DDT and PCBs traces were discovered in Ganzirri Lake’ samples, but in all observed cases, they were below law limits. As a result of all these observations, it is clear that, in recent years, the bivalve’s use of Ganzirri Lake does not denote toxicological risk to human health.     

Speciation of inorganic arsenic in coastal seawater from Ionian and Tyrrhenian Seas (Sicily, Italy) using derivative anodic stripping chronopotentiometry

The purpose of this paper was to use derivative anodic stripping chronopotentiometry (dASCP) as a sensitive and accurate technique, to determine the concentrations of dissolved As (III) and As (V) in coastal seawater samples from the Straits of Messina, the Ionian and the Tyrrhenian seas, and to investigate the relationship between the anthropogenic activities on the coastal areas and the concentration of dissolved inorganic arsenic in seawaters. The obtained data indicated that As (V) was the most abundant species, with concentration ranging from 26.7 to 307 nM, whereas As (III) levels were lower than 48 nM in all the samples. In particular, As (III) and As (V) levels significantly decreased from high to low anthropogenic activities zones (p < 0.00001, ANOVA), with the reference samples, from a wildlife reserve, showing the lowest values. Furthermore it was observed that human activities influenced inorganic arsenic speciation, since the zones that received high human input presented the highest As(V)/As (III) ratio.     

Studying soil organic matter using 13C CP-MAS NMR: the effect of soil chemical pre-treatments on spectra quality and representativity

¹³C CP-MAS NMR spectroscopy is a technique that has proved to be useful in studying soil organic matter (SOM). Nevertheless, NMR spectra exhibit a weak signal and have very low resolution due to: the low natural abundance of ¹³C (1.1 % of C) in SOM, the generally low SOM content of soils, and the presence of paramagnetic impurities. This paper studies the effects of soil chemical pre-treatments on ¹³CP-MAS NMR spectra quality and spectra representativity i.e. soil C mass balance.

After chemical pre-treatment to increase total organic carbon (TOC) content and C/Fe ratio, eight soils characterized by different levels of organic carbon content and C/Fe ratios were studied using ¹³CP-MAS NMR. Moreover, where chemical treatments were not applicable due to high carbon losses, the number of ¹³CP-MAS NMR scans was increased in order to obtain satisfactory spectra.

Results show that chemical pre-treatment of soils with C/Fe > 1 caused high C losses. Bulk soils were therefore studied by increasing the number of ¹³CP-MAS NMR scans. Acceptable spectra were obtained from 8K scans (1K = 1024 transient). On the other hand, even when a large number of scan (32K) are used, soil with C/Fe < 1 cannot be studied. As these soils are characterized by low C losses after HCl treatments (range of 2.9–25.4%), a pre-treatment of at least 1.39 mol l⁻¹ HCl removes excess Fe and at the same time increases C/Fe ratio resulting in 32K scans providing good spectra.     

A study of land transport of dangerous substances in Eastern Sicily

In this work a quantitative analysis of the risk in the land transport of hazardous materials in Sicily has been executed. Risk calculation has been carried out using the TRAT-GIS code, a software for incidental and environmental risk assessment associated with the transport of dangerous substances and supported by a Geographical Information System (GIS). Results have been collected in a database, the GIS allows to display the risk maps.Risk analysis has been made on a regional scale, then some critical points have been analysed in detail. Comparisons between different typologies of transport and routes have been possible by means of the risk maps. In order to reduce the risk and improve the protection of citizens, some proposals have been analysed in these past years and some of them have been recently realized. In this study other proposals for the optimization of the transport system have been formulated, results have also permitted to evaluate the risk reduction after the future application of the Regional Transportation Plan for the Sicily.     

Modelling the long-term behaviour of radiocaesium and radiostrontium in two Italian lakes

The present paper describes the application of a state-of-the-art model to two lakes in central Italy (Trasimeno and Monterosi) for the assessment of migration parameters of (137)Cs and (90)Sr (migration velocity to sediment, transfer rates from sediment to water and to bottom sediment). Applications of a compartment model and a model based on the diffusion equation to predict the behaviour of pollutants in water and through bottom sediment are presented and discussed. The application of the diffusion equation shows some difficulties of a general nature and typical of such a modelling approach. Moreover, there is no evidence of significant improvements of the model performances when the diffusion equation is applied. Very low levels of sedimentation rate of suspended matter in Lake Monterosi were evaluated by the quantitative assessment of radiocaesium migrating to bottom sediment. This suggests that, in this lake, the removal of radionuclide from the water column is mainly due to the turbulent mixing of bottom sediment causing radionuclide burial.     

May a comprehensive mineralogical study of a jackstone calculus and some other human bladder stones unveil health and environmental implications?

This paper represents the first result of an active collaboration between the University of Sannio and the San Pio Hospital (Benevento, Italy), started in the 2018, that aims to a detailed mineralogical investigation of urinary stones of patients from Campania region. Herein, selected human bladder stones have been deeply characterized for clinical purposes and environmental biomonitoring, focusing on the importance to evaluate the concentration and distribution of undesired trace elements by means of microscopic techniques in the place of conventional wet chemical analyses. A rare bladder stone with a sea-urchin appearance, known as jackstone calculus, were also investigated (along with bladder stones made of uric acid and brushite) by means a comprehensive analytical approach, including Synchrotron X-ray Diffraction and Simultaneous Thermal Analyses. Main clinical assumptions were inferred according to the morpho-constitutional classification of bladder stones and information about patient’s medical history and lifestyle. In most of the analyzed uroliths, undesired trace elements such as copper, cadmium, lead, chromium, mercury and arsenic have been detected and generally attributable to environmental pollution or contaminated food. Simultaneous occurrence of selenium and mercury should denote a methylmercury detoxification process, probably leading to the formation of a very rare HgSe compound known as tiemannite.