Maltooligosaccharides in the northwestern Adriatic Sea

The aim of this study was to monitor for the first time the oligosaccharide pattern in the northwestern Adriatic Sea. Oligosaccharides are components of the low-molecular-weight fraction of dissolved organic matter (DOM). They perform an important ecological function in the microbial loop prompting substrates for bacterial degradation. In particular, our investigation focused on maltooligosaccharides (glucose α 1–4 linked). The analyses were carried out using a dialysis-charcoal column sorption pre-concentration method, followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analyses with a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer operating in multiple reaction monitoring mode. During the study period, the concentration of maltooligosaccharides with a low degree of polymerisation (ranging from maltose to maltotetraose) was higher than other maltooligosaccharides (maltopentaose and maltoeptaose) and all together they reached their highest concentration in June. This concentration was temporally shifted from a long period of diatom bloom (from January to April). Furthermore, the annual maltooligosaccharide trend was monitored together with several chemical, physical and biological parameters to investigate their potential role on the maltooligosaccharide accumulation. Our results suggested that the maltooligosaccharide accumulation could be related to the water column stratification.     

The use of environmental metabolomics to determine glyphosate level of exposure in rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) seedlings

Metabolic profiling in plants can be used to differentiate between treatments and to search for biomarkers for exposure. A methodology for processing Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Diode-Array-Detection data is devised. This methodology includes a scheme for selecting informative wavelengths, baseline removal, retention time alignment, selection of relevant retention times, and principal component analysis (PCA). Plant crude extracts from rapeseed seedling exposed to sublethal concentrations of glyphosate are used as a study case. Through this approach, plants exposed to concentrations down to 5 μM could be distinguished from the controls. The compounds responsible for this differentiation were partially identified and were different from those specific for high exposure samples, which suggests that two different responses to glyphosate are elicited in rapeseed depending on the level of exposure. The PCA loadings indicate that a combination of other metabolites could be more sensitive than the response of shikimate to detect glyphosate exposure.     

Characteristics of Coastal Dune Topography and Vegetation in Environments Recently Modified Using Beach Fill and Vegetation Plantings,Veneto, Italy

Human actions can contribute to degradation of coastal environments or they can increase the likelihood that these environments will be restored. Beach nourishment provides a basis for restoration, but ways must be found to add habitat improvement to projects designed for shore protection. This study examines how beach nourishment projects can help reinstate dune landscapes in locations where beaches and dunes had been replaced by static shore protection structures. Dune topography and vegetation on three nourished sites on the northern Adriatic Coast of Italy are compared to a reference site to evaluate changes after beach fill was emplaced. Results reveal how nourishment projects used for shore protection can restore the space available for dunes to form, increase the likelihood of sediment transfers inland and increase the diversity of topography and vegetation. Beach raking prevents formation and growth of hummocky, incipient backshore dunes that would otherwise evolve into a naturally functioning foredune. Sand-trapping fences can speed the process of foredune development but can be counterproductive if they interfere with transport to beach grass (Ammophila littoralis) planted landward of them. Shore protection structures can provide stability and more time for dune evolution on eroding shores, resulting in greater species richness and longer retention of ecological niches. These structures need not be required if re-nourishment occurs frequently enough to provide a beach wide enough to protect against storm wave uprush.     

Application of nano-FIA-Direct-EI-MS to determine diethylene glycol in produced formation water discharges and seawater samples

Diethylene glycol (DEG) is extensively used on offshore gas platforms to prevent the hydrate formation during the gas-water separation process and to inhibit corrosion events. This chemical might enter in the marine environment via the produced formation water (PFW) discharge. In this study, a new approach was applied to the investigation of the DEG content in PFW discharges and seawater samples from four gas installation platforms in the Adriatic Sea (Italy). The method includes an off-line solid-phase extraction/pre-concentration technique, followed by a nanoscale flow injection/direct-electron ionization (EI) mass spectrometric analysis. Direct-EI is a novel and miniaturized interface for directly coupling a liquid chromatograph with an electron ionization mass spectrometer. The capability to acquire EI spectra, and to operate in selected ion monitoring mode during actual sample analyses, allowed a precise quantification of DEG with a method limit of detection of 31microg/l. In addition, a careful evaluation of the matrix effect showed that, as opposed to electrospray ionization, the response of the Direct-EI interface was not affected by sample interferences.     

Ring testing of the AnBUSDiC test; a new screening method for the anaerobic degradability of surfactants

The project focuses on the efficiency of combined technologies to reduce the release of micropollutants and bacteria into surface waters via sewage treatment plants of different size and via stormwater overflow basins of different types. As a model river in a highly populated catchment area, the river Schussen and, as a control, the river Argen, two tributaries of Lake Constance, Southern Germany, are under investigation in this project. The efficiency of the different cleaning technologies is monitored by a wide range of exposure and effect analyses including chemical and microbiological techniques as well as effect studies ranging from molecules to communities.     

Assessment of Coastal Vulnerability Through the Use of GIS Tools in South Sicily (Italy)

This study assessed coastal erosion vulnerability along a 90-km sector, which included both erosional and accretionary beaches, and different levels of human occupation. Two aerial photogrammetric flights were used to reconstruct coastal evolution between 1977 and 1999. During this period, extensive accretion was recorded updrift of human structures at harbors and ports, e.g., Scoglitti (105.6 m), Donnalucata (52.8 m), and Pozzallo (94.6 m). Conversely, erosion was recorded in downdrift areas, with maximum values at Modica Stream mouth (63.8 m) and Point Castellazzo (35.2 m). Assessments were subsequently divided into four categories ranging from “high erosion” to “accretion.” Several sources were examined to assess human activities and land use. The latter was mapped and divided into four categories, ranging from “very high” to “no capital” land use. Subsequently, coastal erosion vulnerability was assessed by combining land use categories with recorded coastline behavior. Results showed “very high” to “high” vulnerability along 5.8% and 16.6%, respectively, of the littoral, while 20.9% and 56.7%, respectively, was found to exhibit “medium” and “low/very low” vulnerability. A very good agreement between predicted coastal vulnerability and coastal trend had been observed over recent years. Furthermore, several human structures and activities are located within the “imminent collapse zone (ICZ)” which reached maximum values of 17.5 m at Modica Stream and 13.5 m at Point Braccetto.     

Fungitoxicity of lyophilized and spray-dried garlic extracts

Among the compounds discussed for anti-microbial and anti-fungal use allicin (allylthiosulfinate, diallyl disulfide-S-monoxide), an active ingredient of garlic, has attracted considerable attention. The objective of this study is to determine the antifungal activity of a local garlic ecotype (Voghiera) extracts against different pathogens. Primary screening was carried out by the agar plates technique using ethanol garlic extract at four final concentrations against the following organisms: Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus spp., Colletotrichum acutatum, Didymella bryoniae, Fusarium culmorum, Fusarium avenaceum, Fusarium gramineareum, Gliocladium roseum 47, Pythium splendens, Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotium rolfsii, Stemphylium vesicarium, Trichoderma longibranchiatum, and Botrytis cinerea. Secondary screening was carried out using a lyophilized and a spray-dried preparation at different concentrations against the organisms selected for the high inhibition garlic effect in the primary screening and compared with the commercial fungicides mancozeb and iprodione. The best results were observed for the spray-dried garlic compound that showed a good fungicidal activity at the concentration of 1.5 g/10 mL while lyophilized garlic at the same concentration exhibited less inhibition activity against the four fungi analyzed in the second screening.     

Novel two-step vapor-phase synthesis of UV–Vis light active Fe2O3/WO3 nanocomposites for phenol degradation

Supported Fe₂O₃/WO₃ nanocomposites were fabricated by an original vapor phase approach, involving the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of Fe₂O₃ on Ti sheets and the subsequent radio frequency (RF)-sputtering of WO₃. Particular attention was dedicated to the control of the W/Fe ratio, in order to tailor the composition of the resulting materials. The target systems were analyzed by the joint use of complementary techniques, that is, X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), and optical absorption spectroscopy. The results showed the uniform decoration of α-Fe₂O₃ (hematite) globular particles by tiny WO₃ aggregates, whose content could be controlled by modulations of the sole sputtering time. The photocatalytic degradation of phenol in the liquid phase was selected as a test reaction for a preliminary investigation of the system behavior in wastewater treatment applications. The system activity under both UV and Vis light illumination may open doors for further material optimization in view of real-world end-uses.