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The impact of emerging chemical pollutants, on both status and functionality of aquatic ecosystems is worldwide recognized as a relevant issue of concern that should be assessed and managed by researchers, policymakers, and all relevant stakeholders. In Europe, the Reach Regulation has registered more than 100.000 chemical substances daily released in the environment. Furthermore, the effects related to the mixture of substances present in aquatic ecosystems may not be predictable on the basis of chemical analyses alone. This evidence, coupled with the dramatic effects of climate changes on water resources through water scarcity and flooding, makes urgent the application of innovative, fast and reliable monitoring methods. In this context, Effect-Based Methods (EBMs) have been applied in the urban stretch of the Tiber River (Central Italy) with the aim of understanding if detrimental pressures affect aquatic environmental health. In particular, different eco-genotoxicological assays have been used in order to detect genotoxic activity of chemicals present in the river, concurrently characterized by chemical analysis. Teratogenicity and embryo-toxicity have been studied in order to cover additional endpoints. The EBMs have highlighted the presence of diffuse chemical pollution and ecotoxicological effects in the three sampling stations, genotoxicological effects have been also detected through the use of different tests and organisms. The chemical analyses confirmed that in the aquatic ecosystems there is a diffuse presence, even at low concentrations, of emerging contaminants such as pharmaceuticals, not routinely monitored pesticides, personal care products, PFAS. The results of this study can help to identify an appropriate battery of EBMs for future studies and the application of more appropriate measures in order to monitor, mitigate or eliminate chemical contamination and remediate its adverse/detrimental effects on the ecosystem health., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Human exposure to per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) is a major public health concern because in the last decades several cases of overexposure of people to PFASs, in particular through contaminated water, occurred worldwide. In 2013-2017 a PFAS drinking water contamination was discovered and investigated in northern Italy (Veneto region) and high PFAS serum levels were detected in exposed people. 629 subjects were enrolled: 257 residing in municipalities in the areas under impact, 250 residing in municipalities in areas at presumed background exposure and 122 farmers living in contaminated rural areas producing and consuming own livestock and vegetables and frequently using well water. The highest PFAS serum concentrations (median PFOA concentrations 40 ng/g) were found in the subgroup of farmers. The main factors influencing PFAS serum levels of farmers were residence area and the related extent of drinking water contamination, gender, years of residence in the municipalities, well water consumption and consumption of own produced food. PFOA serum concentrations in farmers residing in the areas of the Veneto region impacted by PFAS contamination are among the highest found worldwide., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

In 2013 a contamination of drinking water by perfluoroalkylated substances (PFASs) was discovered in areas of the Veneto Region (northern Italy). In this study the exposure to PFASs of people living in the aforesaid areas was characterized: contaminant serum concentrations were measured and compared with those of a control population group living in neighboring areas at background exposure (based on available drinking water data). The enrolled population was also genotyped for the OATP1A2*3 allelic variant, possibly affecting PFAS excretion and hence the internal dose. The difference in PFAS concentrations between exposed and not exposed subjects was significantly larger for nine of the 12 substances analyzed, and confirmed that water contamination had resulted in an appreciable high exposure of the residing population over time. Within the group of exposed subjects, subgroups at different exposure levels were identified. The contamination of drinking water of the residence area was found to be the main factor influencing PFAS serum levels; in addition to water contamination, other relevant influencing factors were sex, the years of residence and raising own livestock. No relationship with the genetic trait for the studied renal transporter was evidenced. These results provide a baseline characterization of PFAS exposure of the monitored population groups for further studies, planned to be carried out in the near future., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Metals such as arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), vanadium (V), have been determined in species of Mediterranean marine organisms collected from areas supposed to be at background contamination levels. The Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) approach was adopted for the determination of all the metals. Arsenic, Cd and Pb determined in the 42 samples, do not exceed the pertinent maximum level except a sample of hake. In wild fish, the concentration range for Cr, Ni, V and Cu was, respectively: 0.07-0.09, 87.6-124, 0.022-0.075 and 0.79-1.74 μg/g fresh weight (fw). The farmed fish samples show concentration levels below the wild fish ones, except for Cr which range at the same levels. Cadmium and Pb show a high sample number under the quantification limit. The elements do not bio-magnify among the species considered and appear to show low variations in relation to organisms' position in the food chain and at sampling sites., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Fish and fishery products may represent one of the main sources of dietary exposure to persistent toxic substances (PTSs) such as polychlorinated dibenzodioxins, dibenzofurans, and biphenyls; polybromodiphenyl ethers; organochlorine pesticides; perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonate; and inorganic mercury and methyl mercury. In this study, PTS contamination of Mediterranean fish and crustaceans caught in Italian coastal waters was investigated in order to increase the representativeness of the occurrence database for wild species. The objectives were to verify the suitability of regulatory limits for PTSs, identify background concentrations values, if any, and examine the possible sources of variability when assessing the chemical body burdens of aquatic species. Twelve wild species of commercial interest and two farmed fish species were chosen. Excluding methyl mercury, chemical concentrations found in wild species fell generally towards the low ends of the concentration ranges found in Europe according to EFSA database and were quite lower than the tolerable maximum levels established in the European Union; farmed fish always showed contamination levels quite lower than those detected in wild species. The data obtained for wild species seemed to confirm the absence of local sources of contamination in the chosen sampling areas; however, species contamination could exceed regulatory levels even in the absence of specific local sources of contamination as a result of the position in the food web and natural variability in species' lifestyle. A species-specific approach to the management of contamination in aquatic organisms is therefore suggested as an alternative to a general approach based only on contaminant body burden. A chemical-specific analysis performed according to organism position in the food chain strengthened the need to develop this approach., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Total mercury (Hg tot) and methyl mercury (MeHg) were quantified in several specimens of Dicentrarchus labrax and Sparus aurata from the east basin of the Orbetello lagoon, central Italy. The size of each specimen was recorded to estimate body burdens (BBs); =Hg tot and MeHg were measured in fillets of both species. Hg tot and MeHg in S. aurata ranged between 0.355-1.58 and 0.341-1.53 μg/g wet weight (ww), respectively; in D. labrax, their ranges were 0.284-2.54 and 0.214-2.35 μg/g ww. Approximately 90% of the concentrations measured exceeded Hg tot regulatory maximum level of 0.5 μg/g ww; however, exceedance rate was different in the two species studied. No correlations between specimen size and Hg tot or MeHg BBs were detected in this study., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Twenty-eight fish muscle specimens from the main water bodies of the Campania Region were analyzed in our laboratory. On average, results showed a low contamination by PCDDs+PCDFs and a relatively more important presence of DL-PCBs. All specimens were compliant with EU regulatory maximum levels. Cumulative PCDD+PCDF+DL-PCB concentrations (TEQ(TOT)) were comprised in the range 0.223-11.4 pgWHO(97)-TEQ g(-1) fresh weight (fw). DL-PCB contribution to TEQ(TOT) was on average greater than 86% (range, 50.2-97.1%). The cumulative concentrations of 30 non-dioxin-like PCB congeners (Σ(30)(NDL-PCBs)) and of the six indicators (Σ(6)(NDL-PCBs)) were respectively in the ranges 3.30-515 and 1.30-195 ng g(-1) fw. The hybrid clustering approach adopted to analyze the sample-specific congener profiles indentified the main analytical patterns present in the database and, in particular, two main diverse exposure macro-areas that seem to exist north and south of the city of Naples. The distribution of PCDD and PCDF congeners among different species showed significant variations from chub (Leuciscus cephalus), characterized by a higher proportion of low-chlorinated congeners (e.g. 2,3,7,8-T(4)CDD), to eel (Anguilla anguilla), whose contamination consisted mainly of highly chlorinated congeners (e.g. O(8)CDD). To have a more complete perspective in relation to the contaminants present in the environment, the study suggestion is to use benthic as well as pelagic species to obtain an integrated characterization of fish tissue contamination., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

European eel and chub samples were analyzed to determine the levels of non-dioxin-like polychlorobiphenyls (NDL-PCBs), polychlorodibenzodioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorodibenzofurans (PCDFs), dioxin-like PCBs (DL-PCBs), and brominated polybromodiphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in order to evaluate the extent of contamination of the river Tiber along the urban tract through the city of Rome (Italy). All samples presented detectable levels of the chemicals analyzed, and exhibited species-specific differences in terms of congener composition and total concentrations. On average the European eel presented the highest values. In this species the dioxin-like compound sums (WHO-TEQs) exceeded the pertinent maximum levels (MLs). Non-ortho PCBs constituted approximately 80% of WHO-TEQ toxicological potential whereas NDL-PCB and PBDE concentrations appeared to match values determined in other polluted aquatic ecosystems where non-point contamination sources were present. The contamination patterns determined in fish tissues seemed to reflect the impact of generic contamination source(s).

The results are presented of a survey planned to assess the presence of high concern chemicals in sediments collected in a northern sector of the Adriatic sea neighboring the Venice lagoon. For the assessment, persistent marker chemicals were selected from the families of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorobiphenyls, polychlorodibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorodibenzofurans (PCDFs), and chlorinated pesticides. Based on the chemical-specific concentrations and PCDD+PCDF profiles determined in the sediments analyzed, dumping zones appear to have existed approximately 5-6km away from lagoon shoreline. Contamination levels exceed the quality criteria established by the pertinent Italian national regulation at many sampling sites, eventually reflecting ("fingerprinting") industrial activities once performed in the industrial settlement of Porto Marghera within the Venice lagoon. In coastal samples, concentration levels appear to be lower than those determined at offshore sampling sites.