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The air quality monitoring is a core topic for European environmental policies and worldwide. At the same time technologies such as electrochemical or NDIR gas sensors became affordable and easy to implement in a customized design. A highly flexible monitoring station has been designed and build in order to obtain a customizable and affordable device. It is composed of two boards, one in charge of connectivity and processing while the other allows to insert up to 11 gas sensors. Such number is achieved through the use of three multiplexers that allow to spare input pins of the processor. Moreover the flexibility at the moment is achieved using sensors with the same form factor but adapters are under development to increase the adaptability of the system, both hardware and software. An Arduino MKR zero runs the application that can be run in three different modes: single measurement, time driven or position driven. The last feature is obtained through an optional on-board U-blox GNSS module that allows to georeference the performed measurements. This mode is mainly used when the measurement cell is applied on moving object, such as drones. The system is able to send the data collected and receive commands using MQTT protocol (HiveMQ broker) through a NB-IoT connection and interact with the user from an online dashboard created using Thingsboard. The use of the MQTT protocol allows to send the data to multiple endpoints if the data should be provided also to third parties. Moreover, the data and some parameters are also saved on a sd card. All the system is built on stand alone boards to achieve easy maintaince of the system and to allow a rapid change in the used technology (a plug and play LoRaWan module is under development). Being a multi-application platform, price of the device is of course highly dependent on the chosen set of sensors thus, in the end, on the application itself (i.e. Air pollution or gas emission in barns). To sum up, the device described is a possible solution for an affordable gas concentration measurement system that can be adapted to fit a large variety of use cases combining software and hardware solutions.

The present study aimed at determining the presence and removal rate achieved through the main treatment stages of a full-scale wastewater reclamation plant for some classes of Organic Micropollutants. Furthermore, the human health risk due to the reuse of the final effluent containing residual concentrations of these pollutants for non-potable applications was assessed. The 8-months monitoring campaign on the influent and effluent of the treatment stages of the plant highlighted that the main removal took place in the bioreactor, reaching median removal of 99 %, 97 %, 60 % 76 %, 71 %, 96 % and 100 %, for benzoylecgonine, cocaine, methamphetamine, trimetoprim, sulfadiazine, ketoprofene and caffeine, respectively. This result was also confirmed by the application of the principal component analysis. A further abatement, although slight, occurred in the tertiary compartment (made up by filtration, UV disinfection and chlorination) for sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim and ketoprofen, determining a final median removal of 50 %, 94 % and 98 %, respectively. A significant correlation between the removal processes of the investigated organic micropollutants and the traditional water quality parameters was also found out. The human health risk for incidental ingestion and dermal contact resulted to be always below 1 under average and worst scenarios, which indicates that the risk can be considered acceptable.

The Circular and Green Economy principles is inspiring new approaches to municipal wastewater treatment plants (MWWTPs) design and operation. Recently, an ever-growing interest is devoted to exploring the alternatives for switching the WWTPs from being able to ‘simply’ removing contaminants from water to biorefinery-like plants where energy and material can be recovered. In this perspective, both wastewater and residues from process can be valorised for recovering nutrients (N and P), producing value added products (i.e. biopolymers), energy vectors and biofuels (i.e. bio-H2, bio-CH4 and bioethanol). As an additional benefit, changing the approach for WWTPs design and operation will decrease the overall amount of landfilled residues. In this context, the present research is aimed at evaluating the CH4 production potential of MWW screening units’ residues. While such a stream is typically landfilled, the expected progressive increase of biodegradable matter content due to the ban on single-use plastic along with the boost of bioplastics makes the investigation of different biochemical valorisation routes more and more interesting from an environmental and economical perspective. Thus, a full-scale data collection campaign was performed to gain information on screening residues amount and properties and to analyse the relationship with influent flowrate. The most relevant residue properties were measured, and lab-scale tests were carried out to evaluate the bio-CH4 potential.

This paper presents a methodology tuned to support the management of underground pipelines (sewer and aqueduct networks) in Rome, often threatened by the sudden formation of sinkholes related to the upward migration of existing underground cavities. The methodology integrates data coming from the assessment of susceptibility to sinkhole formation and the advanced processing of satellite-based SAR imagery. The former, performed through the multivariate logistic regression technique, relies on a detailed database of stratigraphic and other thematic (i.e. sinkhole inventory and density of underground cavities) information. A-DInSAR processing of satellite images, for which we developed on-purpose algorithms to filter only data relevant for the process under study, allowed us to provide density maps of subsiding reflectors whose likelihood to be precursors of sinkhole collapses is rated based on the integration with the susceptibility map. The procedure is addressed to point out potentially critical ‘hotspots’ that the company managing the underground networks should pay attention to by means of further detailed investigations. Recent (i.e. occurred after the finalization of the products shown in this paper) sinkholes validated the reliability of the procedure adopted, whose strength is the data fusion able to produce refined and focused information starting from independent and more generic datasets.

The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant emerged in South Africa in November 2021, and has later been identified worldwide, raising serious concerns. A real-time RT-PCR assay was designed for the rapid screening of the Omicron variant, targeting characteristic mutations of the spike gene. The assay was used to test 737 sewage samples collected throughout Italy (19/21 Regions) between 11 November and 25 December 2021, with the aim of assessing the spread of the Omicron variant in the country. Positive samples were also tested with a real-time RT-PCR developed by the European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), and through nested RT-PCR followed by Sanger sequencing. Overall, 115 samples tested positive for Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant. The first occurrence was detected on 7 December, in Veneto, North Italy. Later on, the variant spread extremely fast in three weeks, with prevalence of positive wastewater samples rising from 1.0% (1/104 samples) in the week 5-11 December, to 17.5% (25/143 samples) in the week 12-18, to 65.9% (89/135 samples) in the week 19-25, in line with the increase in cases of infection with the Omicron variant observed during December in Italy. Similarly, the number of Regions/Autonomous Provinces in which the variant was detected increased from one in the first week, to 11 in the second, and to 17 in the last one. The presence of the Omicron variant was confirmed by the JRC real-time RT-PCR in 79.1% (91/115) of the positive samples, and by Sanger sequencing in 66% (64/97) of PCR amplicons. In conclusion, we designed an RT-qPCR assay capable to detect the Omicron variant, which can be successfully used for the purpose of wastewater-based epidemiology. We also described the history of the introduction and diffusion of the Omicron variant in the Italian population and territory, confirming the effectiveness of sewage monitoring as a powerful surveillance tool.

The presence of Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) in water systems has been recognized as a potential source of risk for human health and the ecosystem. The present paper aims at evaluating the effects of different characteristics of full-scale Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) on the removal of 14 selected CECs belonging to the classes of caffeine, illicit drugs and pharmaceuticals. Particularly, the investigated plants differed because of the treatment lay-out, the type of biological process, the value of the operating parameters, the fate of the treated effluent (i.e. release into surface water or reuse), and the treatment capacity. The activity consisted of measuring concentrations of the selected CECs and also traditional water quality parameters (i.e. COD, phosphorous, nitrogen species and TSS) in the influent and effluent of 8 plants. The study highlights that biodegradable CECs (cocaine, methamphetamine, amphetamine, benzoylecgonine, 11-nor-9carboxy-Δ9-THC, lincomycin, trimethoprim, sulfamethoxazole, sulfadiazine, sulfadimethoxine, carbamazepine, ketoprofen, warfarin and caffeine) were well removed by all the WWTPs, with the best performance achieved by the MBR for antibiotics. Carbamazepine was removed at the lowest extent by all the WWTPs. The environmental risk assessed by using the site-specific value of the dilution factor resulted to be high in 3 out of 8 WWTPs for carbamazepine and less frequently for caffeine. However, the risk was reduced when the dilution factor was assumed equal to the default value of 10 as proposed by EU guidelines. Therefore, a specific determination of this factor is needed taking into account the hydraulic characteristics of the receiving water body.

Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are the most investigated compounds in the class of perfluoroalkyl substances for their persistence and wider diffusion in the environment. However, fate and behaviour of PFOA and PFOS in the Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) have not been fully understood yet. The aim of the present study was to obtain a better understanding of the processes occurring to PFOS and PFOA in the activated sludge reactor. Several experimental tests were performed in the presence of activated sludge and sterilized sludge. PFOA and PFOS showed removals from the liquid phase from 59 % to 68 % and from 66 % to 96 %, respectively, for initial concentrations from 200 ng/L to 4000 ng/L in the presence of activated sludge. A significant fraction of the initial contaminant load was found adsorbed on the sludge, mainly in the case of PFOS. Other processes occurred, not fully identified, which were responsible of a further loss from the system. Leaching tests showed negligible release of the adsorbed pollutants from the sludge. Carbon and ammonia removal in the activated sludge reactor were not significantly affected by the presence of PFOA and PFOS. The pseudo-second order kinetic model and the Freundlich isotherm provided the best fitting of the experimental data.

The present study shows the results of an experimental survey conducted over 34 months on 76 full-scale Wastewater Treatment Plants located in central Italy with the aim to determine the influent and effluent concentrations of 13 Organic Micropollutants belonging to the class of illicit drugs, pharmaceuticals and steroids. The survey focused on a large set of plants differing for the main characteristics (e.g. treatment capacity, type of lay-out). Based on the values measured in the influent and effluent, removal efficiency of each contaminant in each plant was also determined, as well as the seasonal variation of the influent concentration. Among the monitored pollutants, some illicit drugs (i.e. Benzoylecgonine, 11-nor-carboxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol) and Ketoprofen showed the highest concentrations in the influent and were also the most frequently detected in the wastewater; nonetheless, the plants were capable of removing these pollutants at high extent (median removal value of 70 %, 65 % and 74 %, respectively). On the other side, steroid concentrations were in most cases under the detection limits. About the type of lay-out, the comparison of the efficiency obtained by the different plants showed that combination of secondary and tertiary treatment provides the best removal for most of the target Organic Micropollutants.

Adsorption was the main removal process of PFOS and PFOA in activated sludge reactors at laboratory scale. Some biodegradation of the two tested contaminants was also detected, after adsorption. Respirometric tests showed inhibition of the nitrifying bacteria up to 30% due to the presence of PFOS and PFOA. COD removal was not affected by the presence of PFOS and PFOA.

The present study focused on 11-nor-9carboxy-Δ9-THC (THC-COOH) and Benzoylecgonine (BE), the most common metabolites of cannabis and cocaine, respectively, present in the domestic sewage entering the wastewater treatment plants. The aims of the study were: (1) to validate the analytical method of detection in wastewater and sludge; (2) to determine contribution of biodegradation and other processes to the removal in the biological reactor of the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and the response of biomass to different drug concentrations. The Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled to tandem Mass Spectrometry method showed to be repeatable and reliable (recovery75%; repeatability10-15%; bias uncertainty10) for measurements in wastewater; the ultrasound assisted extraction (USE) demonstrated to be reliable as pre-treatment of activated sludge solid phase. Both drugs were fully removed from the liquid phase in the lab-scale biological reactor within 24 h. Biodegradation was the main BE removal mechanism, and the first order kinetic model provided the best fitting of the experimental data. THC-COOH was mainly removed due to a combination of adsorption and biodegradation; adsorption was better described by the pseudo-second order kinetic model and the Freundlich isotherm. Both drugs at the higher concentrations caused inhibition of nitrogen oxidation and carbon removal.

Sequencing Batch Biofilter Granular Reactors (SBBGRs) represent an innovative technology; coupling granular and attached biomass and operating in a batch mode. These systems allow good removal rates with low sludge production and space requirement. A particular application, consisting of an aeration unit and an upflow SBBGR in series, has been tested at pilot scale. The pilot system was installed at a conventional activated sludge plant and fed with average-strength urban wastewater after pretreatments. This works reports and discusses the experimental results, with reference to removal efficiencies and sludge production. Experimental results have shown a good flexibility of the system with respect to strong variations of influent loading, and adequate removal efficiencies for organic matter (as Chemical Oxygen Demand, COD), total suspended solids (TSS) and total nitrogen (TN): observed removal efficiencies were respectively 88%, 90% and 72% with volumetric loading rates ranging from 0.8 to 1.3 kg COD/m3/d. Simultaneous nitrification/denitrification has been observed.

Methamphetamine (MET) is one of the most used illicit drugs in Europe and is recognized as one of the Emerging Organic Micropollutants. It is discharged into the sewerage system from different sources and then enters the wastewater treatment plants. The present study aimed at providing a better knowledge of the fate of MET through the wastewater treatment plants. The study addressed two different issues: (1) optimization of the analytical methods for MET determination in both liquid and sludge phases, focusing on the effects of potentially interfering substances and (2) investigation on the behaviour of MET in the biological treatment process, with specific concern for the biomass activity at different drug concentrations. Results of the study on issue 1 highlighted that the applied analytical method for MET determination (UPLC–MS/MS) is affected by the main components of wastewater for about 9–23%, which is comparable with the uncertainties of the method (about ± 28%). The method showed also to be repeatable and reliable (recovery > 75%; repeatability

This study focused on the fate of the most representative metals in urban wastewater treatment by the conventional activated sludge process. The research analyzed: distribution between soluble and particulate fraction in the different treatment stages, removal efficiencies as related to partitioning, and metal behavior during rainfall events. A mass balance approach allowed evaluating the behavior of the metals, migration between phases and final fate, in order to investigate metal dynamics during the treatment cycle. Metal distribution between phases in outflow fluxes (treated effluent and sludge) resulted consistent with their partitioning between soluble and particulate fraction in the influent and significant migration between phases was not observed. Arsenic was found to be the most critical element for sludge reuse, despite being mostly partitioned into the soluble fraction.

Il documento elaborato dal gruppo di lavoro (GdL) costituito nel mese di aprile 2016 sotto l'egida della Regione Lazio - Area Conservazione e Tutela Qualità dell'Ambiente della Direzione Ambiente e Sistemi Naturali, composto da Arpa Lazio - Sezione di Roma, ASL RM6, ASL RM2, Città Metropolitana di Roma Capitale, Roma Capitale, Comune di Pomezia, Comune di Ardea, Acea S.p.A, CNR-IIA INSEAN , Idrica S.p.A ed Infrastrutture Distribuzione Gas S.p.A, con il supporto tecnico-scientifico dell'Istituto Superiore di Sanità. Il documento, presentato nel corso dell'incontro presso la Prefettura di Roma il 22.06.2016 finalizzato e approvato in un successivo incontro il 08.07.2016, ha lo scopo di informare la popolazione residente e ogni altro soggetto interessato su dati e risultati ad oggi acquisiti in merito ai fenomeni di inquinamento da tricloroetilene e tetracloroetilene in una vasta area dei comuni di Pomezia e Ardea. Sono in particolare descritte le attività in corso e le azioni pianificate in merito alla definizione delle sorgenti e dello stato della contaminazione1, con più specifico riguardo alle misure di prevenzione e controllo sanitario e ambientale. A partire dai dati e informazioni raccolte nel presente documento sono state elaborati contenuti informativi più fruibili per l'utenza, in forma di FAQ (frequently asked questions).

Patient: A 35-year-old Caucasian female Chief Complaint: Abnormal cervical smear History of Present Illness and Principal Laboratory Findings: A ThinPrep Pap Test reported atypical squamous cells of uncertain significance in November 2008. The patient tested positive for human papillomavirus type 52 (HPV-52) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by reverse dot blot. No lesions were identified on colposcopy. An automated fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assay for detection of 3q gain in cervical cells (oncoFISH cervical test, Ikonisys Clinical Laboratory, New Haven, CT) was positive, showing 3 nuclei with at least 5 copies of 3q26 (Image 1). A return visit within 6 months was scheduled, but the patient did not return until 1 year later. A conventional pap smear at that time was interpreted as showing “atypical squamous cells, cannot exclude high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (atypical squamous cells) (HSIL [ASC-H]).” Human papillomavirus type 52 positivity persisted. A repeat oncoFISH cervical test was strongly positive, showing 264 nuclei with at least 5 copies of 3q26 gain (Image 1). Subsequent colposcopy revealed an acetowhite area, of which biopsy showed areas of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN2-CIN3) with extension into endocervical crypts. She underwent loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) conization, and histological examination confirmed the biopsy results. The surgical margins of resection were free of …

A method for determining the 11 phenols designated as priority pollutants by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency at the parts-per-trillion level in water sampled from the environment is described. Drinking (2 L), ground (1.5 L), and river (0.5 L) water samples are preconcentrated by passing them through a 1 g graphitized carbon black (GCB) reversible cartridge at a flow rate of approximately 70 mL/min. After the GCB cartridge is washed with 1.5 mL methanol to eliminate water, the cartridge is reversed and then back-flushed with an acidic CH2Cl2-CH3OH mixture for eluting phenols. After partial solvent removal, the sample is subjected to reversed-phase liquid chromatography with UV detection by either a conventional or a diode-array detector. Recoveries of phenols added to 2 L of drinking water at levels between 0.05 and 4 μg/L were higher than 90%. Compared with an oc-tadecyl bonded silica (C18) cartridge, the GCB cartridge had a far better extraction efficiency for the more highly water-soluble phenols. The extent to which the presence of fulvic acids in water affected the recovery of the phenols considered was investigated.

Little has been published in the scientific literature on the distribution of pathogenic viruses and on their removal in the different treatment phases in wastewater treatment plants in Italy. Recent advances in molecular biology have reduced analytic costs and allowed the detection of virus directly in the environment. This study evaluates the presence of enteric viruses and their removal in three treatment plants of different sizes and which use different treatment methods. Overall 92 samples were collected during three seasonal campaigns (winter, spring-summer, and autumn). Samples were collected at different phases of the treatment process. Chemical and microbiological analyses were performed. Samples were concentrated by ultrafiltration and tested for the presence of hepatitis A virus, adenovirus, rotavirus, astrovirus, norovirus and enteroviruses. All viruses, excluding the Enteroviruses were detected through biomolecular testing. Enteroviruses, were isolated on BGM cells and subsequently genotyped at the VP1 region. Sixty-two of the 92 samples tested positive for viruses; of these, 21 tested positive for HAV, 4 for adenovirus, 9 for rotavirus, 21 for astrovirus, and 7 for norovirus. Enteroviruses were present on average in 44% of samples collected during the three sampling campaigns. Hepatitis A virus was isolated during the spring-summer period while Astroviruses were identified in all three sampling campaigns. Different enteroviruses were isolated, including four types of Coxsackie B virus variably isolated in all three campaigns, and type 1 Echovirus isolated in the second and third campaigns. All detected polioviruses were of the vaccine-type and were identified as types 1 and 3. Both viral genotypes of Norovirus were identified. Adenoviruses were only sporadically isolated and rotaviruses were identified as type A. As expected, results show a greater prevalence of Enteroviruses and this reflects viral circulation in the population. Regarding the efficacy of the different treatment stages, primary treatment was found to remove only small percentages of viruses, while activated sludge e subsequent sedimentation were found to be more effective.

Aims and background The aim of this study was to compare the local immune response in two groups of patients with high-grade cervical intraepithelial squamous lesions (SIL): one with HIV infection and the other with HPV infection alone. Materials and methods 16 conization specimens (8 from HIV-infected and 8 from non-HIV-infected patients) of HPV-related, high-grade SIL were selected. The specimens from non-HIV patients were considered as controls. The total number of Langerhans cells, CD4 and CD8 cells present in 10 field areas (3.120 mm2) was recorded in each case. In HIV patients CD4 and CD8 peripheral counts were performed immediately before surgery. Results The CD4/CD8 ratio never exceeded 0.71, whereas the lowest ratio in controls was 0.81: this difference was statistically significant (P=0.0009). The mean number of Langerhans cells was markedly reduced in the high-grade SILs in the HIV patients in comparison with controls (P=0.001). The number of CD4 cells and the CD4/CD8 ratio correlated with the peripheral CD4 count (P=0.001 and 0.02). Conclusions In our study a marked local impairment of cervical immunoreactivity was observed, which may play a major role in the progression of these lesions in HIV-infected women.