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As part of the MUSA ecosystem, the regeneration of Piazza della Scienza involves close monitoring of indoor and outdoor air quality. Particulate matter (PM) and nanoparticles concentrations were monitored during both the pre work (May – June 2023) and the construction phase (July 2023 – now) by establishing 11 sampling spots on the university campus. Sampling was carried out deploying both research-grade instruments (Dust Monitor 1.107, Grimm and Nanoscan SMPS, TSI) and low-cost sensors (OPC-N3, Alphasense and Partector-2, Naneos). Results showed a significant increase in concentrations during the construction for PM and nanoparticles in both the indoor and outdoor environments monitored on the campus. This work will be carried out throughout every step of the regeneration of Piazza della Scienza, highlighting the impact of the construction site and the effect of the urban planning actions promoted by MUSA on air quality.

The growing demand for effective antimicrobials determined a significant increase of new nanoformulated materials to fight against bacteria and viruses, to be used in many industrial sectors including textiles, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and air and water filtering. Nano silver (Ag)-based materials, well-known for their antibacterial properties, are among the most exploited ones. However, the toxicity mechanisms of Ag nanoparticles (NPs) are still debated, requiring more evidence to support a safe-by-design (SbD) strategy for these materials. This study used zebrafish (D. rerio) to assess and compare the toxic and adverse effects (AEs) of commercial Ag-NPs (naked and PVP-coated) and newly synthesized hydroxyethylcellulose-coated Ag-NPs in solution (Ag-HECs) or the powder (Ag-HECp) form. Statistical correlation analysis between AEs and NP physico-chemical (p-chem) properties, such as size, surface charge, and solubility, was also performed. The results ranked the materials as follows in terms of acute lethality (LC50) and malformation (EC50) effects: Ag-HECp > Ag-HECs > Ag-PVP > Ag-NKD. Notable AEs included axial defects, pericardial edema, and reduced lipid yolk consumption, impacting embryo growth and hatching time. Correlation analyses showed that the stabilizing agent HEC, though a safe polymer, played a significant role in modulating Ag-NPs' reactivity toward embryonic structures. The study discusses the biological mode of action and potential molecular events underlying the observed effects. These findings contribute to understanding the biological targets and AEs modulated by tuning Ag-NPs' properties and will additionally feed the SbD frameworks under development for implementing safe and sustainable Ag-based nano-enabled antimicrobial materials.

During the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic (winter 2020), the northern part of Italy has been significantly affected by viral infection compared to the rest of the country leading the scientific community to hypothesize that airborne particulate matter (PM) could act as a carrier for the SARS-CoV-2. To address this controversial issue, we first verified and demonstrated the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA genome on PM2.5 samples, collected in the city of Bologna (Northern Italy) in winter 2021. Then, we employed classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate the possible recognition mechanism(s) between a newly modelled PM2.5 fragment and the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein. The potential molecular interaction highlighted by MD simulations suggests that the glycans covering the upper Spike protein regions would mediate the direct contact with the PM2.5 carbon core surface, while a cloud of organic and inorganic PM2.5 components surround the glycoprotein with a network of non-bonded interactions resulting in up to 4769 total contacts. Moreover, a binding free energy of −207.2 ± 3.9 kcal/mol was calculated for the PM-Spike interface through the MM/GBSA method, and structural analyses also suggested that PM attachment does not alter the protein conformational dynamics. Although the association between the PM and SARS-CoV-2 appears plausible, this simulation does not assess whether these established interactions are sufficiently stable to carry the virus in the atmosphere, or whether the virion retains its infectiousness after the transport. While these key aspects should be verified by further experimental analyses, for the first time, this pioneering study gains insights into the molecular interactions between PM and SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein and will support further research aiming at clarifying the possible relationship between PM abundance and the airborne diffusion of viruses.

COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on global public health. The spread of the disease was related to the high transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 virus but incidence and mortality rate suggested a possible relationship with environmental factors. Air pollution has been hypothesized to play a role in the transmission of the virus and the resulting severity of the disease. Here we report a plausible in vitro toxicological mode of action by which fine particulate matter (PM2.5) could promote a higher infection rate of SARS-CoV-2 and severity of COVID-19 disease. PM2.5 promotes a 1.5 fold over-expression of the angiotensin 2 converting enzyme (ACE2) which is exploited by viral particles to enter human lung alveolar cells (1.5 fold increase in RAB5 protein) and increases their inflammatory state (IL-8 and NF-kB protein expression). Our results provide a basis for further exploring the possible synergy between biological threats and air pollutants and ask for a deeper understanding of how air quality could influence new pandemics in the future.

Aviation is one of the sectors affecting climate change, and concerns have been raised over the increase in the number of flights all over the world. To reduce the climate impact, efforts have been dedicated to introducing biofuel blends as alternatives to fossil fuels. Here, we report environmentally relevant data on the emission factors of biofuel/fossil fuel blends (from 13 to 17% v/v). Moreover, in vitro direct exposure of human bronchial epithelial cells to the emissions was studied to determine their potential intrinsic hazard and to outline relevant lung doses. The results show that the tested biofuel blends do not reduce the emissions of particles and other chemical species compared to the fossil fuel. The blends do reduce the elemental carbon (less than 40%) and total volatile organic compounds (less than 30%) compared to fossil fuel emissions. The toxicological outcomes show an increase in oxidative cellular response after only 40 min of exposure, with biofuels causing a lower response compared to fossil fuels, and lung-deposited doses show differences among the fuels tested. The data reported provide evidence of the possibility to reduce the climate impact of the aviation sector and contribute to the risk assessment of biofuels for aviation.

This study presents an approach developed to derive a Delayed-Multivariate Exposure-Response Model (D-MERF) useful to assess the short-term influence of temperature on mortality, accounting also for the effect of air pollution (O3 and PM10). By using Distributed, lag non-linear models (DLNM) we explain how city-specific exposure-response functions are derived for the municipality of Rome, which is taken as an example. The steps illustrated can be replicated to other cities while the statistical model presented here can be further extended to other exposure variables. We derive the mortality relative-risk (RR) curve averaged over the period 2004–2015, which accounts for city-specific climate and pollution conditions. Key aspects of customization are as follows: This study reports the steps followed to derive a combined, multivariate exposure-response model aimed at translating climatic and air pollution effects into mortality risk. Integration of climate and air pollution parameters to derive RR values. A specific interest is devoted to the investigation of delayed effects on mortality in the presence of different exposure factors.

Heat and cold temperatures associated with exposure to poor air quality lead to increased mortality. Using a generalized linear model with Poisson regression for overdispersion, this study quantifies the natural-caused mortality burden attributable to heat/cold temperatures and PM10 and O3 air pollutants in Rome and Milan, the two most populated Italian cities. We calculate local-specific mortality relative risks (RRs) for the period 2004–2015 considering the overall population and the most vulnerable age category (≥85 years). Combining a regional climate model with a chemistry-transport model under future climate and air pollution scenarios (RCP2.6 and RCP8.5), we then project mortality to 2050. Results show that for historical mortality the burden is much larger for cold than for warm temperatures. RR peaks during wintertime in Milan and summertime in Rome, highlighting the relevance of accounting for the effects of air pollution besides that of climate, in particular PM10 for Milan and O3 for Rome. Overall, Milan reports higher RRs while, in both cities, the elderly appear more susceptible to heat/cold and air pollution events than the average population. Two counterbalancing effects shape mortality in the future: an increase associated with higher and more frequent warmer daily temperatures – especially in the case of climate inaction – and a decrease due to declining cold-mortality burden. The outcomes highlight the urgent need to adopt more stringent and integrated climate and air quality policies to reduce the temperature and air pollution combined effects on health.

Background: Lockdown measures during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic determined radical changes to behavioral and social habits, that were reflected by a reduction in the transmission of respiratory pathogens and in anthropogenic atmospheric emissions. Objective: This ecological study aims to provide a descriptive evaluation on how restrictive measures during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic impacted Pediatric Emergency Department (PED) referrals for asthma exacerbations, and their potentially associated environmental triggers in Bologna, a densely populated urban area in Northern Italy. Methods: Files of children evaluated for acute asthma during 2015 to 2020 at the PED of Sant'Orsola University Hospital of Bologna were retrospectively reviewed. Historical daily concentration records of particulate (PM2.5, PM10) and gaseous (NO2, C6H6) air pollutants, and pollen were concurrently evaluated, including specific PM chemical tracers for traffic-related air pollution (TRAP). Results: In 2020, asthma-related PED referrals decreased compared to referral rates of the previous 5 years (p < 0.01). This effect was particularly marked during the first lockdown period (March to May), when the drastic drop in PED referrals was associated with a reduction of high-priority cases up to 85% and by 54%, on average. A concomitant reduction in the concentrations of traffic-related air pollutants was observed in the range of 40%–60% (p < 0.01). Conclusions: The lower rate of asthma exacerbations in childhood was in this study paralleled with reduced TRAP levels during the pandemic. Synergic interactions of the multiple consequences of lockdowns likely contributed to the reduced exacerbations, including decreased exposure to ambient pollutants and fewer respiratory infections, identified as the most important factor in the literature.

Air pollution is associated with an increased health risk and estimated to cause millions of premature deaths worldwide every year. Moreover, it represents a risk factor for the entire ecosystem and materials of anthropogenic origin (such as cultural heritage and high-tech artifacts). The characterization of air pollution is strongly tied to the diversity between indoor and outdoor environments, which may seem distinct from each other, but are in fact strongly interconnected; in addition, the indoor environment has its own and strong spatial heterogeneity, with great variability of pollutants between different spaces. Nowadays, air quality monitoring activities are carried out mainly for scientific research purposes or the assessment of compliance with legislation. The chemical and optical analysers needed to monitor air pollution, while providing accurate measurements, require a considerable investment, constant calibration and maintenance and are thus restricted to a limited number of applications, resulting in an inadequate spatial and temporal coverage. The development of low-cost sensors can enable the acquisition of high-resolution air quality data and the creation of a larger network, thus helping the characterization of pollutant emissions and the assessment of real-time exposure, facilitating the search for emission mitigation strategies. In this context, a measuring campaign was conducted at the National Research Council (CNR) site in Portici (Naples, Italy), where a pilot facility of the BIOMAT project, a highly innovative European project aiming to enable, accelerate and facilitate the uptake of innovative bio-based materials, was installed. This monitoring campaign was aimed to assess the potential occupational exposure to harmful particulate matter (PM), during the production process of nano-enabled PUR foams. For this purpose, four low-cost optical particle counters (Alphasense, OPC-N3) were deployed alongside two reference instruments (OPC Grimm 1.10

Air pollution is associated with an increased health risk and estimated to cause millions of premature deaths worldwide every year. The chemical and optical analysers needed to monitor air pollution, while providing accurate measurements, require a considerable investment, constant calibration and maintenance and are thus restricted to a limited number of applications, resulting in an inadequate spatial and temporal coverage. The development of low-cost sensors can enable the acquisition of high-resolution air quality data and the creation of a larger network, thus helping the characterization of pollutant emissions and the assessment of real-time exposure. In this context, a measuring campaign was conducted at the National Research Council (CNR) site in Portici (Naples, Italy), a pilot facility of the BIOMAT project, aimed to assess the potential occupational exposure to harmful particulate matter (PM), during the production process of nano-enabled PUR foams. For this purpose, four low-cost optical particle counters (Alphasense, OPC-N3) were deployed alongside two reference instruments (OPC Grimm 1.107). The data obtained shows good agreement between the overall trends for the OPC-N3 and the reference instrument, while highlighting the inability of the low-cost sensors to correctly estimate the absolute value of PM10 concentrations. This first campaign showed how the exposure of the facility workers was mainly attributable to the coarse fraction of particulate matter.

Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) are among the most widely used metal-based nanomaterials (NMs) and their applications in different products, also as antibacterial additives, are increasing. In the present manuscript, according to an adverse outcome pathway (AOP) approach, we tested two safe-by-design (SbD) newly developed Ag NPs coated with hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), namely AgHEC powder and AgHEC solution. These novel Ag NPs were compared to two reference Ag NPs (naked and coated with polyvinylpyrrolidone—PVP). Cell viability, inflammatory response, reactive oxygen species, oxidative DNA damage, cell cycle, and cell–particle interactions were analyzed in the alveolar in vitro model, A549 cells. The results show a different toxicity pattern of the novel Ag NPs compared to reference NPs and that between the two novel NPs, the AgHEC solution is the one with the lower toxicity and to be further developed within the SbD framework.

Airborne pathogens represents a topic of great scientific relevance, especially considering the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Air pollutant such as Particulate Matter (PM) can in fact be associated with an increased incidence of respiratory viral diseases.1 To provide useful insights into the mechanisms by which PM could be involved into infection, we exposed human lung cells to fine PM (PM2.5) and SARS-CoV-2, in order to evaluate different particles cytotoxicological properties and the molecular pathways activated after 72 hours of treatment. We also explored the combined effects of PM2.5 and SARS-CoV-2, to verify the possibility that PM2.5 may play a role in facilitating SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results demonstrated that inflammation is the key process involved in the cell response to PM2.5 and viral particles, albeit with differences. Interestingly, the harmful effects are increased when SARS-CoV-2 and PM2.5 are combined. We also found that PM2.5 induces an over-expression of the angiotensin 2 converting enzyme (ACE2), a preferential entry for the viral particles into respiratory host cells.2 We then verified the possibility that a sub-chronic exposure to PM could induce a reduction of cellular defenses, thus making people more susceptible to infection. Cells were treated with PM2.5 for 72 hours, afterward SARS-CoV-2 was added for additional 2 and 24 hours. Data showed that pre-treatment with PM2.5 facilitates virus entry within the endosomal route already after 2 hours of exposure to SARS-CoV-2. We also demonstrated that the cells exposed to PM and successively treated with virus for 24 hours, respond with an intensified inflammatory state. Taken together, these results showed that PM2.5 appears to facilitate the virus entry in the lung, besides worsening the potency of the inflammatory response to viral infection. The times we are living in, solicit the urgency to carry out a more in-depth investigation, to provide useful elements for understanding the different mecha

Air pollution is the primary environmental cause of death globally. To improve air quality and reduce health impacts, the National Emission Ceilings Directive requires Member States of the European Union to provide National Air Pollution Control Programmes, including emission reduction measures aimed to achieve binding commitments for the years 2020 and 2030. Integrated assessment models are pivotal to assess the reduction of pollutants concentrations determined by measures implemented or foreseen for emission reduction. Here we discuss scenarios elaborated for year 2030 in the Italian National Air Pollution Control Programme, considering 2010 as reference year. The two scenarios, "With Measures" and "With Additional Measures", show a significant reduction of the pollutants concentration, namely PM2.5, NO2 and O3. The scenarios are here also used to provide an integrated approach for calculating the effect of the program on health impacts (mortality) and related costs. Avoidable attributable cases and associated costs are here reported at both the national and regional level and provide a significant framework to assess air-pollution reduction measures with an integrated approach. The procedure proposed may be therefore further developed and applied to assess the overall positive benefits (environmental, health and economic) determined by air-pollution control plans or other integrated policies targeting air quality, energy and climate goals.

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is the most efficient curing activator employed in the industrial rubber production. However, ZnO and Zn(II) ions are largely recognized as an environmental hazard being toxic to aquatic organisms, especially considering Zn(II) release during tire lifecycle. In this context, aiming at reducing the amount of microcrystalline ZnO, a novel activator was recently synthetized, constituted by ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) anchored to silica NPs (ZnO-NP@SiO2-NP). The objective of this work is to define the possible hazards deriving from the use of ZnO-NP@SiO2-NP compared to ZnO and SiO2 NPs traditionally used in the tire industry. The safety of the novel activators was assessed by in vitro testing, using human lung epithelial (A549) and immune (THP-1) cells, and by the in vivo model zebrafish (Danio rerio). The novel manufactured nanomaterial was characterized morphologically and structurally, and its effects evaluated in vitro by the measurement of the cell viability and the release of inflammatory mediators, while in vivo by the Fish Embryo Acute Toxicity (FET) test. Resulting data demonstrated that ZnO-NP@SiO2-NP, despite presenting some subtoxic events, exhibits the lack of acute effects both in vitro and in vivo, supporting the safe-by-design development of this novel material for the rubber industry.

Air pollution represents a global threat leading to large impacts on health and ecosystems and many European areas still show a poor air quality. Air quality forecasts are instruments, which may support authorities and citizens in reducing these impacts. This work presents the development and the performance evaluation of an air quality forecast system for Italy: FORAIR- IT. It operates at both European and Italian scales at 20 km and 4 km resolution, respectively. The forecasts' performances are evaluated against measurements, through a comparison with CAMS_50 validated reanalysis ensemble and by an in depth evaluation during a long lasting PM10 episode, which occurred in Emilia Romagna region in October 2017. The results show similar skill scores between FORAIT-IT and CAMS_50 for PM10, PM2.5, NO2 and O-3 concentrations. The increase of model resolution over Italy and the use of the national emission inventory lead to a better reproduction of pollutant concentrations at urban and suburban sites for PM10, PM(2.5 )and NO2. The analysis of the pollution episode shows that the correct forecast of the meteorological forcing is fundamental in capturing both the timing and the occurrence of the exceedances, while the poor performance of the model in reproducing the magnitude of the exceedances may be due to the lack of information on some emissions sources such as agricultural biomass burning.

The hypothesis that particulate matter (PM) may promote SARS-CoV-2 infection is of great interest. PM has been suggested to act either as a “carrier” of SARS-CoV-2 or by reducing the cellular defenses and making people more susceptible to infections. PM ability to induce a state of chronic lung inflammation, characterized by the over-expression of the angiotensin 2 converting enzyme (ACE2), for which SARS-CoV-2 has a high affinity, is currently under evaluation1,2. Thus, understanding how ACE2-related pathways in pulmonary epithelial cells could be perturbed by PM and exploited by SARS-CoV-2 infection can help in suggesting new strategies to prevent/mitigate the effects of COVID-19 pandemic. This project proposes to evaluate the in vitro interactions between SARS-CoV-2 and PM2.5, using human alveolar epithelial cells (A549) to define if and how PM facilitates virus entry and to identify biological markers of exposure and risk. PM2.5 was collected in Milan during winter 2021. Cells were firstly treated for 72h with PM2.5 in combination or not with SARS-CoV-2 inactivated form. Successively cells were exposed only to PM for 72h, afterward SARS-CoV-2 was added for additional 24h to mimic a sub-chronic exposure to air pollution. The activation of the inflammatory response was studied at biochemical and molecular level. The endosomal pathway was also explored as parameter for the internalization of viral particles. Results demonstrated that exposure to PM2.5 induced an ACE2 over-expression in A549 cells, even in absence of SARS-CoV-2. Moreover, PM/SARS-CoV-2 co-exposure promoted an increase of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 release. Preliminary data suggested that co-exposure might facilitate the virus entry within the endosomal route. Our data support the hypothesis that the mechanism by which PM exposure can contribute to enhancing SARS-CoV-2 infection and consequent COVID-19 severity is related to an increase in the basal level of the ACE2 receptor in lung epitheli

In the framework of the 2017 “carbonaceous aerosol in Rome and Environs” (CARE) experiment, particle number size distributions have been continuously measured on February 2017 in downtown Rome. These data have been used to estimate, through MPPD model, size and time resolved particle mass, surface area and number doses deposited into the respiratory system. Dosimetry estimates are presented for PM10, PM2.5, PM1 and Ultrafine Particles (UFPs), in relation to the aerosol sources peculiar to the Mediterranean basin and to the atmospheric conditions. Particular emphasis is focused on UFPs and their fraction deposited on the olfactory bulb, in view of their possible translocation to the brain. The site of PM10 deposition within the respiratory system considerably changes, depending on the aerosol sources and then on its different size distributions. On making associations between health endpoints and aerosol mass concentrations, the relevant coarse and fine fractions would be more properly adopted, because they have different sources, different capability of penetrating deep into the respiratory system and different toxicological implications. The separation between them should be set at 1 µm, rather than at 2.5 µm, because the fine fraction is considerably less affected by the contribution of the natural sources. Mass dose is a suitable metric to describe coarse aerosol events but gives a poor representation of combustion aerosol. This fraction of particles, made of UFPs and of accumulation mode particles (mainly with size below 0.2 µm), is of high health relevance. It elicited the highest oxidative activity in the CARE experiment and is properly described by the particle surface area and by the number metrics. Such metrics are even more relevant for the UFP doses deposited on the olfactory bulb, in consideration of the role recognized to oxidative stress in the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Such metrics would be more appropriate, rather than PMx mass conce

Suspected detrimental health effects associated with ultrafine particles (UFPs) are impressive. However, epidemiological evidence is still limited. This is potentially due to challenges related to UFP exposure assessment and the lack of consensus on a standard methodology for UFPs. It is imperative to focus future health studies on those UFP metrics more likely to represent health effects. This is the purpose of this paper, where we extend the results obtained during the CARE ("Carbonaceous Aerosol in Rome and Environs") experiment started in 2017 in Rome. The major purpose is to investigate features of airborne UFPs associated with pro-inflammatory and oxidative responses. Aerosol chemical, microphysical, and optical properties were measured, together with the oxidative potential, at temporal scales relevant for UFPs (minutes to hours). The biological responses were obtained using both in-vivo and in-vitro tests carried out directly under environmental conditions. Findings indicate that caution should be taken when assessing health-relevant exposure to UFPs through the conventional metrics like total particle number concentration and PM2.5 and Black Carbon (BC) mass concentration. Conversely, we recommend adding to these, a UFP source apportionment analysis and indicators for both ultrafine black carbon and the size of particles providing most of the total surface area to available toxic molecules.

Air pollution is one of the world’s leading environmental causes of death. The epidemiological relationship between outdoor air pollution and the onset of health diseases associated with death is now well established. Relevant toxicological proofs are now dissecting the molecular processes that cause inflammation, reactive species generation, and DNA damage. In addition, new data are pointing out the role of airborne particulates in the modulation of genes and microRNAs potentially involved in the onset of human diseases. In the present review we collect the relevant findings on airborne particulates of one of the biggest hot spots of air pollution in Europe (i.e., the Po Valley), in the largest urban area of this region, Milan. The different aerodynamic fractions are discussed separately with a specific focus on fine and ultrafine particles that are now the main focus of several studies. Results are compared with more recent international findings. Possible future perspectives of research are proposed to create a new discussion among scientists working on the toxicological effects of airborne particles.

The “Carbonaceous Aerosol in Rome and Environs” (CARE) experiment took place at a Mediterranean urban background site in Rome (Italy) deploying a variety of instrumentation to assess aerosol physical-chemical and optical properties with high-time resolution (from 1 min to 2 h). In this study, aerosol optical properties, chemical composition, and size distribution data were examined with a focus on the analysis of several intensive optical properties obtained from multi-wavelength measurements of aerosol scattering and absorption coefficients. The spectral behaviour of several quantities related to both aerosol composition and size was explored, analysing their high-time resolved temporal patterns and combining them in order to extract the maximum information from all the available data. A methodology to separate aerosol types using optical data only is here proposed and applied to an urban area characterised by a complex mixture of particles. A key is given to correctly disentangle cases that could not be distinguished observing only one or few parameters, but that can be clearly separated using a suitable ensemble of optical properties. The SSCAAE, i.e. the wavelength dependence of the Single Scattering co-albedo 1-SSA (where SSA is the Single Scattering Albedo) - that efficiently responds to both aerosol size and chemical composition – resulted to be the best optical intensive parameter to look at for the discrimination between episodes characterised by specific aerosol types (e.g. sea salt, Saharan dust) and more mixed conditions dominated by local emissions. However, this study also highlighted that it is necessary to combine temporal patterns of different optical parameters to robustly associate SSCAAE features to specific aerosol types. In addition, the complete chemical speciation and the high-time resolved size distribution were used to confirm the aerosol types identified via a combination of aerosol optical properties. Look-up tables with most suitable ran