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Il presente documento restituisce una sintesi delle attività del progetto IMPACT ed è diviso in due parti. La prima parte evidenzia gli strumenti completati durante la durata del progetto, in particolare la rete di radar costieri per il monitoraggio delle correnti marine e la piattaforma webGIS per la consultazione dei dati raccolti ed elaborati dai partner di progetto. La seconda parte capitalizza sui suddetti strumenti per fornire sia indicazioni metodologiche che di governance. Nello specifico, la rete di radar costieri viene utilizzata per creare mappe di potenziale contaminazione e indicare in che condizioni le attività portuali possano essere più sostenibili. Le misure demografiche e i calcoli di ritenzione indicano il livello d'efficacia delle dimensioni attuali delle AMP mentre le misure di contaminazione suggeriscono di considerare un numero maggiore di stazioni nell'ottica di migliorare i piani di monitoraggio esistenti. In quest'ottica, le indicazioni rappresentano il piano d'azione e le linee guida del progetto. L'ulteriore espansione della rete di radar costieri prevista nei progetti SICOMAR plus e SINAPSI è la prova che la conclusione delle attività del progetto IMPACT sia in realtà solo un importante punto di partenza.

The use of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is rapidly increasing and several scientific studies have addressed their toxicological properties. However, only a very small number of publications have deal with the interaction between CNTs and other molecules. Triclosan (TCS) is an antibacterial agent used in personal care and household products. Commonly detected in aquatic ecosystems, there is a strong evidence that aquatic biota is sensitive to this compound. Aside from emergent pollutants, aquatic organisms are continuously subjected to abiotic variations including salinities. Therefore, the main goal of the present study was to better understand how physio-chemical interactions of CNTs with TCS under different salinity levels (37, 28 and 19) affect the mussel species Mytilus galloprovincialis through the evaluation of biochemical alterations on gametes (sperms) and adult tissues, providing more ecologically relevant information on organisms' responses. The results showed toxicological effects in terms of sperm metabolic activity and intracellular reactive oxygen species production as well as cellular damage and alteration of metabolic capacity at the adult's stage when exposed to both contaminants acting alone and in combination, under tested salinities. Moreover, when the mussels were exposed to the combination of both contaminants, they showed major toxic impacts on both assessed biological levels (adult tissues and sperms) especially under control salinity. This suggests that toxicity upon mixture exposure compared to single-substance exposure may impair mussels' populations, affecting reproduction success and growth. published

Although the increased production of nanoparticles (NPs) has raised extensive concerns about the potential toxic effects on aquatic organisms, as well as the increasing evidences which documented the impact of ocean acidification (OA) on the physiology and fitness of marine invertebrates, limited number of studies reported their combined toxic effects. For these reasons, in the present study, we investigated the physiological and biochemical responses of one of the most economically important bivalve species in the World, the Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum, after the exposure to an environmnetally relevant concentration of carboxylated carbon nanotubes and predicted OA conditions. The results showed that the organisms were not only susceptible to NPs but also to seawater acidification. Different responses between low pH and NPs for most tested biomarkers were observed, both in terms of physiological (respiration rate) and biochemical responses (metabolic capacity, oxitative status and neurotoxicity). Acidified pH significantly decreased the respiration rate and metabolism and increased the energy reserves consumption. Moreover, increase of the oxidative damage was also detected under this condition confirming that the mechanism of enhanced toxicity in the organisms should be attributed to lower aggregation state with more suspended NPs in acidified seawater, indicating that seawater acidification significantly influenced the impact of the used NPs in the exposed organisms.

Marine litter is observed along shorelines, pelagic, benthic marine and lake systems all around the globe. On beaches, litter creates aesthetic and related economic problems because a clean beach is one of the most important characteristics of a seaside resort required by visitors. Litter can reach the marine environment from marine or land activities but it is estimated that 80% originates from land-based sources. The marine-based sources of litter include all types of sea-going vessel and offshore installations, the most abundant plastic debris in the oceans being derelict (lost or improperly discarded) fishing gear. Most of marine litter is composed by plastics due to their greater durability and persistence, combined with plastic rising production and low rates of recovery. Special importance is linked to microplastics because their ubiquity, persistence, mechanical effects on biota and the ecosystem because of ingestion by organisms and their toxic potential. As plastics degrade they can release toxic chemicals initially incorporated during their manufacturing or persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals sorbed to their surfaces in the environment. Such toxins can disrupt endocrine functions and cause harmful reproductive and developmental effects in aquatic animals.

This study investigated the distribution of nematode larvae of Anisakidae and Raphidascarididae (genera Anisakis and Hysterothylacium) in Trachurus trachurus (Linnaeus, 1758) in the Ligurian and central-northern Tyrrhenian Seas. The relationship between the number of parasites and the length and weight parameters of the fish was assessed, and the possible effect of the parasites on the condition factor was evaluated. A total of 190 T. trachurus specimens were collected in July 2019. Parasites were found in 70 individuals. A total of 161 visible larvae were collected in the viscera. Morphological analysis revealed the presence of Anisakis spp. in 55 fish and Hysterothylacium spp. in 15 fish, while 5 fish showed coinfection with both genera. The specimens subjected to PCR (n = 67) showed that 85% of the Anisakis larvae analyzed belonged to the species A. pegreffii, while the remaining 15% belonged to hybrids of A. pegreffii-A. simplex (s.s.). A total of 58% (n = 7) of the Hysterothylacium larvae analyzed belonged to the species H. fabri, while 42% belonged to the species H. aduncum. Our results support the hypothesis that infection with these parasites does not affect the condition of the fish host analyzed, and that body size and depth are major drivers in determining infection levels with Anisakid and Raphidascaridid nematodes.

Microplastic (MP) pollution represents a distinctive mark of the Anthropocene. Despite the increasing efforts to determine the ecological impacts of MP on marine biodiversity, our understanding of their toxicological effects on invertebrate species is still limited. Despite their key functional roles, sponges (Phylum Porifera) are particularly understudied in MP research. These filter-feeders extract and retain particles from the water column, across a broad size range. In this study, we carried out a laboratory experiment to assess the uptake of MPs (polyethylene, PE) by the Mediterranean sponge Petrosia ficiformis, how MPs influence key biological process after different times of exposure (24h and 72h) and whether they can be subsequently eliminated. MP uptake increased with time of exposure, with 30.6% of the inoculated MP particles found in sponge samples after 72h. MPs impaired filtration and respiration rates and these effects were still evident 72h after sponges had been transferred in uncontaminated water. Our study shows that time of exposure represents a key factor in determining MP toxicity in sponges. In addition, our results suggest that sponges are able to incorporate foreign particles and may thus be a potential bioindicator for MP pollutants.

Nowadays, multi-walled carbon nanotubes are considered to be emerging contaminants and their impact in ecosystem has drawn special research attention, while other contaminants, such as caffeine, have more coverage in literature. Despite this, the effects of a combination of the two has yet to be evaluated, especially considering predicted temperature rise. In the present study a typical bioindicator species for marine environment, the clam Ruditapes decussatus, and classical tools, such as biomarkers and histopathological indices, were used to shed light on the species' response to these contaminants, under actual and predicted warming scenarios. The results obtained showed that both contaminants have a harmful effect at tissue level, as shown by higher histopathological index, especially in digestive tubules. Temperatures seemed to induce greater biochemical impacts than caffeine (CAF) and –COOH functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (f-MWCNTs) when acting alone, namely in terms of antioxidant defences and energy reserves content, which were exacerbated when both contaminants were acting in combination (MIX treatment). Overall, the present findings highlight the complex response of clams to both pollutants, evidencing the role of temperature on clams’ sensitivity, especially to mixture of pollutants.

Literature on the protein carbonyl content (PCC) evaluation in horses is scarce, thus the aims were to evaluate the PCC in healthy and SIRS (Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome) horses and to investigate the performances of PCC in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratio in identifying SIRS positive and negative horses. A total of 72 adult horses were included. All the horses underwent to a complete physical examination, blood analysis, and were evaluated for the SIRS status. Blood samples were collected once in healthy horses and at admission time, then 24, 48, 72, and 96 h after admission in sick animals. PCC was evaluated using a method previously described. Data were statistically analyzed to verify differences in PCC between healthy vs. SIRS positive or SIRS negative horses at all sampling time. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was performed to verify sensitivity and specificity of PCC in the diagnosis of SIRS-positive and SIRS negative horses. The healthy horses were standardbred mares with a median age of 8.5 years. The sick horses were 31/54 females, 16/54 geldings, and 7/54 stallions of different breeds and with a median age of 12 years old. Eight out of 54 sick horses were SIRS negative, while 46/54 were SIRS positive. Statistically significant differences were obtained between healthy and SIRS positive horses, while no differences were observed between healthy and SIRS negative horses at any sampling time. The best cutoff value of PCC to discriminate between SIRS positive, SIRS negative, and healthy horses, the sensitivity and specificity of cutoff point, the area under receiver operating characteristic curve, the 95% confidence intervals, and the likelihood ratio were reported. We found higher PCC values in sick SIRS-positive horses vs. healthy ones with a decrement over time, while no differences at admission, nor during the observational period, were obtained in sick but SIRS-negative horses. The value of 0.049 nmol/ml/mg is reported as a potential cutoff for the diagnosis of SIRS positivity vs. healthy horses with a sensibility of 74.5% and a specificity of 72.2%. In conclusion, PCC seems to be a sensitive and specific marker for SIRS in horses.

Mixture of contaminants often determine biological responses of marine species, making difficult the interpretation of toxicological data. The pharmaceutical 17 alpha-ethinylestradiol (EE2) and the surfactant Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) commonly co-occur in the marine environment. This study evaluated the effects of EE2 (125.0 ng/L) and SLS (4 mg/L), acting individually and combined, in the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. Contaminated mussels closed their valves for longer periods than control ones, especially in the presence of both contaminants, with longer closure periods immediately after spiking compared to values obtained one day after spiking. Nevertheless, males and females increased their metabolism when in the presence of both contaminants (males) and SLS (females), and independently on the treatment males and females were able to activate their antioxidant and biotransformation defences. Although enhancing defences mussels still presented cellular damage and loss of redox balance, especially noticed in the presence of EE2 for males and SLS for females. Histopathological damage was found at mussel's gills in single and mixture exposure, and qPCR analysis revealed a clear estrogen receptor expression with no additive effect due to combined stressors. The results obtained highlight the harmful capacity of both contaminants but further research on this matter is needed, namely considering different climate change scenarios.

N -Alkyl- N -methylmorpholinium and N -alkyl substituted 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO) based ionic liquids (ILs), N -alkyl-DABCO, bearing short alkyl chains are characterised by a low toxicity to Vibrio fischeri , although toxicity significantly increases on increasing the alkyl chain length. Alkyl chain length affects also biodegradability in the 28 days tests; the higher level of biodegradation was found in both the series in the case of the ethyl (C2) derivatives. In the case of N -ethyl DABCO based IL, although biodegradability is still around 40%, and consequently this IL cannot be classified as “readily biodegradable”, this value is similar to the more biodegradable functionalized imidazolium based ILs.

Quantitative structure–toxicity relationships were developed for the prediction of toxicity to Vibrio fischeri using the CODESSA treatment. A four-parameter correlation was found for a class of ionic liquids based on halide. All the descriptors utilized are calculated only from the structures of the molecules, which makes it possible to predict unavailable or unknown ILs, in gas phase and in water (PCM treatment). Satisfactory correlations with the same descriptors were found for both cases but the employment of descriptors calculated in solvent assure a better correlation and a bigger reliability on the foresight.